Once upon a time, there was a beagle.

Way past his "Best Before Date", but not to us.

Abandoned by his people, but not by us.

The shelter staff gave him a temporary name, but we were excitedly checking our Name Wish List for something a bit more special.

We picked out a collar for him from our big basket of collars and proudly attached our BOB ID tag to it with a beaming smile.

We couldn't wait to gently place that collar on his neck and kiss the top of his head for good measure.

We couldn't wait to give him the life and love he deserved.

But we didn't get that chance.

The shelter's vet ran some preliminary bloodwork and the results proved devastating.

The beagle we had yet to name and yet to kiss wouldn't be coming HOME to us after all.

His picture wouldn't be joyfully added to the BOB Family Album.

It all ended before it even began.

But we will never forget him, especially now with Christmas approaching.

The time when we celebrate all our repair work over the past year.

But that beagle we never even met is just as much a part of our story as the ones we've had the good fortune to save.

In spirit, he inspires us to keep on going.

Because, for every beagle we save, we honour those we could not.

So let's raise our glass this Holiday Season to ALL the Beagles that make up our Story!

To the ones we've saved,

To the ones we will save,

and To the ones we didn't get the chance to save.  

Together this Christmas, we will keep wrapping collars around deserving beagles and kissing the tops of their heads for good measure.

We will keep filling the BOB Family Album with the faces of those we have the great honour of loving…Happily Ever After.

We'll do it for THEM and we'll do it for HIM…the beagle we were about to name "Spirit".

Wishing you All the very Best for the Holidays and straight into the hope-filled New Year!

Let's keep the HOME fires burning bright for our little beagle repair shop!

Thank You and Merry Christmas…