Up and down the California coast we go. This week we meet a 6-year old beagle who shares his home three other beagles and one cat! From Danville, CA meet Odie. No, not the Odie from the Garfield comic strip, but BFP’s very own, also knows as Odie Ptodie!
BFP: Tell us about the rescue you were part of, Odie.
Odie: I was part of the Bay Area 6 rescue in August 2013. I was called dog number 2. Thank goodness, I have a new name. Can you imagine my family saying, “Here, dog number 2.”? Odie fits me so much better!
BFP: Since we are on the subject of names, how did you get your name?
Odie: My name was a group decision. At the time the family had not adopted me yet, so they were trying to think of a name that would fit my personality and add to my extreme attractiveness to make me a more desirable candidate for adoption. The dog that had arrived three weeks before me was a handsome male beagle they named Bogart and called him Boggie for short. After much discussion, they decided to name me Odie because it fit my charming, quirky personality.
BFP: What do you remember about that day in August 2013 when you were rescued?
Odie: It was a very scary experience. I went from a cage to a crate, and then moved again to I don’t know what. All I know is it was moving, and there were strange noises and smells. We finally stopped, and I was carried to a space that had green things called plants and trees. These people open the door to my crate and I finally stepped out on to this cool brown surface I believe is called dirt. It was so frightening to step out of the crate. There were people there speaking sweetly to us and trying to touch us gently. It helped some, but I was so nervous. I ran around afraid to stop. After a while, I was picked up and placed on something soft, and then we started moving AGAIN. It was all so frightening. I drooled and drooled and drooled until the car finally stopped for good when I was carried into a house and out into a yard where I met three other beagles that were to become my family.
BFP: How did your family decide you were the one?
Odie: I was originally supposed to be a foster since there were already three other beagles at home and Bogart had only been there for three weeks. He also had been in a lab and was released just a couple of weeks before me. All this freedom was really scary for me. I ran for as long as I could in my large backyard and then curled up under some bushes and stayed there until someone came and found me. I adjusted very slowly to freedom, the noises, and all these new choices. So, my family decided to keep me and make me part of theirs. They did not want me to have to leave and have to make more adjustments. I am so happy I got to stay here!
BFP: What a sweet story! How long did you live in the lab?
Odie: I am not really sure because I am not great with time and numbers, but probably about a year and a half.
BFP: Tell us about your adjustment after that day you were brought to your new home?
Odie: Well, like I JUST told you, my adjustment was tough. I was glad to be free from that cramped crate, but there were so many new very loud noises. I had no idea what to do with the freedom and to move around as I pleased. For the first few weeks, I would go to the far corner of the yard and hide under bushes. I curled into as small of a ball as I could trying to disappear. My family always found me and brought me back into the house. It took a long time for me to realize that all was going to be alright and that I was safe and was meant to enjoy life.
BFP: Tell us about your family. They sound like they are very loving!
Odie: My family is amazing. There are four of us beagles. Izzy is the oldest and is almost 12 she is a beautiful lemon beagle. She is the boss. The rest of us are a little afraid of her bossiness. Bella is about 10, and she is a tiny little girl with Chinese beagle syndrome. She is a sweet girl. I help her sometimes because she is almost blind from glaucoma. Then there is Boggie. He is about a year younger than me. He is a very busy boy. He loves to play, and he loves his toys. Last dog here is Dusty. He is the cool dude. He is a mixed breed with maybe some beagle. He is a foster from the central valley that would have run out of time if he had not found a foster family. He taught both Boggie and me how to be dogs and how to play.
When I got here, there were also two cats. Fat cat came from the neighbors’ years ago and had adopted us. He was an amazing cat in many ways more like a dog. He would be with us in the evening just before bed time and would beg for night time treats with the rest of us. He was about 20 and got sick. We had to say goodbye to him last week. I miss him. The other cat here is Ms. Mephistopheles/ Magic. She and Fat were best friends, and I am sure she is sad now. She is more of a cat type cat, so I just bark at her when I see her.
BFP: Any humans taking care of all these animals?
Odie: Oh yes, my human family includes my Mom and my human sister and her dog Luna. My human sister does not live here but visits often. Luna is a cocker mix and was adopted from the Irvine animal shelter. I like when she visits.
BFP: What is your best trick?
Odie: I am a very good dancer and can stand on my two hind legs for an extended length of time. I demonstrate this most often when it is time to eat, and Mom is heading for the dog food bin.
I am also very attracted to objects that are metal. I am like the canine metal detector picking up anything metal in the yard and bringing it into the table behind the sofa. I was Mom’s hero for finding the key she had dropped and had looked all over for. I found it a few days later and brought it into the house for her. I think I deserved a finder’s fee in the form of treats.
BFP: What is my worst habit?
Odie: Well I am pretty close to perfect, but sometimes when I am sleeping I will start to growl and bark when I have bad dreams. Since I sleep with Mom, sometimes she finds this annoying since it wakes her up.
BFP: Who is your best friend?
Odie: I adore my Mom but my best canine friend is Dusty and then Boggie.
BFP: What is your biggest pet peeve?
Odie: No matter how long I have been away from the lab I hate loud noises!!
BFP: Any favorites? Besides food.
Odie: I love running in the yard, and sleeping in the soft sleeping bags on the soft sofa.
BFP: What is one word to describe you, Odie?
Odie: Happy