Freddy the beagle has found a home.

A family from St. Louis County adopted the dog Monday night, said Teresa Gilley, lead animal control officer in St. Charles.

Robert Phillips

“He’s in a real nice home now,” she said.

Until last month, the beagle had been the companion of Robert Phillips, a homeless man. The pair were regulars at the exit ramps along Interstate 70, where Phillips panhandled.

Phillips went into the hospital Oct. 9 after he developed a serious leg infection. He asked the St. Charles pound to pick up Freddy, who was in his motel room.

Gilley said she hadn’t heard from Phillips since then, and she and her staff had not been able to locate him.

Phillips was being treated at Jefferson Barracks VA Hospital. It is unclear when he will be well enough to be released.

Gilley said the family who adopted Freddy has been following Phillips’ story, and called shortly after seeing an online post saying Freddy was available for adoption.

She said Freddy’s new family wished to remain anonymous. However, the family includes two boys, and they had a pet beagle who died this past summer.

Gilley said one of the boys got very emotional when he saw Freddy because the dog reminded him of the beagle that had died.

Freddy took to the family right away, she said.

“He was very excited with the boys, and the boys just really liked him too,” she said. ”He sat on their laps when they sat down on the floor, and he just kind of cuddled up with them.”

(Top video is from July 2009; bottom is from November 2008.)