Sadie (and Charlie)

See Charlie and Sadie's story below...

Charlie (and Sadie)

We have been a 3 dog family for many years. That changed in the fall when we lost our old guy, our 12 year old lab. Then, on December 17, our precious Buddy, a basset, died of intestinal cancer. It was a terrible time for our family. With Buddy’s death we became a one dog family. Hank, our younger lab was now the head dog of the family, and since he was used to being the baby, he was having a terrible time adjusting to the loss of his brothers. For quite a while prior to Buddy’s illness I had been checking out Golden Gate Basset Rescue regularly, and I knew when the time came, we would adopt a basset from them. A month or more before Buddy’s death I saw Sadie and Charlie on the GGBR website and fell in love with them. They had to be adopted together, and I just sensed their place would be with our family. I was not ready to adopt them yet, but I felt that when Buddy was gone, it would be his legacy to welcome them into our home. We brought Sadie and Charlie home on December 22. We had new collars, Christmas stockings, and presents under the tree waiting for them. They slept in bed with us the first night, and within days it seemed like they had always been members of our family. Sadie is a little princess. She’s a doll and she knows it. She’s spring loaded and will jump into our laps before we even see her coming, then wiggle and kiss, kiss, kiss. She’s got lots of squishy wrinkles and she loves to cuddle. She’s also a howler, and she’s taught her big brother Hank how to howl, too, although he sounds pretty ridiculous. Charlie is a quirky guy. He likes to cuddle, too, but he’s kind of pushy about where and when he wants it. For some reason, he often looks down at the ground, so we are really working with him to keep his head up by scratching him under the chin and lifting his chin towards us when we stroke his head. He’s not big about giving kisses, but just in the last few days he’s licked my nose twice. He gets so many kisses, so I guess he’s figuring out he might as well give some out, too. Our biggest challenge with Charlie has been his obsession with food, but since he’s learned there is always food in their feeder, he’s grown relaxed about it. He’s a great hugger, and at night loves to sleep between my husband and I on our pillows. Sadie and Charlie are wonderful dogs. They’ve fulfilled Buddy’s legacy more than we could have ever hoped. Buddy would be so happy to know Sadie and Charlie have found a blissful new life with us. We are so thankful to GGBR for rescuing them so that they could join our family. I hope Sadie and Charlie have forgotten any unhappiness from their past life and now only know what their life with us.

Lily (9/12)

Our love story with Garnatxa started 7 years ago, so please bear with us until you judge her exquisite name. We got married 7 years ago and have been planning to have a dog since then. Major disagreement point: the breed. Wife was crazy about basset hounds. Husband wanted a "smarter" dog. Finally, in conjunction with the 2012 primaries, the basset hound campaign started for real! Husband was opening his mind to the breed, specially after we were introduced to the wonderful work of the Golden Gate Basset Rescue. Our house was inspected by two dear bassets, we went to the Basset Hound Waddle in Novato and that was it. Mission accomplished! Husband is in! Yay! All forms are filled! Yay! We got approved by the diligent people of GGBR! Yay! But... wait! Where is our dog? All we wanted was a young dog because this was going to be our first dog and we were not ready for a senior one yet. We waited, we waited, we waited. Three months went by... We decided to go on a trip and try another breed after we came back home. We were wine tasting in Spain and we finally got the email! There was a girl for us! Even before meeting her, we knew she was ours and we immediately picked a name: Garnatxa (the Catalan word for grenache, the wine grape). Of course, we didn't think about the unpronounceable aspect of it, we just stuck to it because it was a very important moment for us (and probably because we had tasted a little bit too much). Your guess is right: people do have a hard time in understanding it, but you know what? They don't forget it! Because Garnatxa is unforgettable, unmissable, irresistible. She has been such a gift! She spontaneously went to her bed at bedtime on day 1 and even came housebroken. She has been learning some commands at a "smart dog" speed. Because she is smart. Because basset hounds are smart and one should not be fooled by their omnipresent emotional side. Garnatxa can outtrick us with her workarounds and proactive requests. She talks with her eyes all the time. She has the funniest way of stretching herself. She barks sparsely (our greatest fear) and she lets us have dinner quietly at the table. She takes center stage every time she is at the dog park. A problem? She needs some modeling classes because it is impossible to take a good frontal picture without her moving towards the camera. In case you ever bump into us, you better start practicing pronouncing her name: Gar.na.cha (like the Mexican nachos, the unique scent coming from her ears, as from her foster parents' assessment). And the husband? He can't wait to take her to work wearing her Sherlock Holmes costume on Halloween! Thank you so much to the wonderful people of GGBR, specially Donna (the maestra), Fran (our house inspector), Melinda & Quincy (foster family). Best, Izabel

Jed

THE RETURN OF THE JED(i)! It's hard to know everything this scrawny, flea-infested boy with no name had been through by the time he made it to GGBR's safe harbor. Sandee, Bear and daughter Eden Fergusen took him in and Eden named him Jedidiah, which means "beloved of God". He sure was, because without GGBR and Sandee, Bear and Eden, this 'lil guy--now JED for short, a warrior and a survivor of being kicked to the curb, would surely be dead. JED was rescued by GGBR out of the Bakersfield Shelter. When the Fergusen's gathered him in, he was a mess physically, but as is the case with so many abandoned, even abused, basset hounds, his wonderful temperament was intact. Poor 'lil Jed had a horrible tooth infection that went up into his sinuses--it was that bad. Gloria Carlson, our GGBR president and resident Vet Tech Mama, got Jed the medical care he needed, including extensive and expensive dental work. Sandi, Bear and Eden gave him oodles of love and lots of chow--this guy's ribs were sticking out! In fact, he was so malnourished it looked like his head was too big for his body (it's not). Gloria told me that when she got Jed into the Vet, he started immediately giving the Dr. kisses. She decided that Jed had come to replace my hound Percy, who came from GGBR. I only had Percy for a little less than 2 months when he crossed the Rainbow Bridge quite suddenly and unexpectedly. He was young, strong--and he probably died of bloat, something I knew nothing about. (If you are considering adopting, learn about bloat to protect your dog.) Percy was my first basset and he was an astounding gift, showing me that joy was possible again (I had lost my life partner to cancer in January). Losing Percy was almost more than I could bear, but all of my new GGBR family assured me over and over, "Percy will send his replacement." And he did! JED is a lover and, like most bassets, alternates between wanting to play in bursts and lounging. He is something of a Lounge Lizard, actually, but he loves lounging with ME. And that's wonderful. In fact, he is curled up by my side as I write his story. Instead of wandering the streets trying to survive, Jed now shares my home with an elderly beagle rescue named Claire the Tentative (very shy) and now Daisy, another rescued basset out of the Sacramento SPCA. She is up for adoption--but not Jed! Nope, he's mine. A word about Daisy: she is very sweet and the quietest hound I've ever met--because she was debarked! She is about 8 years old, slow and easy going. She likes to cuddle, too, but Jed is very territorial. I have to put Daisy on one side and Jed on the other and I have a Big Basset LOOOOOOOVE Sandwich! Daisy's a great gal, fit right into our home with minimal adjustment time. Jed has a wonderful, easy-going sweet personality and he loves being with people. I think that's the thing that has amazed me the most about getting to know this breed--they really love their people. He doesn't like it much when I'm gone. I recently returned from a business trip and he read me out (barked) for a few minutes to tell me a) he didn't like me being gone and b) he was really, really glad I was back. I got lots of licks after he SHUT UP. Jed has already earned a nickname: SNATCH. If I am walking from the kitchen to the living room with something tasty in my hand, I'd better have it up in front of my face and protected, because this sly hound with simply snatch it (fast and slick, not a shadow of a bite!) and look at me (post-gulp) as if to say "That was MINE. What are YOU looking at?" Jed's new, full name is Jedediah S. Basset. Or Big Boy. He is at good weight now, not too much, but no ribs showing, that's for sure. (Jed's general attitude is "my food is my food; your food is my food; all food is my food because, well, I LOVE FOOD.) So from a homeless, nameless boy, GGBR said "Yes, we can help". Then a big-hearted family took him in and knew he was beloved of God; and named him Jed because they saw the light of the divine in his starving face. Their love, GGBR's expert care, and timing all combined to bring him to a good home. I give thanks not only to Sandee, Bear, and Eden for fostering; to Gloria and GGBR for medical care; I give thanks to whoever is running the universe. It's not often you get one incredible dog (Percy); to get two seems like being piggy, but who cares?! When it comes to rescuing our beloved bassets, we can't get enough. All we can do is pray and act for the day when no dog (esp. bassets) will be kicked to the curb, abandoned, starved and neglected. Jed is happy; I am ecstatic to have such a great companion (and THIEF). Thank you, GGBR! This is what selfless sacrifice and teamwork can accomplish. Another happy hound in another grateful home. Lea Pierce JED's grateful guardian for life

Brody

Brody, came home with us in mid August to Little River Ca. Him and Bailey got along right away and started to take over the Airport were they both go to work each day. At first things seemed to go well, but then he started to act up ( believe that he had a very bad time somewhere in his life) I was not able to get him to not try to snap at me or other people that would come to the Airport. But with some teaching on his part and watching what set him off sometimes and not other, we all learned a lot. He is such a great looking dog and has a good personally so everyone want to see and play with him. So I felt that he would find his place at his new home, some day not as fast as I would have liked, but in his time he is teaching us what he needs to make him feel safe in his new home. Where he will be loved and part of his new home. Today he has found his forever home and just makes everyone happy. Dave