{ Leo }

When Dylan was younger, he wanted nothing more than for us to have a dog.  He would ask...I would turn him down.  Finally, when he was about 7, my dad read an ad in the paper a lady had posted. She had three basset hounds that were free to good homes.  By the time we got to go look at them, she had one left...and when we left she had none. Rosie came home with us that day and was such a sweet, sweet dog. She ended up going blind...which meant that when we moved out of Mom & Dad's house, she couldn't go with us. Plus, we don't have a fenced yard...and she loved to be outside most of the day.

A few years ago, Mom & Dad noticed that Rosie was having trouble getting up & down the stairs going into the back door from the yard. Dad took her to the vet, only to find out that she was suffering from nerve damage in her hindquarters...and the vet could give her meds for the pain, but she would most likely go downhill very quickly and she would be in a great deal of pain. We made the heartbreaking decision to have Rosie put to sleep.

About a month later, someone messaged me on Facebook about another 2 basset hounds that were available for free...and so Mom & Dad have ended up with Cookie...another sweet, if not a little too people dependent, basset hound. She really is perfect for them...she's playful, loves the kiddos and has a sweet disposition.

After we moved out, Dylan begged me to get him a dog for our house. I told him "no" over and over again. This past summer, Dylan turned 16. I could've gotten him any number of things for his 16th birthday, but I wanted this to be a special gift...and so I decided this was the year Dylan would get a dog.

I began my search through Craigslist - Dylan had wanted a beagle for a long time. I found a few possibilities...but some were older dogs and some were rescues. I didn't want a dog for a few years that we would have to put to sleep or would pass on due to age...and, while I have the utmost respect for people who take in rescue dogs, I knew that I couldn't do that. I needed a dog that was not too old, I preferred one not too young, that would be playful and would play well with little ones.  On July 3rd (two days after Dylan's birthday), I saw an ad on Craigslist for a lemon beagle. I almost didn't click on it because there was no picture, but I was starting to get impatient to find a dog. The lady e-mailed me back very quickly and included a pic of a sweet brown & white dog. I arranged to meet her the next morning...and enter into our lives Leo.

Leo was just over a year old when we got him and he couldn't be a more perfect dog for us. He's playful...but can be low key. Even though he's not too old, he still has some of the puppy...but he likes his sleep too. He's a snuggly dog. He sleeps with Dylan almost every night...and when Dylan's not there, he sleeps with me. He loves Aly & Ayden and they love him back. He's such a sweet heart. And as you can see...he & Dylan are good friends!

So, we are now a  dog family...and I couldn't be happier with our friend. :)