Jamie Hulit was shocked the first time she saw a photo of Beaux Tox on Facebook. She totally got why no one wanted to adopt him. But she also knew she couldn’t turn her back on him like other people had. So she decided to take a chance, and her efforts were well rewarded.
Beaux’s parents were Labradors who were owned by a breeder. In fact, he was one of seven siblings. But when the puppies were still in the womb, his siblings took up all the space and ended up shoving him aside. He developed closed-set eyes and a sunken cranium because he didn’t have a lot of space to grow. So by the time he was born he was doomed.
His owner realized that he couldn’t sell him because of the way he looked, so he ended up giving him away free of charge. Then, a man living in Austin, Texas adopted him and called him Lucky. But Lucky didn’t get along with all the cats that the man had, so he wound up being exiled to the Texas man’s backyard.
As the years passed, Lucky was left outside and neglected. Not only did he not have a bed to sleep on, but he was alone all the time. Then, local rescue organizations learned of his plight and tried to help when he was five years old. They reached out to the owner, and he agreed to let someone else foster the dog. But if you thought Lucky’s troubles were over, guess again.
Lucky developed behavioral problems because he’d spent way too much time without interacting with animals or humans. So every foster family he ever had kept returning him. Ultimately, he wound up in the Texas man’s backyard again. But animal lovers weren’t willing to give on him just yet. They kept looking for a forever home for him, and eventually Jamie Hulit learned of the dog’s plight.
Jamie also lives in Austin, Texas, and is a public relations executive. She volunteers at local rescue organizations on a regular basis. She even fosters dogs and cats. Then, a friend went on Facebook and posted something about Lucky. Jamie realized she had to help him, so she reached out to her friend and said, “I would love to take that dog in and give him a home.” Jamie could totally relate to Lucky.
When Jamie was 7, she was placed in foster care, and no one adopted her for two years. Then at age 9, someone took her in, but she knew this wasn’t a permanent home. “I wanted him to have stability and a place he knew was his home,” she said. “He had already bounced around and I just wanted him to be a dog.” But she wasn’t sure what shape the dog was in.
Jamie decided to meet Lucky, so she went to his house, and her heart broke at the sight of him. His facial deformity wasn’t the only issue. He was abnormally thin. She could even see his ribcage through his fur. He also had a bunch of ear mites and fleas. She decided to take him and changed his name to Beaux Tox. She knew he’d need time to recover.
Jamie took Beaux to Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic in Kerrville, Texas. That’s when Dr. Jay Rydberg gave her some bad news. Beaux had heartworm disease, which could damage his internal organs beyond repair if his condition wasn’t treated. But he was so weak that the doctor wasn’t able to provide him with the necessary treatment. At this point, he had a 50/50 chance to live. But Jamie wasn’t ready to accept those odds.
Dr. Rydberg did everything in his power to help Beaux. So the dog ended up going in and out of an oxygen tank for a whole month as part of his treatment. The doctor spent as much time as possible with Beaux. He also called Jamie when the pooch’s condition took a bad turn. There were times where it seemed like he would not survive. But Beaux wasn’t ready to give up.
After months of hoping, Beaux gained enough weight, which allowed the doctor to begin the heartworm treatment. Sadly, the mite infestation caused the dog to lose his hearing in his left ear, and he couldn’t see from his right eye. But he was finally healthy again, and Jamie was able to take him home. The dog couldn’t imagine how much his life would change.
Beaux was very happy to spend quality time with his new family indoors. “He was an outside dog, but you’d never know because he does not want to go outside,” said Jamie. He’s totally cool with staying in the house and admiring the outside through the window. But Jamie was afraid that he wouldn’t interact well with Riley, her 13-year-old golden retriever mix. But, she had nothing to worry about.
“Riley and Beaux absolutely love each other,” said Jamie. “They’re perfect for each other even with the age difference and even though Beaux acts like a puppy — it helps Riley stay young.” He’s also become an amazing foster brother to the other rescues cats and dogs that Jamie has taken in. In fact, one of them ended up becoming a permanent addition to Jamie’s family.
Beaux welcomed Scout, another rescue dog that Jamie had adopted, and she is proud of him. It was as if in a year, he became a completely different animal. “He’s so full of life,” said Jamie, “and he’s just brought so much to us.” Now her only wish is that she’ll get to enjoy several more years with this miraculous fun-filled dog whom she loves.
Most dogs who develop deformities at birth end up with health complications later down the line. Beaux is six years old, so Jamie had an MRI done for him to see if there were any other health issues. Fortunately, the results showed he was okay. The test suggested that despite his head deformity, Beaux would lead a long, healthy life. With that bit of good news, Jamie is okay when he decides to take risks.
Beaux stumbled into an intruder in the backyard back in November. Turns out, it was a feral hog. That’s when his hunting instincts kicked in and he went after the hog and murdered it. Jamie was shocked, but also happy to see that Beaux had bested his prey without a scratch. It just went to prove that Beaux has a huge personality, which has grown since Jamie took him in.