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Community Corner

Merry, Mellow and Mature: Mack the Beagle Is Ready For His Second Act

Mack is an older dog who would love a chance to learn new tricks.

Beagles are among America’s favorite breeds of dog, according to the American Kennel Club. They consistently rate in the top 10 most popular dogs in the country.

These happy-go-lucky hounddogs are favored for their pleasing personality and size. They have short coats that are easy to care for, with minimal shedding. They don’t drool or have a doggy odor.

The nation’s long-time love affair with this cute and compact canine extends from real life into fiction as well. The cartoon superhero Underdog is a beagle. And who can forget Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip, perhaps the most famous beagle of them all?

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Yet these popular cartoon characters have a distinct advantage over the rest of the pet population. They never age.

A sad fact for many domestic pets is that unlike antiques, fine wine or baseball cards, they don't gain value as they get older.

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For some pets getting older means they're considered  “too much trouble” or “not as much fun” due to health issues or just a general slowing down due to aging. Many are dumped on the streets or in shelters, often after spending a decade or more with an owner or family.

Mack is one of those pets. He’s a left-behind beagle, an 11-year-old purebred who was rescued by LifeLine Animal Project from a high-kill shelter in Chattooga County.  He ended up at that shelter after being dumped on the streets, where he acquired a severe case of heartworms.

He was so ill that it took LifeLine veterinarians months to rehabilitate him. Due to his age, his heart was damaged from the disease. 

Mack is now heartworm negative, stable and on medication.

He may be an older dog but when it comes time to take a walk or have a belly rub, the puppy in this lovable hound surfaces. He prances down the street. He considers everyone he meets a personal friend.

“He loves people. He’s fantastic with people,” says Debbie Setzer, LifeLine’s volunteer coordinator and community outreach director.

He also gets along well with female dogs. He once happily shared his space at LifeLine with a 3-legged pit bull named Peggy. Then she got adopted and Mack was alone again.

Mature and easygoing, Mack is in need of a calm, happy home in which to spend his golden years.

Beagles often live to be 13 or 14 years old, but to Mack it’s all bonus time. He’d like to spend it sharing fun and quality time with a new owner or family.

If your heart says yes to Mack, contact adoptions@atlantapets.org for more information.

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