The Adventures Of Lucky Beans
How one dog, rescued from the sea, became an amazing teacher!
Story written by Beans’ foster parent.
Swimming for his life for no one knows how long, mercifully scooped out of the sea a couple of miles offshore, blind in one eye, Lucky was dropped off on Caye Caulker and proceeded to wreck havoc on hearts and pretty much everything he could get his teeth into.
A consummate survivor, Lucky took to the island’s streets, and made some very nice friends who petted him and gave him food and shelter.
Along the way, Lucky met a woman from the United States who decided that he (she named him Beans) should have a home with her and her daughter.
And so, in October of 2022, the process of readying Lucky Beans for his next adventure began.
But it wasn’t as simple as getting him fixed, getting his rabies shots and the medical and testing requirements he had.
After being on the streets for a while, Lucky Beans had become a problem. His fears turned into aggression — the only way he knew how to keep himself safe was to bark and lunge at other dogs, golf carts, bikes, and sometimes, people. Soon this beautiful, sweet pup had turned into a bit of a nightmare.
The ever vigilant and kind-hearted volunteers at the Humane Society took him off the street and fostered him with me. That is how my path crossed with Lucky Beans and how I was forever changed by his presence and by the guidance of Amanda, Monique and Katia.
I’ve always loved dogs, but I never really had one of my own. My interactions had pretty much always been just plain fun and I knew nothing about them other than how ridiculously goofy and wondrously loving they could be.
Lucky Beans though, was that and more. And I had a lot to learn. Amanda put me on the path to being a better companion and leader to him and Monique patiently gave off her time and tips. But I had so much more to learn. Although he was a snuggle bug, he had become aggressively protective of me and where we were staying. It upset me that I did not seem able to help him out on my own. I just didn’t have the tools yet.
Unfortunately, I moved to a place where dogs weren’t allowed. Happily, Lucky Beans was taken in by Marius and Karen and their very kind dog, Homie, who own the Ice and Beans Coffee Shop (hence the Beans name!). I had committed to him though. I wanted — like so many on the island who came to care for Lucky Beans — to do everything I could to make sure he made it safely to his permanent home.
So, again with help from the Humane Society, Lucky Beans and I went on a boat to San Pedro and met Katia at Pampered Paws. That’s when things began to change for him and for me.
I came to understand that dogs are pretty much a reflection of their caretakers. If I wasn’t confident, how could he be with me? If I didn’t set the right boundaries and apply them consistently, how could he understand how to behave? We were both pretty confused for a while.
Thankfully, Katia, with her insight, calmness, and patience gave us both the training we needed. We had some missteps when we came back to Caye Caulker. Some days were more successful than others for the both of us.
As weeks passed and the time approached for Lucky Beans to go on his big adventure to his permanent home, one smaller undertaking was needed first. Off we went to Katia again and when I returned to San Pedro a few days later to pick Lucky Beans up, it seemed that things pretty much clicked all around.
As transport day loomed — though I was bursting with pride for this now well behaved, handsome little bundle of energy — I was so so sad to see him go. We had figured each other out at last and both learned some important lessons.
Oh-So-Lucky Beans made it home in February of this year, and while there was a hitch or two, he’s settled in nicely and has had his first walks in the snow. An island dog no more!
I learned so much about myself looking after that pup. And though I knew it well before — having seen and heard about some of the work that the volunteers at the Humane Society do — I came to understand more fully how so very lucky this island is to have a group of people who work so tirelessly to care for the fun, ridiculously goofy and wondrously loving dogs (and cats) of Caye Caulker.
We’re so grateful for the ongoing support and collaboration we have with Katia and the team at Pampered Paws.
Through our work together, we have trained and housed many dogs on the island. Lucky Beans is just one of many examples of how our collective efforts have made a huge difference in the lives of so many dogs and their caretakers.
The Caye Caulker Humane Society (CCHS) works to keep the animal population of the island healthy and in safe accommodating homes. We do that by providing a weekly health clinic, education and regular spay and neuter clinics. CCHS is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization and are completely funded by the good people of Caye Caulker and the many visitors that stop by to visit and help.
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