Eat, Sleep, Howl: The Bayleigh Anne Story, Part I

In memory of my sassy bitty dog.

Very little is known of the early years of Bayleigh. We do know she arrived in this world October 1995. Fact will tell us that Beagle puppies are one of the cutest known to man; as I imagine it Bayleigh was sure to have pushed that threshold of cuteness to unbearable with her pink nose, glorious gold and liver fur, burgeoning attitude, and penchant for luxury. This puppy - so pretty and so snotty- was meant to be a girl's dog. Alas, Bayleigh was gifted to two little boys from their uncle. Christened "Gizmo" (lord...), her brief stint in this particular household with the boys and their allegedly "unfriendly" father was the root of a lifelong struggle with bladder control, fear of men, fear of shadows and strange looking grass tufts, fear of window decals, disdain for most living things, and general lack of bravery. Though, as luck would have, Boy #1 was wicked allergic to the little "Gizmo," and she had to be returned to the aforementioned uncle. She lived for a short time with the uncle and his beagle, where her bladder problem remained unaddressed and her natural inclination for elevated, comfy sleeping spaces was indulged.



Meanwhile, not so far away a young girl was desperately plotting to get her parents to allow her to have a Beagle. You see she loved the book Where the Red Fern Grows, and had to have a hound dog. She decided a Beagle would best foot the bill, decided she would call said Beagle "Bailey Anne" (Bailey because both it and Beagle started with "B" and Anne for the beloved Red Bone Coon Hound, Little Ann, in Where the Red Fern Grows), determined that her future Beagle would only wear purple accessories, and every week poured over the pet classifieds with an ache in her heart. This ambitious and wily 11 year old pleaded her case to her parents in the form of a letter. As hilarious and adorable they may have found this, the letter did its job. Here is what happened: The girl's mother took the letter into her work to show it to her co-workers. You may have guessed that one of these co-workers, her boss to be precise, just so happened to be the aforementioned uncle. He tells the girl's mother that he has a "spare" Beagle, which he would gladly give to such a talented and tortured young soul. HA!



And so one day, about a week after valentine's day 1997, my sister's pick me up from school. Kristen has muddy paw prints all over her jeans and they are both grinning like mad. Not knowing what to do with myself I drop my things, blindside my 5th grade teacher with a hug and a shriek, and go to meet my dream come true.