Duke is one of 28 Beagles who have been rescued from a dog lab. He had spent 10 years in a cage!
A beagle who begins his life at 10 years old thanks to Kim, the new foster family was immediately charmed by Duke’s adorable face. The moment he walked into her house, she was drawn to his big brown eyes. As the beagle was in a new environment, he was a little cautious at first, but he slowly sniffed around and scouted out his new home, as well as the two dogs that were residing with Kim at the time. As she leaned down to pat her head, Duke ducked and was afraid of letting himself be touched. He lay on the ground to do it, it was difficult for me to approach him. It didn’t take long to feel how scared he was of humans. He crashed every time she physically approached him.
Duke was one of 28 Beagles who had been rescued from a pharmaceutical lab. He was illegally importing dogs from China to use for chemical testing. The dogs were all in the 10 to 11 year old age group. They had been kept as lab rats all their lives. They were tortured mentally and physically. It was going to take a lot of love and patience to get them back on track and trusting humans again.
It lives in a cage
Also, he was still suffering from the pain that had been inflicted on him over the years. A decade of cruelty would not fade from his memory so easily. Having inhabited a cage all his life with little room to even stretch his legs, Duke’s bones had become very weak, atrophied and weakened with age. Deprived of movement all its life, the front of these legs in addition to being unstable, were in the shape of an arc. Also, his teeth are all full of tartar. For the foster period, she gave him a box full of Dentastix (a dog snack that helps remove tartar). One of the solutions to his weak bones was to exercise by walking him regularly. Also, Duke’s coat had lost its luster.
It would be difficult to find a home after his rescue, because he had a growth of a cancerous lump that developed on his testicles. Fortunately, the mass was surgically removed and Duke finally found a loving home with brothers. After the first days of mistrust, Duke gave life a second chance and it finally suited our home.
He learned to trust us. Now, when we pet him or scratch his belly, you could say he starts to feel at home and enjoy our presence. He often stretched his legs forward whenever he wanted another round of belly rubs! His new presence didn’t even bother the cats. He was at peace with everyone. He stayed with Kim’s family for several days, growing fitter and stronger, with a growing appetite. He learned to climb the two steps. To learn more about accessories and health products for dogs.
duke my hero
The first time they put him on a collar with a leash, he quickly returned to his miserable past and resisted terribly. It was painful to watch him struggle with these emotions with his pitiful face and abandonment demeanor. But with time, sweet words and caresses of affection, he would eventually give in to learn to walk close to us, for a walk outside in nature.
He is my hero, because the days Kim spent with this dog taught him a lot. For one, her patience threshold grew exponentially, as she needed to be extra careful, given her harrowing past. The fact that despite those 10 years of torture and of course his advanced age (Beagle dogs live as long as 12-15 years), Duke was fun loving and enjoyed tummy time petting, walks and his penchant for food.
This dog is a real hero, a survivor. Life has been so unfair to him because he just started at the age of 10. For the article on the beagle which begins its life at 10 years old click on this link.