From Death Row to Buckingham Palace: One Dog’s Fairytale

You might have heard Meghan Markle’s inspiring story. Markle, an American, worked her way from humble roots to a successful acting career. Then, in 2015, a friend set her up on a blind date…with England’s Prince Harry. The two hit it off and married on May 19th, 2018. But Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, wasn’t the only one moving up in the world. Her rescue beagle, Guy, came along for the ride — in the Queen’s automobile!

Death Row Doggy

Good Samaritans found Guy the beagle in the woods of Kentucky. They brought him to a shelter. But days passed, and no one wanted to adopt him. Soon, Guy found himself on the euthanasia list. That’s right — death row.

The shelter staff couldn’t bear to see this little guy face the needle. So they sent an email to Dolores Doherty. Doherty runs A Dog’s Dream Rescue. A Dog’s Dream Rescue is a beagle rescue based in Ontario, Canada. They rescue beagles from high kill shelters in the United States and help them find homes in Canada. When Doherty received the email from the Kentucky shelter, she knew she had to help.

Doherty told The Guardian, “I always say yes. I can’t say no. I’m a sucker.”

The Ride to Freedom

Soon after that, Guy climbed aboard the freedom train to Canada. A chain of volunteers drove him the five hundred plus miles between Kentucky and Ontario, switching off one hour at a time.

Less than twenty-four hours after Guy arrived in Canada, the rescue held an adoption event. And it was there that his life would change forever…for the better.

A Very Special Adopter

Meghan Markle was working in Ontario at the time. She was filming on the set of her series, Suits. Doherty was unaware of Markle’s fame when Markle attended the rescue’s adoption event. She began to have an inkling that something was up, however, when she tried to schedule a home inspection before Markle could adopt Guy. That would be fine, Markle said, but for security reasons, Doherty would have to make an appointment.

Guy isn’t Markle’s only dog — nor is he her only rescue dog. And Markle surprised the entire royal family with how well she got along with the Queen’s beloved corgis. In fact, when Markle had her first tea with the Queen, the corgis laid down at her feet. Prince Harry told Harper’s Bazaar this:

 “For 33 years, [I’ve been] barked at, and this one walks in, and absolutely nothing, just wagging tails.”

The Queen is his Copilot

A few weeks ago, the last of the ninety-year-old Queen’s famous Corgis passed away. However, Woman’s World reports that the Queen has bonded with her granddog-in-law. In fact, on the day before the wedding, Guy and the Queen were captured riding together in the back of the royal Range Rover.  Not bad for a good ol’ beagle boy from Kentucky!

What’s Next for This Royal Doggo

Unsurprisingly, Guy has become a star the world over. He will probably be invited to some swanky country hunts with the royal hunting hounds. But we anticipate he will stick around the palace getting tummy rubs and posh doggy treats instead.

How You Can Help the Rescue that Helped Guy

A Dog’s Dream Rescue rescues death row beagles from high kill shelters across the United States. And while Guy might be their most famous graduate right now, he’s not the only one who has gone on to great things.

A Dog’s Dream has rescued some 1,600 beagles over the past seven years. The rescue vaccinates all of their dogs, gives them temperament tests, and, when necessary, behavioral training to make them more adoptable. But some of these dogs have remarkable abilities, and A Dog’s Dream helps them to realize these as well.

Some have gone on to work as detection dogs for the Canadian border patrol. Others now work as cancer detection dogs. And some even work as depression support and anxiety support dogs.

“The dogs that have come up here have really impacted a lot of lives,” Doherty said.

Would you like to help A Dog’s Dream? You can follow them on Facebook to learn more. You can also adopt one of their beagles. Also, A Dog’s Dream is currently looking for people to foster their doggies. If you think you could be a beagle’s hero, you can contact the rescue at, [email protected]
or telephone (905) 617-0427.

Featured Image: CC0 by Adina Voicu, via Pixabay