30 Jul 2024 Pet of the Month: Bean
By Colleen Holt
There are few types of friendship more classic than that between a boy and his dog. In Faulkner County, this can be seen with Marshall Cunningham and Bean, an 11-year-old miniature schnauzer.
Marshall and Bean can be found at Bean’s Books, a new store open Monday through Saturday in The Village at Pickles Gap. The store is a Christ-centered new and used bookstore that sells books and buys them either for cash or credit. Bean’s Books opened on July 1, and both Bean and Marshall have had a fun time with all the visitors to the store.
“Bean is slowly acclimating to the store, but she had a blast on our opening day. She gave out kisses, smiled and panted as customers petted her, ran around with the kids, and took in all the attention,” Marshall said.
Everyone adored having her there, but no one more so than me. I’ve always called her my best friend, so to have her here with me at the bookstore day in and day out, it’s like I’m living my dream (apart from owning a bookstore—still can’t get over that!)”
Officially named Beignet Hyneman Cunningham, Bean was all dark gray as a puppy, “except for her feet which made her look like she’d gotten into some powdered sugar, just like a beignet,” said Marshall. As the family originated in Louisiana, this name “felt like a must.”
Her middle name, Hyneman, is due to her beard resembling that of Mythbuster Jamie Hyneman. Bean has been with the family since 2012, when Marshall was in fifth grade.
At home, she enjoys napping, lounging and, most importantly, being by his side. “She also plays with her chew toys by slinging them around and tossing them off the bed. Her favorite by far is Mr. Bill, a toy that she knows by name and has carefully gnawed through three iterations of over the years,” Marshall said.
Bean is particularly adept at making her presence known. “This dog is vocal. You can hear her yelling in excitement before we even open the garage door. She barks and howls and spins and spins whenever I get home,” he said.
One of her absolute favorite foods is Rice Krispies. “I’m convinced nothing makes that dog happier than when I drop a whole handful in her mouth and she, while snapping, crackling, and popping, dives down to sniff out and suck up the rest like a Roomba®.”
A bookstore seems to be the perfect place for Bean and Marshall to spend time together, as she has always been a loyal reading and writing buddy. “She’ll come snuggle up beside me and give me companionship while I engage with whatever story I have open that day. I graduated from UCA this past May with two degrees in English and creative writing, and I can attest firsthand to the loneliness of both reading and writing. Oftentimes, it requires just you and the page. What’s meant to be this riveting exploration of creativity instead leaves you isolated, alone. But Bean changes that. Just her lying at my side reminds me that I’m not writing in a bubble, that there exists an entire community out there of people just like me.” This core value of community is something Marshall hopes to extend to the store.
Although he is hesitant to think about it, Bean’s influence on readers could live on long after she is gone. “One of our customers who passed through from Alabama commented on how the store will be the perfect place to honor her once she passes on. While the thought pains me to my very core, she’s right. The love that beats in her little schnauzer heart will carry on years after it stops pumping,” he said. “Kids have loved getting to coo at her silhouette in our logo, pointing out that ‘cute lil’ puppy’ on the shirts and stickers. She’ll be the face of their hometown bookstore. What she means to me will carry on for all of them and more. I’m just forever blessed that I still get to hold that cute lil’ puppy here and now.”
