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NEWS 23 Local adoption leads to 'royal treatment' for Guy the beagle Graham Paine/Metroland A Dog's Dream Rescue founder Dolores Dohery holds Robin, a beagle rescued from Kentucky, as two other pooches in need of forever homes look on during an adoption event at Pet Valu in Milton. Oakville dog rescue group founder facilitates adoption for Meghan Markle in M ilton STEVE LEBLANC sleblanc@metroland.com Dolores Doherty fondly recalls her brush with soon-to-be royalty. Not that the Oakville- based A Dog's Dream Res­ cue founder had any clue who Meghan Markle was when the two first connect­ ed more than three years ago. "I had never seen Suits so I didn't know who she was," recalled Doherty Sunday afternoon at M il­ ton's Pet Valu (890 Main St.) - the site o f what's now her most well-known rescue in March 2015. "She was very low key and just said she worked on set (o f the show)." Eager to find a compan­ ion for her pooch Bogart and coming across A Dog's Dream Rescue online, Mar­ kle initially expressed in­ terest in adopting another beagle via email with Do­ herty. "I told her 'great, but you need to fill out an applica­ tion.' She sent one back in 10 minutes." Markle then made her way to Milton for an al­ ready planned adoption by Doherty's group - which specializes in beagles and hounds - but the intended adoptee and Bogart just didn't gel. Waiting a few feet away was Guy, a shy but lovable pup found in Kentucky's Appalachian Mountains who would have been euth­ anized i f not taken in by A Dog's Dream Rescue. "It was obvious right away that this was a good fit (between Guy and Bo­ gart)," said Doherty, whose group enjoyed one of its big­ gest adoptions ever Sunday - with 25 o f 28 dogs finding forever homes. "I had planned to do a home visit to check out her fenced-in backyard but that never happened, which I regret. But I had such a level of confidence (in adoption) af­ ter speaking with her and seeing her post a bunch of photos of Guy on Insta- gram. "I just got a good feeling from her. She's such a lik­ able person. She asked good questions and really listened to the answers. She was so sincere . no star pow­ er or ego. She really stood out to me." Fast forward three years, and Guy is now em- barking on a shelter-to-cas- tle fairy-tale, having re­ cently been moved to the U.K. and about to take up residence in Kensington Palace's Nottingham Cot­ tage. "You could tell she (Mar- kle) was a dog person. It's unbelievable." said Pet Va- lu franchise owner Steve Pearson, who was working during the now much-pub­ licized adoption, which came to light publicly just last week as the royal wed­ ding draws near. "It's just a dream come true and it's been great sharing the sto­ ry." Quipped Pet Valu Cana­ da marketing manager A li­ son Preiss, "We need to get the movie rights." Doherty echoed those sentiments. "He (Guy) was in a dire situation and now he's prince of the castle. People who've heard the story are saying 'Wow, you're fa­ mous.'" Having had more than 300 dogs rescued at the local Pet Valu now - with the ones not adopted Sunday set to be taken on a shopping spree this week - Doherty is certainly grateful for the exposure Guy's rags-to- riches story has created for her organization. But what's most impor­ tant is that the long, downy eared fella is well cared for - whether in downtown TV or amid royalty. "Beagles are pretty adaptable," she said, refer­ ring to Guy's major change o f scenery. "Just give them a belly rub and they're good." While no doubt getting a kick from the buzz of her ce­ lebrity association, Doher­ ty takes great satisfaction from every successful res­ cue - her heart swelling from one particular union that's still quite new. "About three weeks ago a family with three autistic children adopted one of my beagles. 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