Hannah's Page
In
1990, Hannah came to us from "Friends of Abandoned Pets", a
registered charity that fosters and finds homes for unwanted and
abandoned dogs and cats. Hannah's mother was a champion show Beagle.
Her father leaped over a fence. The beagle's owners were not interested
in mixed breed puppies. "Friends of Abandoned Pets" found homes for
them all. We heard about a litter of part-beagle puppies in Gananoque,
on the St Lawrence River, and drove down to adopt one. 
We
have always
been glad that we adopted her. Hannah (she already knew her name and we
thought it would confuse her to try to change it) is sweet, friendly,
affectionate and playful, with very little of that famous beagle
stubborn streak. She will, however, give us a piece of her mind if we
waste time when she is waiting to go for her walk.
Hannah
enjoys a good roll on the grass on a warm sunny summer afternoon. Life
just doesn't get much better than that, if one is an old hound dog.
Dogs
and their humans in the Ottawa area are fortunate to have a huge
dog park available for off-leash walking. It is called the Bruce Pit,
and is operated by the National Capital Commission. From April to
November, from dawn to dark, there are always dozens of cars in the
parking lot while dogs and people enjoy walking through the trees and
along the paths. The dogs love being off-leash. They can explore the
underbrush, meet other dogs on their own terms, enjoy lying in a cool
hole on a hot day, chase squirrels, and other canine pursuits. The Pit
is one of Hannah's favourite places. We go almost every day, weather
permitting.
After
a nice walk or a roll in the grass, there is nothing like a squeeky
toy, a juicy bone, and a snooze to round out a summer afternoon. It's a
dog's life.
However
there is one aspect of
our climate that Hannah does not like. Thunder storms terrify her. The
flashing blinding light, the boom, the roar of the wind, the pounding
of the rain, all combine to make her wish to be elsewhere. Our Hannah
is a sweet little dog, but she isn't very brave. Here she is hiding
under the covers from the storm.
Hannah
enjoys walking and playing in the snow. Diving into new fallen
snow is a joyous pursuit. Barking at and chasing feathery snow flakes
delights her. Coming back from the Middle East, she was sensitive to
the cold after three years in a warm climate, so for the past two
winters she has been wearing a sweater on walks in cold weather. She
seems to like having her sweater put on, it keeps her tummy warmer, and
also cleaner so she doesn't need a bath as often.
During
our stay in the West Bank, we adopted two foundlings, a kitten and a
puppy. Hannah became surrogate mother to them both. Even though they
are grown up now, Pizzi (cat) and Kyrie (dog) still take great comfort
from snuggling and playing with their adopted mom. In fact, all of our
other animals love Hannah, Bubi and Tamerlane as well as her "babies".
For three years after we returned to Canada, until she got too old,
Hannah was a volunteer in the "Brightening Lives" program with the
Humane Society. In her work with the program, she visited hospitals,
nursing homes and retirement homes. Hannah loved going on her visits.
She believes that a stranger - human, dog or cat - is just a friend she
hasn't met before.
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This page was updated on 26 November 2007.Contact me at: patti.primeau@sympatico.caThis site was edited using Nvu and Style Master. |