For most of you, when you hear the word “Beagle,” you automatically associate it with “Snoopy.”
Me? I think “Ricky.” Obviously.
Sure, over the last eight-plus years, Kemba has become my soul mate. No doubt about it. But Beagles are special. They can’t be replaced. There’ll never be another Ricky. A photo of Ricky in his red-and-white striped doggy bed is the wallpaper on my iPhone. His (very faded) red collar still adorns the stick shift of
my beloved 2000 Jeep Wrangler. A sign hangs in our downstairs powder room: BEAGLES RULE. Carol, though she had a Beagle — Toy — when she was a little girl, clearly thinks of Ricky as #1. Robby now has his young black Lab, the adorable, rambunctious Pickle, but he still misses Ricky, his best childhood friend. Clearly, we’re not the only ones who feel this way about Beagles. Uno the Beagle took first place at the Westminster Dog Show in 2008. Miss P, also a Beagle, did the same in 2015.
And just so you know: Ricky’s birthday is coming up in a few days — Monday, May 8. You can bet we’ll be observing, and remembering.
Another beloved Beagle passed away last month. Nolan belonged to Phil and Maggie, son-in-law and daughter of our good friends Jeff and Joan. Ricky the Beagle actually wrote about Nolan in his “My Pals” column back in 2012. You also might have learned of a memorable Nolan escapade in “Puppy Dogs and Diamond Rings,” which I posted in June of last year.
Phil was moved to write a tribute to his dear Nolan shortly after he died. I’d like to share an edited version of it with you:
On Monday, April 3rd, the Wilkerson family lost a cherished family member. Nolan, our 16-year-old Beagle, crossed the rainbow bridge. Nolan was a Beagle who touched the lives of those who knew him in ways that will be cherished forever. He was calm, friendly, warm, and a fantastic all-around companion.
For the first year of Nolan’s life, he consistently ran amuck in the apartment complex, slept in my bed, and required
hour-plus-long walks to be tired. Still, he also filled a void I didn’t know I needed to fill. He kept me company on lonely nights when I needed to study, was a presence in my bed when I needed support, and was a non-judgmental presence in times of solitude and reflection. He was like my shadow, and his “quiet” presence was comforting.
Very emotional, moving story about Nolan and Ricky. I remember Ricky coming to one of our classes at Trinity . It’s so hard to let go of the leash, but sometimes, you just have to .
Amen. Happy Birthday, Ricky!
After she passed 2 years ago I still expect Abby to greet me at the door. I stop at the dog park on occasion just to stroke the ears of all the velvet eared dogs. The never let go of our hearts.
Ah, yes. Dogs. ❤️🐶