Marc Choppin & Braddock

I adopted Braddock in February 2000. Braddock was one of eight beagles that were rescued from a Virginia hunt club. I had finally started looking for another beagle after I had lost my previous beagle Dan in May 1999. When I first met Braddock, he was at the vet's office undergoing treatment for heartworms. I met him on a Saturday. I decided to foster/adopt him at that time. The following Thursday, Braddock came home. For the first two days, Braddock would not leave his crate, eat, or drink. Whenever I took him out, he would try to hide in the bushes. Finally he settled in and started to eat and drink. He is nervous around new people and situations. He also doesn't like large vehicles, like trucks, buses, and SUVs.

About three weeks after he came home, my parents came to visit him. He was nervous, but after about 30 minutes, he let them pet him. The next time they visited, he played tug of war with them. About three months after I adopted Braddock, he started having seizures. He was started on medication and has been seizure free since. The good thing is that I have experience dealing with a dog who has seizures. My previous beagle Dan had suffered from seizures and lived to be 14 years old. The seizure medication is not that expensive. Braddock's runs about $5 a month.

Over Thanksgiving, Braddock met the rest of the family. He met my sister and her fiancee, and my other sister and her family. Braddock went to each person and climbed on them smelling them. He even wrestled with my sister's Walker Hound.

Braddock has also been making up for lost time with his toys. He will play fetch with his toys for hours at a time. He also loves to pull the plush covering off his toys. All his toys have from 20% to 70% of their plush covering removed. My parents have also commented on how better I sound since I adopted Braddock.