Hope For Hooligan

I never really considered myself a dog lady. I was a self-declared crazy cat lady. All of that changed when I met Hooligan. I’ll be honest, at first I thought he was incredibly obnoxious. His howl-y, raspy beagle bark, his personality, his several attempts and his one success to bite me. You can say I held a special place of distaste for him in my heart, but this didn’t last very long because I am a softy at my core.

The man who surrendered Hooligan was in a pretty difficult situation. His mother had passed away and he was on disability, so he could not afford to keep Hooligan. Hooligan had gone missing for a few weeks and when he returned, he had a bad leg injury, he looked like he had been beat up and he was severely anemic. With some tender love and care, he returned to his Hooligan self.

I started taking him for morning walks with the two lovely ladies, Barbara and Glenda. I hoped that it might help him release some of his energy because, boy, he has a lot of it. He loved it. He just put his nose down and his short legs went hard to work. Over the course of a few weeks we quickly became best friends. I grew to love his howl-y, raspy beagle bark because I could feel his excitement when I arrived. He jumps up and down with joy when I grab his harness because he knows that means adventure time.

I have seen a great change in Hooligan. When I first met him, he was lost and disconnected. He wouldn’t even look at me- he just stared off into the distance with a blank look. Now, he seems a little more at home in himself. We make deep eye contact that brings me a warm feeling of connectedness.

He has helped me, too. He has taught me to stop and smell the roses. And the trees, and the bushes and literally everything. We have been teaching each other to keep moving forward without looking back. He has taught me patience. A LOT of patience. Best of all, he has brought an abundance of joy into my life.

Hooligan is, well, a hooligan. But he is so much more. He is a lover with a big heart and a spirit as free as the wind. He has a goofy tongue-hangin-smile that always puts a big smile on my face. Hooligan has instilled within me great hope and I like to think I have given him some hope too.

I am now a self-declared crazy beagle lady.

Hooligan is still looking for the perfect home. He needs a home that understands him and takes the time to get comfortable with him. There is a catch, because he is not a perfect dog: no cats, no children, no grabbing his color (he may bite) and you must take him for walks. If you think Hooligan is the dog for you, you can apply to adopt him here.

- Ashley Brandon
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