BEAU

This has been a sad week for our family as we lost our dog of 13 years to cancer. Beau was a gentle dog, the gentlest ever and was loved by everyone who came in contact with him. Children and adults adored him at once. He was so lovable,asking for nothing just wanting a pat on the head and a scratch behind his ears.

It was about this time 13 years ago when I spotted a posting on the local Walmart bulletin board announcing the sale of puppies that were part black lab and part st. bernard. I couldn't help but wonder what type of puppies these might be. Although we had had our share of cats, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish and I can't remember what else, for a lot of reasons imposed by me, our family had never had a dog. But on this day in April 1997, something suggested that I throw all those reasons aside and convince Al to take a drive to Monroe County and see these puppies. Well no one can look at puppies without coming home with one, especially when they looked like Beau and his siblings. So we were  predestined to select Beau but had to go through the motions of visiting his birthplace, coming home discussing the what-ifs and then making a decision to return for our new puppy.

Monroe County, WV is  known for its rolling rural farmland, meandering streams and beautiful landscapes. It was a warm spring Sunday afternoon, and as we arrived at the farm, we couldn't believe what we saw. Here were 10 of the most precious puppies that you have ever seen. Eight of the puppies looked like labs, black with short hair,  and the other 2 were all black but long haired and looked like newfoundlands.  I don't know why there is not a breed that purposely mixes labs with st. bernards; the puppies were beautiful, they were of a sturdier build than labs, had beautiful broad strong heads and none of the drooling characteristics of a st. bernanrd. Their temperament  is perfect .......Al and I sat in the grass and played with these puppies who would somersault into our laps. Up until just a few months ago Beau would still somersault when he approached someone he knew would pet and scratch him. His mother was the st. bernard and her owners were homesteaders, a nice way of saying hippies from the '70's who had discovered the serenity of making a home in WV and living off the family trust fund. Because all the puppies appeared so carefree, Al and I were convinced that during their formative periods, they had been under the influence of cannabis which surely was present in the household. Because Beau looked like a black bear, his owners had given him the name of Bear which we changed to Beau.

He was such a handsome dog that on two occasions he was actually dognapped. Once by a "rough" family who took him back to their trailer and had him tied outside when Al, Mary Ingles and one of her friends confronted the kidnappers and were able to bring Beau home safely. Quite a story, but too long to re-telll here.

Beau loved his daily walks with Al, a mile+ around the neighborhood including a swim in the pond and chasing the geese and deer. Even with frigid temperatures, Beau would make the plunge into the water. He was always the first to greet anyone pulling into our driveway , standing there ready for a scratch behind the ears. We taught him to talk, "speak Beau" was part of his vocabulary and always elicited a cacophony of pleasant growls. He was a dog of few tricks but say the word "bang" and he'd somersault at your feet. Keep in mind he was 105 pounds. When I was traveling so much, he kept Al company. I was convinced that they had martinis together each night and carried on conversations together. I was sure of this because Beau's vocabulary continued to grow over the years. On those occasions when I was home by myself Beau would always follow me upstairs at night and sleep as close to the edge of the bed as he possibly could.

All children loved him too, he was so big that to them he looked like a small pony. He'd let Ryan and Jack ( Mary Ingles children ages 4 and 2) climb all over him, and only if he grew tired of their poking and prodding would he get up and move to another location.

Losing a pet is difficult and one so much apart of our family for 13 years is especially hard.

We love you Beau; you were the best! What great memories we have.