Nittany Beagle Rescue - In Memory

Memorial to Two Great Members of Our Family: Mac & Cooper

Both Mac and Cooper were adopted from Nittany Beagle Rescue and both immediately became loved family members of our family. As all of us, they had their own personalities.
 
Mac was adopted in 2008. He was a character from his first moments, able to walk upright on his back legs, to see what was on the kitchen countertops without touching the cabinets! He was as well behaved as anyone could ever hope for in a family member. Unfortunately, in summer 2009 he began exhibiting some health issues and after multiple visits to a local vet, I was told to take Mac to Metzgers in State College. The prognosis was terminal liver cancer. I was advised to have him put to sleep, as he had only several weeks to several months to live. This was a Monday and the following Saturday morning, Mac died in my arms as I carried him in the house from his morning outing.
 
Cooper came to us about six months later. His age was estimated at around 6 but our local vet felt it was closer to 9 or 10, by the look of his coat and teeth. Again, he was simply a great member of the family. Cooper hated riding in a car and would cry like a baby even if going only a block. He loved eating and just laying around wherever we were. He didn't bark, but "spoke" in grunts. If you were eating he would stare at you and grunt, as asking for his share. On a Monday several weeks ago, Cooper started his day normally, but at 4:00 that afternoon he started acting a bit sick and got worse through the night. He passed away early the next day. As an adopted dog, his age was sketchy, but was somewhere between 11 and 15 at the time of his death. His passing hurt us all deeply and will for a long time.
 
We are now adopting another beagle named Finnie. As with Mac & Cooper, Finnie has adopted us for her home and as with Mac & Cooper, just smiles and is happy to have a home. The thought went through our heads "do we want to adopt another dog at this time and risk losing him/her?" The risk is worth it, even if the time is as short as the 14 months Mac was with us or the nearly 5 years Cooper was. Having them helped make a house a home.