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Goody Beagle here. I'm a beagle who likes to write. Books. Articles. Blogs. I love to share 'beagle info' with my human friends. Since humans like to follow the doings of celebrities, in this article I'll tell you about some famous beagles.
Being famous isn't quite as important to us dogs as it is to you humans. Don't get me wrong; we like attention, it's just that we just don't think everyone has to love us, as long as someone does. Don't you think that's more healthy?
For some reason, famous beagles abound in cartoons and comic strips. For instance, everyone knows Snoopy, from the comic strip Peanuts. Snoopy is so famous he is a whole industry all by himself - when he makes special appearances at theme parks, he actually bills himself as "The World's Most Famous Beagle." I like Snoopy's attitude. He knows he is cool.
Another cartoon Beagle is Odie, the nemesis of Garfield the Cat. Odie is supposedly stupid. Now I'm not saying there aren't stupid beagles, but they are rare, and I don't think Odie is stupid either. After all, Garfield never really gets the better of him.
Then there's Gromit from Wallace and Gromit, an educated Beagle with a degree from Dogwarts University. Gromit is so smart he doesn't even have to talk, and Wallace would be nowhere without him. Likewise, the beagle Mr. Peabody from the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show is educated and intelligent. He gets Sherman out of trouble on every single show.
In the 1960s and 70s, the television cartoon Underdog was a big hit, and Underdog was a Beagle. His voice was done by Wally Cox, a funny human who looked a little like a beagle himself. Then last year Underdog was made into a movie starring a real beagle. But did you know that this movie gave the beagle NO acting credit? His voice, done by Jason Lee, got it all. Even though it was the dog who had the wear the shirt and cape. I don't think this is right, do you?
Other real-life famous beagles include Him, Her, and Edgar, who lived in the White House from 1963 to 1968 with President Johnson, also known as LBJ. LBJ caused a scandal when he picked up Him (or Her, I forget which) by his ears, and a photographer took a picture of this sad event. It just goes to show that not even Presidents exercise good judgment all the time.
The most recent famous beagle is Uno, who took the 2008 Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. He was the first beagle to win this most coveted prize, and it's about time.
Maybe my book will sell millions of copies, and then I too will be famous! That will make my human happy. But I think I'd be just as happy if she would let me catch rabbits. Or eat a whole pot roast.
Kim Pearson is the voice of Goody Beagle and the author of five books, including Dog Park Diary, and a ghostwriter of more than thirty non-fiction books. Dog Park Diary is the first she has ghostwritten for a dog. For more about Kim's ghostwriting services, visit http://www.primary-sources.com
