Miracle Bean!

Bean is just about the brightest, bounciest, perky-est, wrassley-est, glossiest doggo you ever did meet. But… he wasn’t when he showed up at our doors.

Bean the dog’s story looked at first like it was going to be a tragedy.

He came to us so sick. Someone found him as a stray, and brought him to BMHS. He looked like he was about to drop dead. He was drooling, he was extremely lethargic, and his body temperature was too low. Our veterinary did a test to see if he had Parvo… nope.

so perky!

They suspected he might have an internal blockage, so they took him over to Animal Clinic East for some x-rays... which looked abnormal. Our valiant Doctor Norris wasn’t about to sit there and watch Bean die – so he decided to do an exploratory surgery to try to find the problem.

During the surgery, Doctor discovered that Bean had Intussusception. Intussusception is a serious condition, where part of the intestine slides into an adjacent part of the intestine, which blocks food or fluid from passing through. Yikes. But… Because of Doctor Norris…. Problem solved!

 After being stitched back up, Bean started on antibiotics to help prevent sepsis, since his condition was so severe. It took days until Bean was feeling like his normal self again. He’s now fully recovered. He looked like he was going to die… and then he turned into a perky, bouncy puppo. We were all amazed.

Want to donate to keep our surgery team going? Bean is alive because of you.

Want to adopt our success story? Even better!

Bean is an adorable little piece of work. In that way where he’s really, really good at being a dog, but he hasn’t figured out that when we say “down!” it’s not just the human form of barking with joy. He thinks we all think like dogs, and he wants to wrassle and get his mouth involved.

He’s a little trickster. This morning, he bounced up on his hind legs, shoved his nose in my top overall pocket, and stole my walkie talkie. He gave a few triumphant bounces and took off running… stopping every few bounds to make sure I was following. I felt like a cartoon, lunging after him saying “Hey! Give that back!” …all the while his tail was wagging furiously as he pranced circles around me. He was DELIGHTED. (I eventually traded a tennis ball for the walkie talkie. He felt a little fooled by the trade).

Bean LOOOOOOVES belly rubs. Like, really, really. And his desire to get up and jumpy on humans seems to be about how much he wants physical contact. Extra belly rubs = less being jumpy.

He would like to play fetch, and keep-away (was running circles around me with the ball in his mouth doing little downward-facing-dog play-bows and waggling his tail, and basically thought it was the best thing in the world if I’d tug-o-war to get the ball from him before I threw it.) He got me running around playing “chase,” and honestly, I hate running… but I was having a blast.

Right now this dog is all bounces and tugging on your pants with his mouth and thinking the leash is a rope toy for tug-o-war (silly boy!!). We don’t have a ton of time for training around here, but we’re doubling down on Bean.

He’s super smart and will try to listen in exchange for treats.

Good boy! Sit!

Reader, if you adopt this guy, he’s gonna need your help. The thing is… it’s all so good-natured. He’s gleefully playing, just… roughhousing. If you need laughter, and exercise, and more laughter in your life, have we got the dog for you.

How is this the same dog who came to us lethargic and whimpering at death’s door? He’s clearly ecstatic to have a second chance at life.

Say cheese for the camera, Bean!

Come adopt this guy. Fill out an application and come in during our open hours to meet him.

A very important update:

Mr. Bean is, indeed, super smart and trainable. We’re sad that he’s been here for months - but it’s been fun to watch our Beanie Boy mature. He’s still tugging at his leash… but he’s getting better at it. He likes sitting for treats… and for skritches on the cheeks. We’ve learned that he needs some time to run and get his wiggles out… but then he’s willing to lay down and chill out. He’s managed being an office dog! We’re so proud of you, sweet Bean.

The shelter can be a tough place for a dog… but now that Bean is used to a routine, he’s letting his leash go slack more, politely waiting for us to open doors (sometimes), and trying so, so, so hard to hold his little tail-waggy wiggle-butt in a “sit, stay” to impress us. He’s even making doggy friends. We think in a loving home with people who want to teach him, this won’t be a super-wild doggo, just a playful one! Good Boy, Bean.

Further update: Bean LOVES catching snowballs in his mouth, and thinks looking in office windows while he’s on walks is about the best thing ever.