Hedgesville Hounds

Hedgesville Hounds

“I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it."
Abraham Lincoln

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I'm Looking For...







Introducing the Hedgesville Hounds Blog!


Check us out!


The Hedgesville Lexicon -- A Guide to the Terms We Use


Clunk (Klunk)

Party Beagle

UPDATED 9/20/08!


Snugglehound




*Who We Are

The Hedgesville Hound group was formally established in 2003. We are a 501(c)(3) organization comprised of people who have several decades of combined experience. In fact, together we placed more than 120 wonderful dogs of all ages, breeds and sizes in wonderful homes across the Maryland and D.C. Metropolitan area last year!

Click here and here to view our 501c3 information.

Who are the Hedgesville Hounds?

Although there is a Hedgesville, and we have definitely placed a fair number of hounds in homes, the term Hedgesville Hounds has become more emblematic than actual. It has its origins in one specific rescue that became quite inspirational to a number of volunteers. It has since captured in its scope the determination of many people with a common interest - dogs - and an uncommon commitment to helping them.

What began as an effort to help a single group of dogs in terrible need, gained momentum as these dogs were successfully placed in wonderful homes. The dogs became a kind of rallying cry, a challenge, and a cause.

Hedgesville Hounds exist everywhere. They are dogs of every breed - every size - every age - who by circumstance, ignorance, or cruelty and neglect, were put at risk. Sometimes they are cats, and even rabbits.

Our effort has been quite simple - to give them a voice. And a little help with arrangements.

And then let these wonderful creatures do the rest.

Our Goal -- The Personal Touch, The Right Fit
These are the goals we strive to achieve -- our principles, if you will.
  • One-on-One Communication: Once we have decided to pursue your application, we'll call you to answer your questions about the dog. If you have an hour's worth of questions, we'll give you an hour's worth of answers. This also makes applying a little more personal.
  • Adoption Counseling and Followup: Once you have adopted one of our dogs, you are encouraged to contact us for advice. We have a network of volunteers, adopters and experts on different breeds who are eager to help you with some of the problems you might face with your new pet. We have loaned books, arranged for private training sessions, done Web research, consulted with behaviorists and otherwise tried to "be there" for our adopters when they need us.
  • Networking: We strive for a strong working relationship with many other rescue groups. If we don't have the dog you are seeking, we can refer you to someone who does.
  • Lifetime Commitment: We remain committed to our animals throughout their lives and are there to help out in any way we can.
  • Wonderful Dogs: We are also a conduit to wonderful dogs whose existences are known only to a relatively small handful of other rescuers, and we make every effort to advertise those dogs to the public.

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The Details: Who, What, Where, When and How to Adopt

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
THE ADOPTION PROCESS WORD FORMAT ADOPTION APPLICATION MEDICAL POLICY

Where We Work

We place dogs in homes throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Northern Virginia, Maryland and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. (Unfortunately, we can't make exceptions to this rule.)

How To Get Started

Most of your questions can be answered by reading the information on our site, and if you are interested in one of our dogs, the quickest way to start the process is to submit a non-binding application on line, rather than call us.

Acknowledgement of Applications

We will acknowledge each application or inquiry that we have received from within our service area within 24 hours. If you do not receive a response, please assume that your application was not received or send an email to follow up. After recent problems,we are pleased to note that we are back in business as usual and expect to be able to work in this timeline. Please note: Our Petfinder listings make it clear that some dogs are not ours, but are instead courtesy postings for other rescues. If we receive an email or application about another rescue's dog, we forward such emails on to the appropriate rescue, but cannot be responsible for their response time.


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Featured Dog: Deuce

Deuce - Beagle - male/neutered - 7 years of age - tri-color short coat - 36 pounds

Hedgesville Hounds has penned many essays about dogs, but one of most celebrated has been a carefully researched treatise on the phenomenon we have coined "The Party Beagle."

We recommend this study as a general source of basic information in understanding Deuce-Beagle-Oh:

Click here to learn more..

Dear, dear Deuce. Even by party beagle standards, he stands out. Does that mean that Deuce is, as has been alleged, "the worst dog ever"? Decidedly not ! We will endeavor not only to disprove this slander, but to guide our readers into an affectionate appreciation of him.

Deuce, bless his heart, is a chump. He is not only a bona-fide Party Beagle in every sense that this attribution implies, he is truly and sincerely bewildered when he encounters a world view that would condemn his dreams and goals (ie food or garbage) as "inappropriate". Deuce is an innocent.

History of Deuce: Deuce came into our care as a young adolescent. In his foster home he immediately won the hearts not only of his human care-providers, but also of their resident dogs. He mastered the basic rudiments of housetraining and manners, and was placed in an adoptive home.

Six years passed before his adopters returned him to us. In light of the reports about Deuce's conduct during those years, we can only surmise that his family must have loved Deuce very much to have lasted that long. The introduction into their family of a new human, and the reality of keeping up with Deuce as well as the baby proved too formidable for the family of Deuce, and they returned him.

Deuce was welcomed back into Hedgesville Hounds foster care. He lives up to his designation as a party beagle in every respect - he is shameless, affectionate, self-serving, and almost entirely food-motivated. As gentle and non-combative as a hungry lamb, Deuce has "taken it on the chin" more than once when an opportunity to swipe a tasty morsel presented, and despite the fact that he has been literally pasted by other dogs for his actions, he cannot help himself, and does not learn from his own school of hard knocks, nor does he ever get in a punch of his own. He gladly suffers for his art, which is eating.

At seven years of age, it is lucky that Deuce finds consolation in food, but he would also like a real home. He is a world-class cuddler, and even his surrendering family noted his stoic forbearance and gentle tolerance of being grabbed, pinched and smothered by the baby. He is housetrained, non-destructive and dutiful. In fact, if one accepts Deuce's genius for foraging for food, he really is a model citizen. He gets along well with cats and babies, people and dogs, and bears the scars of his non-violent but greedy nature without a murmur of complaint.

Deuce's eye contact is open, honest and direct. Surprisingly, he walks well on lead. He is simple and kind, and for all his plundering, piracy, and pilfering, there is something very touching about his earnestness, and the trusting way he loves to be hugged.

We hope that somewhere out there is an individual or family who might see value in a short, stoutish Beagle of a certain age; a sturdy, reliable, and very funny dog, who will reward their attentions, and their indulgence, with his great heart, and great appetite.

If you are interested in this dog, please fill out a non-binding application by clicking here INTERACTIVE FORM ADOPTION APPLICATION.



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I'm Looking For...


A sweet girl who loves, loves, loves children and playing and who would be a GREAT only dog

A proud little dog who is a very rare breed and who is learning to feel safe again -- he'll continue to flourish in a patient and gentle home


A dapper, droll and dignified character who is beautifully housebroken and has a moderate energy level




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Success Stories

This section contains updates on some former Hounds, now adopted.
Click here to view our Recently Placed dogs!


Mommy

Lady

Mr. Bean

Theodora

Tuck

Starling

Chippy

Jasper

Little Wren

Buddy

Cowbird

Melanie

Nick

Lotta

Charley

Traveler

Barney

Poppy

Mistletoe

Paul

Cooper

Eileen

Nora

Daffodil

Molly

Guinness and Keely

Evan

Jenny

Baby Bean

Ditto -- NEW!!!!!

Grover

Bluebelle

Heidi

Lyndsey

Bella

Satchel

Huey

Patsy

Meadowlark

Elmo

Bridie

Fielder

Maisy

Daisy

Nan

Blake

Jenny

Sunny

Gil

Pippi

Princess Sugarplum

Max

Toby

Champ

Molly

Susie Q!

Valiant

Tinkerbelle

Boomer

Hannah

ATTENTION ADOPTERS: If you'd like to send us an update and new pictures of your dog, we'd love to see them. Please let us know whether we can use your first names or first names and initials. Please send an email and pictures to hedgesvillehound@aol.com. Please keep pictures to under 100K each -- thanks!

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Resources, Columns and Features

Looking for trainers?

This is a list of trainers who use positive reinforcement, which we heartily endorse as a general school of training. We haven't worked with all of these trainers, but as far as broad philosophy, we are emphatic in the use of positive reinforcement.

Click here to do more research.

Breed Spotlight

One of our goals is to help people think outside the box in terms of dogs that might be a good match for. With this in mind, we introduce our "Spotlight Breed" feature, which will provide a mixture of practical information and first-hand experience on a specific breed that you might not have considered before.

New! Click here to read the spotlight on the Foxhound.


Akita

Black and Tan

Bluetick

Chessie

Great Dane

Pit Bull

Senior Dachshund

The So-Called Yellow Dog

The Blab -- UPDATED 8/09!!!
The Mutt The Chow Chow

New Column!

Introducing Soap Box, where our volunteers and adopters can offer their opinions and experiences on issues related to pet ownership.

NEW COLUMN!


Click here for a new column from one of our directors on "Animal Welfare's Dirty Little Secret."

Click here for a column on "Adopting A Special Needs Pet."


Click here for column one on "Adopting A Senior Pet."

Click here for the column"What Some Vets Don't Know."


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Want to Make a Donation?


We now take credit cards!


or

Send a check made out to "Hedgesville Hounds" to:
Hedgesville Hounds
PO Box 2174
Hedgesville, WV, 25427


Friends, Funds and Benefactors

Click here to see a list of our friends or find out how to become a benefactor.
This page includes information about the Brandy Hodges Fund, as well as information about our newest DogFather, Karen!

This section includes the In Memoriam page, which acknowledges the generous donations made in the name of a departed companion.


Click here to visit the latest "In Memoriam" page, which includes a special page for Edward "Bud" Hawkens.



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Contact Us

Hedgesville Hounds
Rockville, MD 20850
Email: applications@hedgesvillehounds.com

Please note that wehave a new phone number as of 12/5/07:1-301-576-8461.


OR write to:
Hedgesville Hounds
PO Box 2174
Hedgesville, WV, 25427

Our Pet List




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