Orion

Meet Orion

Orion came from the Ridglan Farms research facility. At about one and a half years old, he is not a typical beagle—or even a typical dog. He never knew a loving home. Born in a lab, he was taken from his mother as soon as possible and spent nearly every hour of his life in a cage, only leaving it for testing.

Smaller than most, Orion appears to have been bullied by the other beagles forced to share his cage. He arrived covered in scars on his ears—old bite marks that tell the story of a life spent surviving rather than living.

When he first came to us five months ago, Orion was one of the most shut-down beagles we have ever received. He has been slowly learning to trust, one small step at a time. Dogs are his greatest comfort; people still frighten him. He will need a home with at least one well-balanced, confident dog. Canine companionship is essential for him. He will likely regress when he moves to a new home, but we hope he will not fall as far back as where he started.

Today, Orion sleeps in bed with his foster every night. He plays with other dogs all day and loves his toys—especially burying them (sometimes right in your bed). Like many young dogs, he still digs. He has learned to use a dog door and has come a long way from the terrified dog who refused to come out from under a bush on his first night with us.

Yet the world still overwhelms him. Loud noises, sudden movements, or even something as ordinary as a rolling suitcase can send him bolting outside to bay in fear. He has never experienced everyday life, so many things remain strange and scary. For this reason, we do not recommend homes with young toddlers or small children, whose unpredictable energy can be too much for him.

When he feels safe—usually when you are at his level, such as lying in bed—Orion softens. He will allow gentle stroking and massaging of his neck, ears, and belly, and he clearly loves it. He now eats well, though he arrived not really knowing how.

Orion needs a patient, kind, and understanding family willing to move at his pace as he continues learning what it means to live in a home. He still requires leash work; he remains very uncomfortable on a leash, and we have not been able to spend significant time on this yet. He currently wears a Fi GPS collar that will transfer with him, including six months of free service. It is very important that this stay on him.

Orion has already shown remarkable progress. With time, consistency, and the right home, he will only continue to bloom.

Adoption fee is $600 which helps cover all of the medical for all of the dogs in the rescue. All dogs are spayed/neutered, vaccinated and micro chipped and many have received further treatment for such conditions as lump removal, severe ear infections, dental cleanings, bloodwork, leg injuries, etc..

We do out of state adoptions but require a submitted application, a home visit (sometimes we cannot get this done and then we can not adopt), and the adopter must come to Las Vegas to meet the potential dog(s), possibly adopt, and then drive the dog back.

Disclaimer: The SNBRF has the right to deny applications based on our adoption policies established for the consideration of the health, safety, and well-being of the dog. Beagles can have a lifespan of 15-18 years. Therefore, beagles or any other breed who are under 3 years of age will NOT be adopted to anyone over the age of 62. For individuals who are 70 years of age and older, the dogs must be 8 years or older