Chloe
8/5/2008 Chloe. Chloe. Chloe. I am at a loss as to what to say. 2 years ago, at the young age of 9, she was left at a shelter in San Francisco. Chloe was rescued by GGBR and given a second chance after having surgery for bladder stones. She recovered and our family was given the gift of adoption in spring of 2006. Life was good and Chloe was happy. Then last month she started turning away from her food. We took her to the vet multiple times, but after 3 weeks it was over. The tests all pointed toward lymphoma. Our family has taken it hard, but have many happy memories. My son has been working on a dog scrapbook this summer and has now decided to dedicate it to Chloe. I tear up to think about it. Having her for the short time we did was such a blessing. Chloe was truly a remarkable little dog and no words can express how much she will be missed. Gamble Minges and family

Delilah
It came on very quickly. She was in acute pain and the pain medicine didn't help. I couldn't let her suffer. She was loved by everyone who met her. She had such a sweet personality. Delilah rescued me from living without joy. She came into my life a year ago, and filled every day with delight. She insisted on her daily walk, despite rain or sleet or dark of morning. She wasn't finicky, she loved her treats. And I loved giving them to her. She brought joy to my neighbor, who had just lost her husband. Delilah would run to her house to see her. She was wonderful with my grandchildren and they loved her too. - Mitzi Lekas - RIP Delilah, passed 8/1/2008

Henry
Henry was a stray in a Sacramento Shelter. Believed to be maybe 9 or 10 years old, and with some type of urinary infection or problem going on. Dr Mark Madden and his wife Fran decided to go and see him and Mark immediately decided he was coming home with them. They would try and find out what was going on and fix him. If all was well, he would become available for adoption, and if all was not well, he would leave for the Bridge in loving arms. His urinary problem turned out to be prostate cancer. Fairly rare in neutered dogs, but Henry had it. His prognosis was anything from a few weeks to a year. Mark and Fran decided to foster him and deal with whatever his illness brought to them. With some drugs to keep him painfree and relieve some of his symptoms, Henry spent several weeks at the Madden's Mt Aukum home, in the foothills, where he spent his days pottering about their fenced acres, sniffing the irises and hanging out with their other senior hounds and the chickens. Over the weekend of May 17, Henry became much more uncomfortable and he was released from his pain on Monday, May 19, 2008 and is now enjoying the limitless buffet at the Rainbow Bridge, painfree and happy.

Sadie Jean
Sadie Jean came to us at the ripe old age of 9 years old!! Of course we didn’t know it at the time as the rescue we got her from was told that she was only 5, but we are SO glad that we were chosen to be her family!! Shawn had 2nd thoughts about adopting her since Teddi was just 14 months old and Casper was only 6 months old, but she got up on the couch next to him and put her head on his chest and he was forever hooked!! Sadie had been taught to sit up at her previous home and she surprised us all when she sat up for Shawn when he returned from work the next day!! After that, Sadie realized that she could get LOTS of attention by sitting up, and she would sit there for hours if you let her!! She was such a cuddler — always having to be touching you and sleeping across your lap!! You never got cold in winter with Sadie Jean around!! And boy did she love sleeping on the bed!! I had to hurry and beat her in bed so that I could get the pillows; otherwise I had to wrestle them from underneath her!! Sadie was very vocal — she loved barking and letting everyone know that we had arrived!! We would get within a block of where we were going and she’d start aroo-ing!! We couldn’t sneak up on anyone!! J She loved going out and meeting new people and seeing all the dogs at the dog park. She became a licensed therapy dog and would go up and see the people in the Alzheimer’s ward and the Skilled Nursing wing at the Masonic Home. She loved going to work and she loved all the attention they gave her!! She loved wearing bandanas and hats because it made people pay attention to her!! She also loved to walk in parades!! She would make her way to the edge of the parade so that all the kids and people sitting on the curbs could pet her as she walked by!! She was such a ham!! Sadie was the Queen of the Novato 4th of July parade in 2006!! She looked so majestic in her custom made crown!! She was such a great ambassador!! My favorite Sadie story is the time that we took a 6-mile hike through Garin Park with friends on a Saturday. We were all exhausted when we got home and Sadie got up on the couch and went straight to sleep. Later that night, she got up to go “feed the kitties” and she was limping pretty badly!! I gave her baby aspirin and gave her massages trying to loosen up her old muscles!! The next day, she was still limping a lot, so I told Shawn that I was going to leave her at home with him while Teddi, Casper and I kept our play date to hike with other friends that couldn’t make it the day before!! When I got to the leashes, Sadie jumped off the couch and RAN to the front door!! She had been faking it the whole time!! She went on the hike with us and never limped the entire day!! My friends commented on how well she looked, and all I could do was smile and say “you should have seen her a half-hour ago!!” Sadie was getting younger and younger the longer we had her!! Her fur was so soft and shiny, unlike the oily mess it was when we first got her! And she was SO active! It didn’t matter where we went, as long as she could come too!! Unfortunately, on the night of May 2nd, 2007 our Sadie got one of her large drinks of water sometime after I went to work, and she bloated. Shawn found her and called me right away, but she was already going into shock by the time I got home. We stayed with her until she was gone, thanking her for coming into our lives and for being so very special!! Thanks to Sadie, I am now on the board of directors for Golden Gate Basset Rescue!! We had no idea there was a need for basset rescue until we met her!! She was so active and loved going on hikes so much; I also became the organizer for the Eastbay Basset Hound Meetup group which I now call Bay Area Basset Hounds (BABH). We now meet 3 times a month going to the beach and to 2 different dog parks — Union City and Morgan Hill!! None of this would have happened if Sadie hadn’t come into my life and I will be forever in her debt!! I miss you sweet girl!! I think of you often and even though it’s already been 11 months, not a day goes by that I don’t think of you!! Thank you for sending us Madden!! She has helped fill the hole your passing has left in all our lives!! Casper tries to get her to fight with her like you did, but it’s not the same!! She’s not nearly as tough as you were!! J Our Forever Queen Sadie Jean!!! Until we meet again over the Rainbow Bridge ~Gwen & Shawn - Slave to Tatum (atb), Teddi, Casper, Sadie Jean (atb 5/2/07) and Madden~

Copper
Copper came into my life in 2000 when his family was getting divorced. Originally I was only going to foster him until a home could be found. However, the minute he entered my home, I knew he would never leave. Copper received the name Copper aka “Joe Friday” because like Joe Friday from Dragnet he had a deadpan expression, but a sharp mind. His brain was always working as he calculated how he would steal things around the house and how to manipulate people. He would wait until the right minute, and then steal the items and hide them in his bed. We found things like my fathers electric razor and my mother’s jewelry there. One of the things that made Copper so special was his ability to make everyone love him. He had the ability to convert everyone into loving basset hounds. His oncologist once told me that Copper should be the poster basset for the breed. One of the most precious memories I will carry with me of Copper is how he would comfort people who were waiting in the vet hospital waiting room. He always had a smile for them and for a few minutes their minds would be clear of worry and pain. Copper was a very special hound and I am so glad to have had the opportunity to know and love him. - Jamie Duarte, October 2007