Beatrice came to our family as a foster in January 2014.  She was a senior girl, guessed to be around 11 years old.  Beatrice was emaciated when she came to us with horrible teeth, a few lumps, bumps and bruises.  We got her back to health and enjoyed watching her blossom from a dog that probably had little to no contact with humans to a food-seeking sweet little girl.  It took about three months before her tail wagged and even then you considered yourself lucky if you got a tail wag from her.

Nothing bothered her, she was good with all the dogs and good with everyone she met.  It was such a comfort to see her scratch her bed every night getting it “just right” and to hear her settle down with a great sigh.

Beatrice left us too soon in February 2015 from cancer.  She didn’t suffer and was happy until the day before she left for the rainbow bridge.  While Beatrice never got her “official” adoptive family, she was very much a part of our family and we considered her one of our own pack.

She will be dearly missed.

Run free, sweet girl.

~ Beth S.​

​Because of Midwest BREW, we came to love a very special little beagle girl, who has left her pawprints on our hearts. 

My 10 year old middle daughter (who was scared of dogs) was befriended by “Laverne” at your 2004 Beaglefest.  My other two daughters, my husband, and I immediately fell in love with her beautiful deep amber eyes and gorgeous tri-coloring.  She had lots of freckles on her front legs too.  She was sweet and gentle and loved to be petted.

Shortly thereafter, we adopted Laverne and she came to live with us. We renamed her Nikki.  Nikki was a loving dog, very curious of her surroundings, and her tail wagged constantly.  She never met a human she didn’t like.  Everyone fell in love with her in return.  In September of 2014, we learned that the cough she had was caused by a rapidly growing cancerous tumor in her right lung.  This morning, March 13, 2015, our constant companion of almost 11 years peacefully crossed over the rainbow bridge in the home that she loved. 

Until we meet again one day at the bridge – our wish for you is to run as fast as your little freckled legs can carry you!   

Thanks to MW BREW, Nikki brought much joy and sunshine into our lives.

~ ​Rich, Maria, Elise, Ali & Kierstin Toth

Tegen was kindly cared for by her MW BREW fosters Erin and Julie Drake, who were kind enough to present me with the perfect beagle on my birthday in August of 2012.

I drove all the way from Minnesota to get her after seeing her profile on the MW BREW website. Something popped in my head, “That’s my Beags!” She was too. Smart enough that I could talk to her like a person. She always seemed to understand.

Tegen was the perfect mix of sweet, gentle, funny and stubborn. She lived for walks, loving time, bacon and Dingo chews. She loved all animals and people and each dog, cat, or human who met her adored her with ease.

In her final weeks, the nurses at the vet offered to pay me to keep her there a few more days. Even when she was dying, she was still stoic and a joy, despite being in pain.

What Tegen brought to my life was a consistent sense of calm, caring and a level of enjoyment and appreciation that has been impossible to replace. She is missed daily.

​~ Bob Williams​

We were fortunate enough to foster Lucy II on not one but two occasions. After recovering from cancer surgery in February 2015 she was adopted and we watched her ride off to her new home. Unfortunately her cancer quickly returned and the difficult decision was made to relinquish her back to MW BREW. We jumped at the chance to care for her again and four months after leaving us we welcomed her back. Lucy II was with us for just over 100 days. Each of those days was a gift to our family.

This is Lucy II’s story:

I crossed the Rainbow Bridge today.

When I woke up Monday it was very hard to keep up with the rest of the pack on our morning walk and I lagged behind. My friends waited for me, even Phineas who just loves to be in front all the time. He kissed my face when we got home and then I needed to rest on my dog bed. 

Since then I have not eaten more than a small handful of food, but I was drinking plenty of cool water until this morning when the water would not stay in my tummy. 

Yesterday and today I was gently carried outside to do my business and then I would stand very still in the grass for a few minutes and enjoy the warm sunshine before being carried inside and laid back on my bed. I was just so tired!

This evening I made one final transport (oh, how I did love my car rides!), and we stopped to see my doctor, who spoke very kindly to me and then helped me on my way.  

Thank you Ida, Phin, Lincoln and old Scoobie for being so nice to me. I sure wish I could have stayed longer. I promise to meet you at the Bridge when it is your turn to come “home”! 

 “Sometimes when you’re doing simple things around the house,

Maybe you’ll think of me… and smile;

Keep me in your Heart for awhile.”

~  Carol and Jim Grossman

​​I adopted Ringo 3 ½ years ago. It didn’t take a lot to decide. No reading over myriads of profiles of other beagles seeking forever homes. No weighing pros and cons. In short, when I saw his photo on the Midwest BREW website, there was no doubt. And not once since adopting him at Beaglefest 2012 did Ringo show that decision to be wrong.

Last December 21, 2015, I had to send Ringo on ahead to wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge. Cancer had spread through his lungs and chest. An AARB senior when I adopted him, his too few years with me were full and loving. Though he slowed down with age, his spirit never diminished. Ringo was the gentlest dog I’ve ever met. Not once did I hear him growl or snarl. He trusted people, and was fearless in making friends. The ever-present joy in his eyes and smile on his face captured the hearts of all he met. Strangers would pat him on the head or back, and leave happier for it. That was Ringo’s gift. He made people happy. He made people smile. And he taught me how little effort it takes to brighten the world. And that was his gift as well.

Thank you, BREW, for introducing me to this amazing hound. And though my sorrow as I write these words is enormous, I know it’s an insignificant price to pay for the joy and love Ringo brought into my life. Ringo was a treasure. I’ll never regret adopting him.

~Frank Grandau

Hazel entered my life February 17, 2007. According to her x-rays, MW BREW believed she had a pretty horrible life before they got involved. I just remember them telling me numerous times that Hazel would probably never be a normal dog. But I was determined to take on that challenge. Hazel not only became a normal dog, she became a very happy and loving companion and a little spoiled too! With a lot of love and patience, she learned to love and trust again. Her wonderful and kind personality just blossomed as every day passed by. She enjoyed her second life and lived it to its fullest (you can tell that by her pictures).

Unfortunately after 8 1/2 years a very quick spreading cancer formed and I knew my time with her would end soon. Just as Hazel trusted me at the beginning of our journey together, I made sure she trusted me and felt loved during our final months together. RIP Hazel January 23, 2016. Always know that you changed my life as much if not more than I changed yours. Mommy loves you forever!

~ Irene H.​

In November 2015, I received messages and emails from friends about a sad beagle in need at a local animal control. Max wasn’t walking, was in pain, had skin problems, infections, bad teeth, overgrown nails. He was turned in by owners who could no longer care for him and was hours away from being put down.

A volunteer at that animal control was begging for someone to give Max a chance. I couldn’t say no, and I thought, even if he was only with us for a weekend due to his health, he would be loved for that weekend. Max ended up staying with us for nine months.

During those nine months he was loved by many people and had many fans. Max rallied for a while, but his old health problems ended up being just too much for his little body to handle. So instead of a weekend of love, Max got nine months of love.

I am so thankful for caring and compassionate vets who helped Max and kept him comfortable.

Run free, then rest peacefully my dearest Max. We love and miss you!

~ Beth Staley

It was love at first sight when we met Lincoln (or Emerson, as he was called at the time) in November 2012. We had recently lost our first beagle Simon to cancer and had planned to hold off on looking for another dog for at least six months (three weeks later we adopted Lincoln…)

Lincoln was a gentle giant within our Beagle family (which includes BREW Ambassador Scoobie, our little lady Ida and our one-eyed pirate Phineas). He never once growled, bared his teeth in anger or displayed any signs of aggression. His loving nature was evident that very first time we laid eyes on him when he sat directly in front of Carol and began kissing her face when she knelt to pet him.

Shortly after we adopted Lincoln a mast cell tumor was found, and successfully removed. He seemed no worse the wear, living each day to its fullest (wrestling with brother Phin, eating breakfast, wrestling with brother Phin, sleeping, walking the bike trail before dinner and wrestling with brother Phin before bedtime), his tail in constant motion and with a silly grin on his face the whole time. In November 2015 another tumor was found in the same location and once again it was successfully removed.

As they say in baseball, “Three strikes and you’re out”. In August, after our family had moved from Illinois to New Mexico, we noticed a small pea sized bump in the exact same spot.Then, virtually out of nowhere, it grew to “golf ball” sized and a quick trip to the veterinarian confirmed that surgery was indeed required and promptly scheduled for the following week. Medication was administered in the hopes of shrinking the mass but within two days it had grown to the size of a fist, hardened and begun to ooze blood. Surgery, unfortunately, was no longer an option.

On Tuesday September 13, 2016 our “son”crossed the Rainbow Bridge. It was much quieter when we returned home and opened the garage door. One of the beautiful voices was missing from the choir.

“Standing on the Moon, my time on Earth is through,

A lovely view of Heaven, but I would rather be with you,

A lovely view of Heaven, but I would rather be with you. (The Grateful Dead)

~ Carol & Jim Grossman

Leo, who was born on 11/17/2002 and became a beloved family member of ours on 3/19/2003. We thank Toscha and the Midwest BREW team for bringing him into our lives. He grew into a 70lb beagle/fox hound mix and could run like a greyhound. Although Leo passed away 12/27/16, we have so many fond memories and adventures of Leo over the almost 14 years he lived with us.

I recall each Christmas, he always sniff around the presents (like all beagles do) and ultimately found the candy. Speaking of food, a couple of times, we left the roast beef platter a little close to the dining room table’s edge. Sure enough, when we looked to clear the dishes, we noticed the roast gone and Leo sitting in the corner of the room licking his chops. Did I mention he ate well?

There were times he was actually playing with us. Leo would grab a sock run to a spot and tease us into trying to grab it. Just when we thought we had it, he dashed away. The game would continue until he decided he was bored.

Leo made us laugh, but more importantly, he gave us all unconditional love. Personally, no matter what mood I was in, Leo would lick my face, lie next to me or give me a bid “arooo” beagle call. He loved his human mommy and many times they would take a nap on the couch together, especially when our kids were in school. As soon as he heard the bus stop in front of our house, he jumped off the couch and gave them a “Welcome-home!-How-do-you-do?” bark to the kids as they came into the house.

Leo was also a great protector to my family. He monitored the yard and barked at strangers or other dogs as they walked by. When a stranger came into the house, Leo was there barking, but also on the lookout for that person’s actions. In fact, he would not leave the room until we gave the OK sign. He certainly would sound the alarm when hearing unusual sounds close to the house as well.

It is not easy losing a loved one such as Leo. We loved him as much as a family member. We are still grieving; but we know he is in a good place and we will see him again someday.

His memory will always be with us.

~ Patrick and Donna Hickey

We first noticed Scoobie on the Midwest BREW website right around Christmas 2012. He was pictured wearing a huge red bow, with an odd, distinctive head tilt in one photo and a giant sleepy yawn in another. When Christmas, and then New Year’s passed him by and we saw countless other younger dogs (especially the puppies) being adopted, we realized that the chances of someone wanting an old white-faced beagle who was nearly blind and almost completely deaf (the head tilt a result of an apparent stroke, causing the right side of his face to droop) were slim to none. The town that we lived in only allowed three dogs per family and we were at our limit. However, persistence paid off and we were granted permission to help a dog who had little chance of finding a forever home. And in April 2013 Scoobie left his wonderful foster parents and became Carol’s true “mama’s boy” (for those of you who knew Scoobie you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about).

For almost four years he was the most amazing dog imaginable, at first relentlessly attacking the trash can in our kitchen or howling non-stop as his meals were being prepared, and in later years wandering aimlessly for hours on end, looking for that perfect spot for a nap or growling at his younger brothers if they tried to coax him into a little roughhousing. The one thing that never changed was his incredible appetite and the barking that would begin the minute his food bowl was picked up.

We thought Scoobie was a “goner” several times: Congestive heart failure, excessive fluid build up in his lungs, chronic and severe back and leg issues, and a cough that would not go away no matter what medication was prescribed. But he always bounced back and proved the veterinarians wrong.

When dementia set in, Scoobie began to bump into walls and find himself stuck in a corner or trapped under a table, and we knew that his time was coming to an end. He could not sleep through the night, slept most of the day and, reluctantly, wore a belly band 24/7 except when he went outside. As Christmas 2016 approached, his hind legs began to give out on him, leaving him sprawled out on the floor and looking up at us with his cloudy white eyes that seemed to ask, “What has happened to me now?”

The final blow was a torn cruciate ligament. Too old and frail for surgery, we made the humane yet heartbreaking decision to send him on his way. Scoobie spent his last weekend relaxing (the same as always), sleeping a lot (the same as always) and howling for each and every meal… the same as always.

Every dog is special. Scoobie was just a little more special than all of the others.

“You’ll always be here with us even when you’re gone,

You’ll always have our love. Your memory will live on.”

From the song “Rose Tattoo” – Dropkick Murphy’s

~ Jim and Carol Grossman