Bowie

Nathan wrote: Sam (Bowie) and Jake are having a great time being brothers. 2 long walks pretty much everyday in the Sierra Mountains above Carson City. Sam is one oversized Basset Hound. Very smart and full of Basset Hound love!!! Few bad habits but he's learning. Very few things they can't do in this home.... Personal chef (me) and grain free dog food. Sam is quite the hunter. We suspect from being in the wild for so long. We love him dearly and he has truly landed in a field of clover! Thank you! We will send a pic now and then...HugZ

Betty Jo (Peanut)

Just a little update on Frankie (formally Betty Jo) who was one of the many rescued from the kennel in Red Bluff December 2009: Frankie came to live at my house in March and immediately fell in love with my other dog Otis. She has snuggled her way into a very close friendship with him. It is taking her a while to completely warm up to me still, but we have a good routine that we stick to and we both know when the good times are and enjoy them to the fullest. She quickly learned that she could jump up on my bed and that seems to be where she feels the safest. Mornings are when she gets silly and playful. And bossy --- she barks orders at me while I fix her breakfast. Mornings are when I feel she is her most Basset'y. She still has moments of timidness but I think back to where she was a year ago and know she is so much better off...and I think she knows too. She enjoys her freedom at my house, the "conversations" we have, the warmth or cool air as she needs and nice healthy (and abundant) food. I have to be patient for them, but she gives plenty of kisses of thanks when she is ready. All in all the three of us are very happy with Frankie. She has brought much joy and enlightenment into our home.

Billy

Just four days before our beloved 16-year-old basset, Kirby, (“King Kirby”, to you) went to the bridge, I pulled Billy from the Stockton shelter. A “mystery man”, Billy’s microchip record, rabies shot record and shelter record all listed him as being different ages, anywhere from 4 years old to 10 years old. We intended to keep Billy only long enough to vet him and then hand him over to a foster home that was waiting for him. However, Billy melded seamlessly into our lives, and his happy disposition and abundant personality brought joy and humor to counteract our grief over losing our awesome Kirby. We quickly realized that Billy belonged with us. In fact, we like to think that he was pre-approved and sent to us by Kirby and Gus. Billy came along at exactly the right time to rescue Mark and me. Billy is clever, agile, playful, noisy, full of personality, and is definitely a handful. We think he was probably raised with cats, because he licks his paw and washes his face like a cat, and he loves to perch up high—on the kitchen or dining room table, if not prevented from doing so! Whatever Billy’s age, he is way younger and more active than we are accustomed to, and very full of mischief! There’s never a dull moment with Billy around! He’s happy all the time. He keeps us on our toes and makes us laugh. --Fran and Mark Madden, Jackie and Billy

Buster

When we first heard from GGBR about a possible “match” for our family, we were very excited. I printed and cut out Buster’s little picture and we placed it at the dinner table each night, talking about how much fun it will be when he’s here. Buster’s foster-father, Duke, was so gracious and generously made the 5-hour round-trip journey to bring Buster to us one drizzly Saturday in February. My husband and I watched out the window as Duke opened up the back of his car… out jumped 2 of the biggest Bassets I’ve ever seen. “Oh my gosh!” we thought, “What are we getting ourselves into?” From Day 1 Buster has been a loving part of our family. Our son, Bennett, was 18 months old at the time, and we worried how a new dog would fit into our chaotic lives, but Buster is an angel. It took him a short while to adjust and to shed some of his understandable nervousness. He is still quite emotionally needy, but we have plenty of love to give. He makes us laugh each and every day. When people ask about him, I tell them we won the dog lottery with Buster. I can’t imagine owning a more perfect dog. Sure, he is slobbery, stinky, stubborn and will eat everything off of the tables and counters in one mouthful if allowed to, but we love our Buster. We love spoiling him with 2 long walks per day, massages and treats. (In fact my husband and I have shed 20 lbs each since acquiring Buster and walking daily!) I thought we got a lot of attention when walking with our toddler – it’s nothing compared to walking with Buster. It’s like walking with Brad Pitt! People always stop us, and are so interested in him. Mostly people share memories of their own beloved Bassets they had long ago, but often too we hear, “That’s the best looking Basset I’ve ever seen!” or, “Those are the biggest ears I’ve ever seen!” It’s been 5 months since Buster came into our lives. Things just haven’t been the same… and we couldn’t be happier. The Spencer Family – Ukiah, CA