19 beagles in search of loving forever home
AN APPEAL has been launched to find “forever homes” for 19 gorgeous beagles taken in from breeders all over the UK.
Many Tears Animal Rescue, a Carmarthenshire-based animal charity, rescues ex-breeding dogs and even those found on “death row” in pounds, along with others from owners who can no longer keep them.
The beagles in its care come in “all shapes and sizes”, from an adorable six-month-old to an eightyear-old still with a spring in its step, all hoping to find suitable loving homes.
The charity has recorded a rising trend of dog abandonment following the Covid pandemic and said it had worked “non-stop both financially and physically”, but acknowledged its staff were “drained” as new dogs were rescued every week.
Based in Cefneithin, Many Tears Animal Rescue is no stranger to achieving the impossible, once being home to 57 Labrador pups and the beautiful Bella, a terminal sausage dog who found a new home. The charity is a strong believer that every dog is capable of being loved.
It has the support of a band of faithful volunteers who work endlessly to readjust neglected dogs into loving home environments and are now on the hunt for homes for their beagles, saying the pack animal suits homes that already have pet canines.
“Unfortunately, and I suppose fortunately, people have stopped wanting to get dogs,” said Sylvia Van Atta, owner of the charity. “What we are finding is that breeders are cutting back because there isn’t a market. A beagle is a very easy breeder and popular one to cross-breed. These ones we have rescued weren’t wanted anymore and we want to give every dog a second opportunity in life. We are the stepping stones to their happiness.”
Many of the rescued dogs are nervous and unfamiliar with human interaction, and often have health issues. The charity medically examines the canines and aims to readjust them into an adoption setting – with many volunteers often acting as a “middleman house” helping the dog ease back into a home setting, often with dogs of their own.
“Sometimes people inquire at the centre about adopting a dog, but people have to understand these are not ready-made dogs,” said Sylvia.
“There needs to be a different level of effort to help these dogs and a beagle is very much a pack dog and would better suit copying another dog’s behaviour.
“They will make lovely pets, they are all very sweet and some of them are friendly, but some are scared. They come in all shapes and sizes.
“We try and do our jobs as best as we can. We have a lot of dogs looking for homes, including these special beagles, but it is hard. It just goes on and on at the moment and Covid still impacts our volunteers – we just seem to keep chasing our tails and are kept in an endless cycle,” added Sylvia.
“A dog is not a library book; it isn’t something you can just take back when you are bored of it. We look into many aspects of people’s lives to make sure both they and the dog are happy, so I don’t want anyone to be offended. We want to make sure it’s the right dog for the right home.”
■ All of the beagles are available for adoption from Many Tears Animal Rescue – www.manytearsrescue.org