First featured here in April, 7-year-old beagle Bik has found a home with the Matsuki family of the town of Ibaraki in Osaka Prefecture. Bik is pictured here with (from left) daughter Nao Matsuki, mother Yuka, daughter Karin and father Hideki. Not only is Bik looking happier than ever, she has now been rechristened Carol and has been a great solace to a family that was grieving the loss of their canine best friend of nearly 15 years.

"When we lost our beloved Noel," says Yuka Matsuki, "we really didn't know what to do with ourselves. Our life lacked direction." After a long search and "just when I was about to give up, ARK told me their Tokyo branch had a beagle," Yuka says. "I got my older daughter, who works in Tokyo, to go and meet Bik at an adoption fair. She described Bik as 'cute and curvy' and I was sold! She came to our home on Christmas Eve, amidst Christmas carol singing, so we called her Carol." Initially somewhat wary of Hideki, "she now absolutely stalks him."

Keen to maintain her curves, Carol also stalks food — all food. "We have to be careful. She'll jump on the dining room table if there's food on it." Known before her adoption as a "crazy barker," Carol would "howl if we tried to confine her while we went out. Now she seems happy enough to rest on the sofa if we have to leave her alone. In fact, not much bothers her now. The last six months seem to have been good ones for her!"