I adopted Ben, a 4-year-old Beagle from Midwest B.R.E.W. in August of 2012. Ben was very anxious, nervous and frightened. He was extremely noise sensitive. Simply setting a cup of coffee down on a table would send him flying upstairs. He stayed in excellent physical shape the 6 1/2 years he lived with us from getting vigorous cardio work-out running up and down the steps! He was not house broken, nor was he familiar with the outdoors as he was on complete sensory overload being outside. I'm not sure if his instincts were affected from the life he had before being rescued or if he was just a gentle boy because he never chased a rabbit or a squirrel. It even took him about 3 months to begin responding to our voices. Basically, I had to teach Ben how to be a dog. But Ben ~my faithful, loyal, sweet, loving companion taught me so much more ~ patience and understanding for mere starters.

I always said Ben was like God ~ he loved everyone and he loved every dog that he encountered. In fact, through Ben I met 16 wonderful dog families on our daily walks. If we went for an hour walk - 40 minutes were spent walking and the other 20 minutes were spent visiting with his friends.

Ben unexpectedly died of a brain tumor in March 2019. I feel as though I lost a huge piece of my heart as we had a special bond due to the challenges he faced entering our home. He was my constant companion, following me everywhere. I miss everything about Ben ~ his soft, silky ears, his paw prints and drool marks on the floors, the way he cocked his head when I talked to him, how excited he got when we went for a walk, his love of popcorn parties and so much more. I love you Ben Beagle ~ and always will!

C.K. Ben's Human
Livonia, MI