We had a beloved beagle rescue for 12 years, after finding him as a stray. During this time, we would talk about rescuing a beagle used for research at some point in our lives but were perfectly happy with our little Cooper dog.

Sadly, he passed in June. Soon after he died, the news broke of the 4,000 beagles being rescued in Virginia and needing new homes. While our hearts were not ready to adopt at that time, we knew we would love to adopt one of these pups at some point.

When 15 beagles were brought through the Love Train to HSHV we knew we needed to try and adopt one. That day, Ernie came home!

The past 6 weeks have been amazing watching him come out of his shell and learn the world and how to be a dog. He went from having very little hind leg strength to jumping barriers, flying up stairs, and running zoomies. Every day has been a new adventure as Ernie discovers new things. As his beagle nose wakes up and he notices smells. As he learns to play and rip open stuffed animals. One behavior he knew from the first day was how to snuggle and be loved. He cuddled right into our laps at the end of what was likely a very stressful day ahead of bed time, as if this little love was meant to be with us all along!

Cyborg now Ernie