We called her the world’s biggest beagle, back in 2018 when Lucy first came to Encore Enrichment Center for Shelter Dogs. Although clearly there was some yellow Lab mixed in for good measure.
Lucy had been adopted twice and returned twice. Her ability to scale chain link fences and desire not to be alone in a back yard were the reasons both times. She was around two years old, loved everybody, and was hopelessly goofy. She became a frequent visitor to our Center where we worked with her on obedience and introduced her to K9 Nose Work®.
Lucy was so good at nose work that I put her on odor and decided to enter her in an Odor Recognition Test (ORT). I thought perhaps having that extra set of skills would enhance her chances for adoption. Also, I had a real soft spot in my heart for Lucy. The ORT was scheduled for a Sunday and I brought her home over the whole weekend.
Lucy passed her birch ORT with flying colors, and had a wonderful foster weekend out. I even used the pictures and videos I amassed from her visit to create a [YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHHHZS2Fc-E) promoting this sweet girl for adoption. I must admit, had my dog-reactive German Shepherd Mocha shown any signs of accepting her over the weekend, I might have adopted Lucy myself. (My other dog, Leo, thought Lucy was great!) But I also knew she wasn’t meant to be someone’s third dog, so I returned her to the shelter and kept my fingers crossed.
And the great news was, less than a month after the ORT, Lucy found her forever home. A wonderful older couple and their son Mike adopted Lucy. Their home is on eight acres and Lucy became and still is a beloved addition to the family. While they didn’t continue with nose work on odor, Mike would set food hides so she could search to her heart’s content. He and Lucy visited Encore occasionally so I got to see this special girl from time to time. Unfortunately we had to shut down Encore in 2022 so I didn’t get to stay in touch.
Fast forward over six years from Lucy’s ORT weekend. I rent a small building and teach nose work classes. The building is on the main highway between Jacksonville and Anniston AL, with a huge banner out front declaring “K9 Nose Work® Classes!” It’s February 2025 and I’m getting back to teaching classes after a long layoff due to complications from knee replacement surgery.
My work phone rings. Most times it’s nuisance robo calls about my Google business listing or some insurance scam, so I answer it begrudgingly. I hear “hi, this is Mike, I’m not sure if you remember me and Lucy, but I’m standing in front of your building. I saw the nose work sign. Now that Lucy’s getting older, I thought she might enjoy getting into a class.”
Sure enough, it was Mike and Lucy! We talked for awhile and I learned that Lucy still did some nose work searching, for food. And perfect timing, as I was getting ready to start an Introduction to Nose Work (2) class, for dogs that had completed the first Intro class and were ready to up their searching game while still staying on primary (food).
Mike and Lucy enrolled in the class and I got to see her last week for the first time in years. Lucy, older and a bit grayer, but still the same beagle-looking Lab mix with a happy smile and waggy tail. Lucy, who remembered that boxes and objects pay and are well worth checking out. Lucy, the only dog out of over 400 that came through Encore’s shelter dog training program that passed a National Association of Canine Scent Work® Odor Recognition Test while in a shelter.
The state of shelter dogs in Alabama can be grim, despite heroic efforts of staff and volunteers who do what they can to care for and find homes for the overwhelming numbers that come through their facilities. I wanted to let Lucy’s story remind us that shelter dogs can indeed have happy endings. They are worth supporting and their lives have meaning.
I totally encourage dog lovers who can afford to, to donate either time or money to support a local shelter. Even $5 or $10 a month, from enough people, allows shelters to count on those recurring donations to buy food and supplies they desperately need. Or a gift of time – if you could go once or twice a month for an hour to walk a couple dogs, you’ve made a big difference.
If you’re a nose work enthusiast, consider offering to introduce a shelter dog and staffer or volunteer handler to the game. NACSW has a Facebook page dedicated to supporting efforts to bring nose work to shelters. It’s called [K9 Nose Work] [® Shelter Project.] After all, the same crazy wonderful benefits of nose work applies to dogs in shelters as well as dogs already in loving forever homes.
I can’t wait to see Lucy working some challenging hide placements these next six weeks!
