Ellie is a very special beagle who has already endured more than we might ever know, but whose courage and zest for life shows us that the spirit triumphs through adversity! She is a beautiful beagle girl who came to live with us, less by our choosing, but rather, by hers.

Ellie was one of 10 female puppies that were released by a veterinarian research lab to BREW-N.E. Neither she, nor the other 10, knew of life outside of the laboratory for the first 10 months of their lives.

Our house was already occupied by our resident 2 y.o. beagle, Casey, our 13 yr. old Pomeranian, Penny, and our two cats, Sasha and Jazz. Casey’s need for a playmate soon became evident, so my partner and I began the search for a suitable companion for her in May 2002. We originally thought a 1 – 2 year old male would be a nice addition to our home. We happened upon the BREW web site and immediately applied to become adoptive parents. Once approved, we scoured the web site daily in search of “just the right one”. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, Jazz (one of our cats) became ill, so we felt it necessary to temporarily put the adoption on hold until things were resolved with her.

In late July we returned to the site to continue our search, and there they were…. 10 beautiful, frightened little “girls” pictured on the pages, one after the other, with sad, soulful eyes that said so much… We could not resist. We knew immediately that we had to do something so we contacted BREW. Of the original 10 puppies, only two were still at the animal hospital (having just been spayed) awaiting foster homes. Although we had not originally planned to foster both puppies, the following evening Katie and Ellie came to our home. (Thanks again, Susan for taking that step and asking us to take both puppies, otherwise we would not have met Ellie!).

Since that time, Katie has been adopted into a wonderful, beagle loving family, and Ellie has chosen to remain with us, making a lasting impression in our lives and in our hearts. As each day passes, Ellie has become more and more confident and we are hopeful that memories of her “old” life are completely erased and replaced by wonderful, lasting memories of her “new” life. As the fear slowly erodes, the trust builds! She and Casey are now inseparable, as they chase each other through the house with reckless abandon! Ellie has finally “unleashed her inner puppy”! She will soon be graduating from her first (beginner) obedience class!! She is an absolute delight to watch as she desperately tries to follow commands with exact precision coupled with her overflowing enthusiasm!

Ellie will move at her own pace with each new experience, and we will be there to bear witness to it all! For as much as we know we have made a difference in her life, she, too, has made one in ours!!

We are grateful to the entire BREW community for their tireless & selfless work to bring about such “Happy Endings” in all the beagles’ lives they touch!!

… “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened”

Anatole France