They Called It Puppy Love: The search for floppy ears and strong vocals

As singer Donny Osmond sang, “they called it puppy love,”

I had been on the search for a beagle puppy for over a year, my fiance has a love of the breed, and with tragedy befalling him during the year, I worried for his happiness. A beagle came to mind, and I started searching. We have our own house, and no roommates, so it made our search a lot more flexible. However, what delayed us finding our puppy was the high prices of purebred beagles, papered or not.

The price of beagles can range from $500 to $1200, depending on American Kennel Club (AKC) bloodline, behavior, and overall look, as well as many other varying factors.

Disappointed by the high prices, I put an ad out on beagle sites, contacted humane societies, and posted on Facebook pages, looking for that puppy we so desperately wanted.

I adopted my first beagle March 22. She came with AKC papers and an unusual story.

My post on one of the Facebook groups received a comment three months after I initially wrote it. A woman north of Salem was selling her beagle puppies on the Reckonso’s Ranch, which were due five weeks later. Once I messaged her she told me about a deal she had for me; she had a six month old beagle, and her name was Sadie.

Sadie had nothing wrong with her, other than a small bladder infection. I asked her about Sadie’s history, where she had been, etc. Soon after I found out that Sadie had moved five times. She came from a breeder in Washington, purchased by a woman in Oregon, the woman in Oregon rehomed her to Reckonso’s Ranch, they rehomed her to a friend of theirs, who then rehomed her back to Reckonso’s Ranch.

The woman in Oregon rehomed her to Reckonso’s Ranch because she had “too many medical problems,” the woman from Reckonso’s Ranch took Sadie to the doctor, only to find out it was just a bladder infection, but unfortunately the woman did not want her back.

So I learned all this information in a Facebook message, my suspicion was, “is there something really wrong with her? She’s only a baby…”

I asked the woman from Reckonso’s Ranch if I could see a photo. The photos surely didn’t disappoint, she was gorgeous, full of Ticks (the freckles kind, not the bad kind), and had deep brown eyes.

I knew I had to have her, so I made the two hour trip north of Salem. I ended up in a part of Oregon I was unfamiliar to, a weird median between coast and valley. I made it safely onto the property, and was welcomed into their home. Sadie was let out of the kennel to meet me, she was small, had big floppy ears, big enough to cover her eyes, and had a very sweet demeanor about herself. I was totally ready to take her home. I paid $100 for this dog. An AKC beagle. For those that don’t know, this is crazy. I also promised them pick-of-the-litter, for when she eventually has puppies.

I loaded Sadie into my car, and we made the trek back home to Albany. She smiles when we go for car rides, and she was pretty smiley during this trip in particular.

Sadie has been a great blessing to us, a puppy that brightens our days more and more. No matter how many pairs of socks she ruins, how loudly she bays and howls or that she sometimes won’t listen, her presence always makes life better.

As I write this column, she is sleeping soundly next to me, snoring.

Column by Hannah Buffington