Bassets With
Character  BRBR
frequently rescues senior bassets in need of very special homes. These Fur
Kids are very special to us and could make a great companion for the right person.
All adoptions will be done on site after a careful screening of the applicant.
You will never really know and understand basset hounds until you have
lived with a senior basset. As they age, most bassets mellow and develop
a personality. I think older bassets also develop a kind of wisdom and
loving understanding unique to basset hounds. The poem, This
Old Dog, comes close to describing the devotion a senior hound
gives.
This
is a true story about a basset hound we rescued in September 1998 from the Nashville,
TN animal shelter. They estimated Ubu's age to be 12 years young (Ubu is now 16!).
With the help of Mauna Crabtree and Craig Owensby in Nashville, we got Ubu out
and to Memphis. Ubu got his name from the way he barked uuu booo.
Ubu was adopted and is now living with Tammy and her then, 8 yr. old basset,
Crystal, in Memphis, TN. Tammy recently shared her adoption experience with us.
Tamy has graciously allowed us to share her views about adopting a senior basset
hound. Submitted by Tammy January, 2002 I must admit that I was a little
hesitant to take a 12 year-old --- and my friends tried to talk me out of it.
They didn't want my heart to get broken over what they thought would be a short
term commitment. Now those same folks are convinced that Ubu will outlive us all.
He is such a rascal. 
I know in my heart that when he first came to live with me that he remembered
what his previous caretakers (I hesitate to use the word "family") had done to
him. He whined over every pickup truck that passed our house and insisted on giving
the "sniffover" to every parked truck we passed on our walks. It was like he expected
them to come and get him. He doesn't do that anymore, and he seems to be more
attached to me --- unless a man comes to the house. He just fawns over any man
he sees.
He is very set in his ways and I have had to adjust to that
... he will "talk" to me if I try to mess with his routine (just like an old man
-- ha!). He has certain times of the day that he will go outside and patrol the
fence-line (and take an occasional nap in the sun) and he will rattle the windows
if I come home from work and act like I'm not going to feed him his afternoon
snack. After taking a senior dog, I don't think I would have the patience
to do the puppy routine again. I plan to adopt older "children" when the time
comes.
Do you, or someone you know, want to help a these
special hounds?
SHARE (Senior Hound Assistance, Research & Education)
is a new national assistance league dedicated to aiding the owners and rescuers
of senior basset hounds. The purpose of SHARE is not to provide the same services
as local rescues, but to provide support when there are limited resources, both
educational and financial, and those limitations affect the rescue and/or treatment
options of the senior dog.
If you are interested in the SHARE program,
or have questions about adopting a senior hound, please visit
the SHARE web site or email share@seniorbasset.com
for more information, or contact us
| 
