CAN YOU HEAR THE ANGELS SINGING?
I remember the day I first saw her.
All I knew was that I wanted a dog - I wasn't set on a breed, but I'd narrowed my choices down to German Shepherd and Beagle. Don't ask me why - but for whatever reason those two breeds struck me as desireable - although my only "experience" in the two breeds was through my armchair quarterbacking the Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show.
I responded to an ad in the Buffalo News, fall 1993. Beagles, being a dime a dozen, became my primary focus. What luck! After just 2 calls, I found a litter of 8 week old pups just a mile and a half from my house - but they're going quick - just two boys and one little girl left!
I arrived for my appointment. I could here the harmoneous voices of mom "Sandy" and older sister "Snoopy" in the back yard. As I walked in, I could hear scratches coming from the inside of a huuuuge cardboard box in the living room. I headed over and looked into the box.... and there she was. Her two brothers were the ones making all the noise as they jumped up the side of the box saying "pick me! pick me!" But sitting angelically in the middle of the box was this sweet, beautiful little girl beagle. I could here the voices of angels singing as a beam of light came down and shown upon her. She was the one.
THE STORY OF SAMANTHA
Sam was my beloved beagle girl. She was born September 14th, 1993 and went to be with Jesus on June 30th, 2005. She was AKC registered as Samantha Lucyfur Samurai Pie and was born to South Ogden Sandy and Barney Tober Negron. Sam was very versitile in the name department. To be honest with you, I really don't think she cared what I called her... she would answer to her mommy's voice. Pie, Begallion, Begallion Stallion, Beagle, Beagalu, Beagalulu, LuLu, Beaga, Beagalucious, Sam, Sammi, Samantha.
What could be said about a beagle's life? Samantha was no ordinary beagle. She was a mean walker. All business, no time for sniffin' and doin' silly dog stuff. If there was ever a pace dog, it was my beagle. I wish the same could be said about her Rottweiler brother walking partner, Damien "Booby". But then again, Sam was a graduate of doggy boot camp. None of that wimpy PetSmart one hour a week crap. Sam did serious time at Jamar's Dog Obedience School. Two weeks live-in on campus training and three hundred plus dollars later... I had a beagle that could... SIT! Oh well, so much for trying to turn a beagle into a doberman!
What I think was Sam's greatest skill was her watchdog ability. While beagles are generally good barkers, "watchdog" is a whole different can of beans. In Sam's case - watchdogs aren't born, they're made. It was Friday, January 20th, 1995 at 1:38am (Thursday night). A man had broken into our house, had disconnected the VCR and had grabbed a couple of smaller items - then decided to snoop around my bedroom. When I woke, the first thing I saw was my clock, 1:38am, then I saw his silhouette standing within 3 feet of my bed... he was flipping the lightswitch, but the bulb was burnt out. I freaked out and started cussing, and it was then that Samantha, who had been asleep at me feet, realized for the first time in her life "STRANGER DANGER!!!" - It was when she began barking as ferociously as a beagle can bark, that the burglar ran from my house.
It was exactly 2 months later that we had our second break-in. Unfortunately sam was home alone that time. I had left at 8:30am to check out the flea market, and when I arrived home at 10:00am - just an hour and a half later - I found the gate to my yard and my side door wide open. I felt sick! I walked around to see if the coast was clear - it was. I called out to my beagle. What a good girl - she had safely hid herself under my bed.
...more to come...