The Henry in Henry’s Landing

Tails from the Ranch Cont.

Hi from Henry’s Landing, a soft landing where Kindness Ranch welcomes new arrivals with a safe, welcoming space in which to wind down from their journey and ease into newfound freedom. Staff work tirelessly to keep the landing clean and comfortable and get to know each of the new dogs so that their acclimation can be as smooth and stress-free as possible.

 

Henry’s landing: step one to new life.

After several volunteer stints at the ranch, and because John Ramer possesses an intuitive and caring sense of people and their relationship with animals, he surprised me by offering to name the landing in honor of our Kindness Ranch beagle, Henry. Adopting Henry from his foster parent in 2018 was the first I had heard of this phenomenon called Lab Beagles and my introduction to the sanctuary, and here we are, seven years later, and John may be regretting his offer as I can’t stay away and have become sort of a constant, annoying presence. Henry’s legacy will live on, and I am eternally grateful.

A new arrival, enamored with Henry

Henry, unknowingly, changed my life and impacted hundreds of others. When he first came to us at eight years of age he froze by the door, wouldn’t step outside on his own and startled at any sudden noise. But, astoundingly, he didn’t express an ounce of trepidation with us or our Labrador Retriever, Butters. The trust he showed in human beings given his past treatment was remarkable. 

As we learned more about Henry’s background, we marveled at every new step he took. We live in very dog friendly Boulder, Colorado where off-leash trails are abundant, and eventually, Henry accompanied us on all walks and (for the most part) stayed by our side as virtually everyone stopped to fawn over him and hear his story. Through him, our community of dog walkers learned about laboratory beagles and Kindness Ranch. We told two friends, they told two friends, and so on. 

This is how awareness is raised and love is spread. Henry, completely oblivious to any of this, evolved into a happy dog albeit, still, with some quirks. He never acquired a taste for the leash, a skill I now know could have and should have been taught. We didn’t want to upset him, and since he could walk off leash and he was small enough to carry, it never presented many problems, but mostly, we were just ignorant to the importance of leash training and the ability to successfully do it.

Our dog walker, Esra, creatively bringing a new-to-the-world Henry along on walks.

Now, Kindness Ranch, in partnership with Chelsey Marino at Keeper and Kin, provides training and education to all adopters of one of these very special laboratory beagles. I have had the pleasure of meeting her at Kindness Ranch and watching her, in just a short time, acclimate an otherwise terrified beagle to leash walking. The special attention these dogs need cannot be underestimated. Nor can the rewards gained from watching them grow into secure and happy dogs. Chelsey, a dog trainer by background, is now devoting her life specifically to lab beagles, and I think she, too, would attest to her life being changed by these little guys. 

Come here. Stay in one of the beautiful guest yurts, meet the animals and staff and I guarantee you, too, will be changed.

This place. It just gets into your system and you will never be the same.

Jean Unger - Proud "Henry's Mom"