Rick and Dollie

Dollie was adopted 2 years ago by Rick. This is a great photo of the two of them! Thanks for sharing this one Rick! Dollie looks great!

In Loving Memory of Minnie Pearl...

It is with a very heavy heart that BHRA announces the passing of our sweet girl, Minnie Pearl. Anyone that met her knew what a truly lovely hound she was. Her foster family took her in as their own and loved her for a very long time. We appreciate all the love and kindness they showed her and the extraordinary compassion they showed in her time of need. You will be sadly missed by all, sweet Minnie Pearl!


Her foster mom, Molly Armstrong, had this to say about Minnie Pearl,

"Minnie Pearl was the sweetest, happiest dog I've seen to have gone through what all she did. One of her favorite things to do was snuggle. Her best buddy was our grey Nero. They had their favorite chair and very frequently found themselves together sleeping in it. She loved everyone she met. She was always there to lick our tears away and always tried to make a sad moment tolerable. We miss her so badly and look forward to seeing her again at the rainbow bridge."

If you would like to read more about the struggles that Minnie Pearl faced, please visit out website at www.bhra.org/Minnie_Pearl.htm It is through the kindness of loving foster homes and donations from wonderful, generous people, that we are able to continue the very rewarding work of rescuing these wonderful Basset Hounds.

In Loving Memory of Tiffin Johnston

Very sad today. We had to send Tiffin to the bridge this afternoon. She had a mass on her pancreas that we couldn't do anything for so we helped her live her life to the fullest as we always had. She lost 20 pounds, we bought a stroller for her to ride through the neighborhood, but we couldn't get her bloody stool stopped and she was throwing up almost every day. We did everything we could to make her happy and she was still wagging her tail today, but she was so weak she was stumbling when she wagged it. The people she loved at the vet stayed late to be with her. We all told her how much we loved her and then we sent the most precious and loved baby to the bridge. We are absolutely gutted by this, we loved her so dearly, but the vet said it was time, she was in pain and too thin, we needed to help her. She had such quirks about touching her feet and kissing her, she didn't like any of that. My best friend would say "Give me a kiss" and she would turn her lip up and growl while wagging her tail. They had a real love affair going. Her daughter said one day "She's not mean, she's just honest." We thought that was the most profound thing we had ever heard. Tiffin suffered no fools, she just wasn't going to put up with nonsense it just wasn't in her makeup. So we adjusted. We became Tiffin's people. She took vacations to the beach several years, she loved to stomp through the water and take naps from the deck overlooking the gulf. Then she would meander in and climb into the window seat and take a nap amongst the pillows overlooking the bay. She required a ride in the elevator to go outside to the bathroom. Stairs were also not her thing. She would woof at you and scratch the ground like a charging bull when she wanted something. She shook her toys like no other dog I have ever seen. It was like a quick kill. She played ball with her front feet that looked like they had baseball mitts built in. When she mourned our dog Emma that died 14 months ago she walked the floor for three days until finally out of sheer exhaustion for both of us, I pulled an ottoman next to the bed and kept my hand on her all night long and she was finally able to rest. She could have been in the bed with us or anywhere she wanted to be, but for some reason that setup worked for her. It just took me a while to figure it out. She was just the perfect dog for us. I understand why she would have scared some folks with her oddities, but we reveled in them. She was a challenge, but we didn't mind that. We just learned to work with what she wanted. She loved to go to the vet, especially if Stacy did the feet work. Stacy was with her today. When she heard her voice she would turn herself inside out to get to her. We thought she did cartwheels. She loved to ride in the cart at Lowe's and take things off the shelf and put them in the buggy with her. She loved an afternoon nap in the sun, she loved bananas, she loved bagels and cream cheese. She loved a car ride. She loved to meet new people. She never took no for an answer, but freely gave you a NO. She looked at us like you were a bother, but could hardly contain her joy when we came home from a short trip to the grocery store. Once she relieved us of a pound of ham when a bag was left on the floor for a second trip to the car. I'm sure she felt we bought it for her anyway. We thank you Mr. and Mrs. Cleeland and Basset Rescue of Alabama for seeing through her issues and giving her and us a chance. She unpacked her bags years ago. She knew she was loved and protected and wanted every single day. She was only away from home boarded three times in her life for short trips. She loved home, she loved her two-legged and four-legged family. She was just a gift for us, she was home to us. We were so blessed to have loved and been loved by our sweet Tiffin. Her face had turned completely white, her eyes looked pained and distant, her smart bump on her head was so prominent because she was so thin. We spent the day sunning with her in the yard when she was able, she was sick the first half of the day and exhausted the second, but we are going to remember the Tiffin before her illness. She had a wonderful life with us, I hope you will agree. Thank you again for allowing Tiffin into our lives. We will mourn the loss of her forever. We loved her so very very much.

Becky & Ron Johnston

Todd in his Forever Home!

We adopted Todd in October 2010 and he has been a wonderful addition to our family. He gets along well with our other dog, Mollie (a basset mix), and constantly is entertaining us and making us laugh. We have been on a few trips and they both did great. I have included some pictures of Todd.

Thank you for all the work you do with regards to this wonderful, loving breed.

Debra Sylvester

In Loving Memory of Herman Myers

It has taken me a while to be able to write this note to tell everyone at BHRA about the loss of Herman. I adopted him 3 years ago. He was brought to BHRA from Pensacola, where his owner had died. Knowing he still had good years ahead of him, the BHRA convinced the family not to euthanize Herman. I am so thankful for that decision. The years my boys and I had with Herman were too short, but so wonderful. Everyone loved him and he was one of those dogs who just had a personality that filled the room. he never had a bad day. He was full of joy and I loved him with all of my heart. One morning he woke up paralyzed in his back legs. It was completely unexpected. The vets tried to treat him, but he just got worse and began to suffer pain. We had to let him go December 5, 2010. I miss Herman everyday. His face was the first thing I saw every day when I got home. He was just my heart, and I don't think I'll ever get over losing him. he was the best dog I've ever had.

--Vicki, Shannon and Patrick Myers

In Loving Memory of Bubba Gump King

To our BHRA friends and family:

It is with a heavy heart that I write this email. Last night Bubba suddenly lost all control of his nervous system and we decided to send him to the bridge. I thought for sure there would be warning signs and we would have more time, but he was fine one moment and the next he could only wag his tail softly and moan. We called our wonderful vets at about 2 am and we met at the clinic. Bubba got a shot to make him sleepy first, and then we said a tearful goodbye. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. The vet told us that they have never seen a dog last six months with lymphoma on only prednazone. That is how strong our boy was. Being a young married couple our dogs have taken on the role of our kids. We were so lucky to have such a wonderful pet, companion, friend, and family member. We will miss him every single day but I know we will be together again. As much as Bubba was my dog he was even more my husband's. They rarely went anywhere apart and he wrote something I have included below. Thank you for giving us Bubba. I hope everyone is as lucky as we were and is loved that unconditionally and honestly.

Justin's story:
Like all of our pets, Bubba Gump was special. When we got him 3 ½ years ago at the Wal-mart parking lot in Chelsea , I was apprehensive about fostering. It took 3 flea baths and a capstar pill to get him flea-free. He was described to me as a dog that loves men, and gets very attached. When he got adopted 4 months later, the people who adopted him returned him to me 1 week later, threatening to kill him if we didn't come get him & claiming he bit someone. I didn’t believe it then, and I don’t now. The night we got him back, we had to rush him to the vet and it was discovered that he had 10 rocks in his stomach. When the doctor said it was likely due to separation anxiety, I knew I had to adopt Bubba. I was the only person he’d let touch his sore belly without grumbling. He trusted us with his safety. He had become a family member. We filed the adoption papers the next day.
Over the next 3 years, we solidified as a family. He followed me around everywhere I went. He was overly excited everyday when I got home from work. He stared at me all the time, waiting for me to move so that he could follow. He became the definition of loyalty. He brought so much joy to our lives that words cannot describe. He created a place for himself in our hearts that only he could fill.
As time rolled on, we realized he was much older than what we were told. Cold weather made him groan with arthritis, and his front teeth were worn down to nubs. His fear of thunder came to be understood when we noticed what seemed to be a scar from an old in-and-out gunshot wound on his belly. It seemed that he’d seen a lot before he came to us.
Last July, we learned that he had Lymphoma. His spleen was removed and a tumor was removed from his large intestine. The vet told us that he only had a few weeks to live. Against all odds, he lasted 5 ½ months. He wasn’t in much pain until the last 4 hours. We think he had a stroke, and we had to put him down (12/30/2010). As you can probably guess, we are distraught. Though we had prepared ourselves for that moment for months, we still fell to pieces.
He brought happiness to our home. He made me smile every day. He loved us for who we are, and would never have asked us to change. He taught me about loyalty.
I have no idea where he came from or what he went through before we met him, but I’m glad God gave us the opportunity to spoil him for the last 3 years of his life. We are lucky to have had such a dog. Though there is a huge void in our hearts now that he’s gone, we have nothing but happy memories of Bubba Gump.

To our Bubba Gump, Dubbers, Dubber Do!, and Mr. Man, we will miss you. We know you are running through fields with your 10 1/2 in ears flying around you, chasing rabbits, using your nose, and basking in the sunlight. We will see you again someday.

The King Family - Andrea, Justin, PeeWee, Sophie, and Stanley

Hello from Chloe (aka Lucy)

This is "Chloe" (aka "Lucy). I adopted her around August of 2009 from a family who rescued n fostered her near Mobile. She is such a sweetie!
I often think about the family that found her and how grateful I am to them... a young couple with two girls and a little boy... who took the time to save her.
I am grateful for them and all the volunteers at bhra for all you do.
Merry Christmas and Love in Christ.

Kelly <><

Rachael Ray Photos and Happy Tails Books

We had such a great time at the Rachael Ray book signing and adoption event and we feel blessed to have been chosen to attend. Our photos of the event have been posted on our website. Please visit http://www.bhra.org/ to check them out!

Next thing we need to tell you about is a new link on our website to the Happy Tails Books Site. We have become a Rescue Partner and we encourage you to visit their site, buy some books and send in your Rescue stories! http://happytailsbooks.com/buy

Checking in with the Touger Family

We had a great time at the Rachael Ray Book Signing/Adoption Event and ran into a few old friends. This is the Touger Family who adopted Arnie (now known as Runner). "He is doing awesome. We got him because my 6 year old son promised he would stay in his bed all night if he had a basset hound. He has been true to his word and I now get a full night's sleep! He loves his German Shorthaired Pointer brother Sage and is just the perfect gentleman. I must admit, if it weren't for my son, I don't think we would have thought about adopting a Basset Hound. I am so glad my son knew just who the right addition to our family would be. We thank BHRA for introducing us to this lovely breed and such a fine boy. The Touger Family."

Join BHRA for Rachel Ray Book Signing!

BHRA Teams with Willow House For a Fundraiser!

Willow House, a new company formed in 08/2010 from Southern Living at Home & Entertainment at Home has teamed up with Basset Hound Rescue of Alabama to help raise some much needed funds for medical expenses for the Hounds.

Please click here to read the flyer. You an view products and order directly at http://ellenking.willowhouse.com. You will pay for your order directly there and items will be mailed by them to you.

Willow House products are of outstanding quality and not the "usual" that you see in home decor. Great Christmas Gifts ordered from the comfort of your home.

The Bassets are sending you a loud "AhROOOOOO", asking for help.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

In Loving Memory of Traci Canupp

Traci was such the character...and we only had her for barely 2 short years. She had just started playing with Baxter about a month ago. All of this time she was very shy with play time. She would sit amongst the others while they ran and sometimes sh would run with them, but this was different. She initiated the play and was so cute with it. It is like she had finally gained some confidence. Every night I would hoist her in the bed with me and she would be belly rubs and hug time. She would kiss me several times and then down to the foot of the bed she would go and sleep. When it was food time, she was ALL about it! These days are so empty without her. Traci meant so much to us and we really appreciate the love her BHRA foster gave to here while fostering. Mark was in Alabama for work this week and he was going to bring her back an Alabama scarf. Do you know that in Traci's workup, on her Xray there was a gunshot in her belly that the vet said had probably been there for a long time...what a life she must have had before BHRA took her to safety. - Kathy Canupp

In Loving Memory of Rosie Bloetscher...

You can't know Molly & Tom without knowing their awesome Basset, Rosie. They always had great stories about her diva ways. Rosie has been a fixture at our Bash for several years now and we can't imagine one without her. This is the sweet note her parents sent out to announce the passing of their dearly loved girl, Rosie...

8/16/2010

To all of Rosie's friends,

It is with great sadness that we must tell you Rosie passed away early last week. As you can imagine, it's hard to lose such an important part of our family. Almost everything in our home revolved around "the Rose". For instance, Rosie was the one who made us get out to walk and meet our neighbors. I'm glad she did it, even though she really gave us no choice. There's a good possibility that without her, we may have never met some of you. It's hard to imagine that! We are very lucky to have such good friends who appreciated and loved Rosie just like we did. It's hard to say goodbye, so there have been lots of tears. But in addition to sadness, there have been lots of laughs and stories shared about Rosie. I'm sure we'll share a few more stories when we see you next.

Molly & Tom

Foster Homes Desperately Needed...

BHRA is in desperate need of foster homes. We are well over our capacity to house any new dogs. We are faced with the heartbreaking decision to have to turn needy hounds away until the ones we have already brought in get adopted or we find new foster homes. As I type this there are two basset hounds at a local kill shelter that will likely be put to sleep simply because we have no place to put them. We receive one to two calls everyday from people with hounds that need us...and right now we can't help them.

Being a foster is a very rewarding experience. There are different ways to foster and here are some ideas:

1. Fostering is a great way to "test run" a hound before adopting. You can pick a dog that you think might work with your family and foster it with no obligation. If the dog isn't a perfect fit, you have made no long term obligation to the dog.

2. Fostering takes little financial obligation. Lets face it...dogs can be expensive. If you don't want to worry about vet bills, but would like to have a dog around the house periodically, fostering would be great undertaking for you! All you have to provide the dog is food, shelter and love until it is adopted.

3. Fostering is a great way to temporarily add an additional dog to your pack. It helps socialize your dog, which is great for homes with one existing dog. Knowing that you played a small part in keeping a wonderful hound safe and loved until it's family finds it and takes it home to love for the rest of his life is absolutely priceless.

Whatever category you might fall into, we would greatly appreciate the help...you would be saving the lives of many wonderful hounds! This is Livingston. He was adopted from BHRA back in 2003. He was found as a stray by a BHRA volunteer down in Baldwin County. He was brought into the Rescue and found a wonderful forever home (my home actually!) He is the love of our lives...along with our other two hounds. If not for BHRA and the wonderful couple that fostered him, we would have never known the joy of having this funny man in our lives.

Think about fostering! It is very rewarding...and the hounds of BHRA would be grateful!

Andi Hocking at the Rainbow Bridge

6/20/10
It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that this morning, I held our precious Andi as she made her way to the Rainbow Bridge to be with her brothers Columbo and Buck and sister Patches and her long time friend, Reba. When I came downstairs she was lying on the family room floor, obviously in some sort of distress and I suspected she was bloating--a huge fear of any basset owner. I rushed her to the Emergency Animal Hospital but she was already crashing...apparently she had several cancerous tumors around her liver and stomach, and one of them had ruptured and she was bleeding out. Emergency surgery was not even an option at that point, so I had the vet give her the euthanasia shot so she wouldn't suffer any longer, and held her in my arms as she slipped peacefully away. This all happened very fast--she was fine earlier, and we had absolutely no idea she had this cancer...she never showed any symptoms. This beautiful girl, one of our BHRA fosters who we ended up adopting, had so many gremlins when she came back into rescue for the second time--and over time she became confident and trusting and simply adored Earl, despite her fear of men. She was even the perfect lady at the annual basset bash this past May. Andi was funny, could be a real clown and was very much the grand dam of the house. I cannot even imagine how I'm going to tell Earl when he gets home this evening..... Andi was his special girl and our house will be immensely quieter now. So say a little prayer for Andi as she journeys over that rainbow.

Helen Hocking

A Big "Thank You!" From BHRA

BHRA is so very lucky to have wonderful friends that step up when we need their support. This is a recent "thank you" that went out to some of our good friends. We just wanted to share how very important these donations are to Rescues like BHRA.

Dear Kind Donor,

Thank you so much for your continued support of BHRA. This means so much to us and the hounds. I will see to it that we send you a receipt at the end of 2010 for the total contributions you make during the year.

These donations help as we have Flashy Lady who is in need of continual medication for the urinary tract and we just brought in Happy who had to have one eye removed due to glaucoma, cataract or an accident. He was a stray that a sweet young lady found. She took him to the vet & paid for the eye surgery, shots and neuter, $388 that she took from her meager living expenses as she is out of a job. Then she called us as she could not keep him. We have had him checked out at Calera and he will be ready to go to an adopter or foster this coming weekend. He should be on the website, hopefully next weekend.

Foster homes are scarce as are adoptions currently. But we are trying to make sound decisions.

Have a wonderful rest of the week and a great summer.

Trudy M. Phillips

This is a wonderful note we received with a another greatly appreciated donation this week! What a sweet note! We are really moved by the generosity!

Adopting an Older Hound...by Martha Crow, BHRA Trustee

We have thoroughly enjoyed our “special needs older hound”. She is about 12 years old now, diabetic, almost totally blind and does not hear well…but she is also the sweetest dog ever! Even if she can’t figure out who is calling her or where they are calling her from (as she stands with her head tilting from side to side and ears lifted high), or she hears a doorbell ring on TV and runs barking to our door (and we have to convince her no one is there), she always has a spring in her step and a wag in her tail. (plus she makes us laugh!) )! Even the cats love her and cuddle up with her every chance they get. We know we don’t have years and years with her like we will probably have with our other younger dogs, but we will take what we can get. She is just a blessing in our lives. She loves her people and we love her! Caring for her takes a little more effort, but well worth every bit of it! Mercedes (aka Steve) has been the best addition to our household (as she lies sleeping at my feet.)

In Loving Memory of Cherry Emerich

Miss Cherry, a.k.a. Cherokee, came into BHRA rescue from MS in the year 2000. She was a stray weighing 19 lbs., with cherry eye, heartworms and a lung infection. After recovery, she was adopted by Diane Emerich in Birmingham, AL. Gertie joined the group ( a puppy mill mom ) along with Ethel (a runaway walking down the interstate). Gertie and Ethel are gone, and Cherry passed last week at age 12. She enjoyed her home in Texas with her basset friend Baxter and wannabe Mr. Flint. She was my cupcake, my princess, my baby gurl, my heart.
--Diane Emerich

BarkIt! Market at Ross Bridge

Please join BHRA on June 5, 2010 from 8:00 am until noon on the green at the Ross Bridge Welcome Center near the Renaissance Ross Bridge Hotel and Spa. Come out and show your support for BHRA, bring your special hound, and enjoy a great morning out! We will even have a few available hounds on hand that day for you to meet!

BHRA 2010 Hollywood Hound Bash Photos

These are just a few of the awesome photos we have to share from our 2010 Bash which was held at the Fishing Pavillion at Oak Mountain on May 1st! Thankfully the weather held out and a great time was had by all! To see all of the photos taken by our good friend Jim Hayward, please visit our website at www.bhra.org