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"The
greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the
way
its animals are treated."
-- Gandhi
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I am the the Secretary
for the Basenji Club of Southeastern Wisconsin and am also on the Rescue
Committee. I have also been an Advisory
Director and Coordinator for Basenji Rescue And Transport, Inc. (BRAT), which is
a nationwide network of volunteers who work together to help rehome rescue
Basenjis. Though I am no longer acting as an Advisory Director with BRAT, I
am still involved with the organization and am proud to be part of such an
amazing group of people. Every successful adoption takes the cooperation of many people
and I have been fortunate to work with some wonderful volunteers. It's
been a constant learning experience for me. I find that the Basenji community is
extremely supportive to those who adopt, offering ongoing advice, encouragement
and education in order to insure successful placements.
With the help of other BCOSW and BRAT members,
here are some of the Basenjis that I have played a part in re-homing.
(click on the thumbnail to see a larger
picture)
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Bart
is the first Basenji I ever fostered. At the time, we were living in a
2-bedroom apartment with our son, Jack, who was one year old, and our
b-boy, Hamlet. Bart had lived the first 6 years of his life tied out
on a chain in the backyard. He didn't know the comforts of a soft
place to sleep or the warmth of a home. He was nervous of common things
like the refrigerator door opening or the telephone ringing but Bart
quickly learned to adjust to indoor living. He was a very loving boy
who still wanted to put his trust in humans. He was starved for affection
and received any and all gestures of kindness with gratitude and
joy. Bart was adopted by a wonderful couple in Chicago and has made
his home with them, a Basenji-mix named Great and a cat named Ernie for
the past 4 years. Bart is now a very spoiled and cherished house
dog!
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Violet lost
her home when her owners were forced to give her up by law. They had
more than the legal limit of dogs on their property and were not caring
for them properly. Violet was adopted through the BCOSW and found
her second chance with a couple who have owned Basenjis for over 30
years. They fell in love with Violet upon first seeing her and the
love affair continues to this day! |
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Zari &
Shumba were adored by their
owners for the first several years of their lives...and then the couple
had a baby and decided they just didn't have time for the dogs
anymore. BRAT decided to place them together and waited until just
the right owner came along. This duo now lives in Georgia where they
enjoy a big fenced yard, lots of sunshine and plenty of hugs from the
family children! |
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Ocho was
dropped at a shelter with no note or information. It was never known why
he was given up. What became known quite quickly, however, was that
Ocho was a loving, playful pup who loved to yodel! Ocho escaped
death by a few short hours. He was at a kill shelter near Chicago
that was desperately over crowded and because he had kennel cough, he was
deemed unhealthy and slated for euthanasia. Ocho was adopted through
the BCOSW and found his new home with a family in Illinois. He has
brought immeasurable job to his family and spends his days running in the
backyard with his red/white Basenji sister, Jazz. |
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Lilly's
first family loved her dearly
and tried for over a year to make things work but for some reason Lilly
did not like the man in the family. They reluctantly found another
home for her. Her second owner gave her up after several months
because she said Lilly was having too many accidents in the house.
Lilly was timid and shy. She was afraid of men but seemed eager to
have another Basenji to play with. BRAT placed Lilly with a
wonderful new owner who has since worked wonders with this little
girl. She now lives in Texas and enjoys weekly trips to the local
dog park. Lilly is on the left in this picture with her new Basenji
brother, Freddie. This picture was taken at their first
meeting. As you can see...it was love at first sight! |
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Payton landed
in rescue after his first family bought him at a pet store without knowing
anything about the breed. They struggled with training issues for
two years and then they gave up. Payton was extremely terrified and
traumatized when his family left him at my house. He sat at the door
and cried for an hour and later he would not come out of his crate and he
would growl and snarl horribly. After being neutered and fostered for
several weeks, he started to calm down a bit and became quite playful and
affectionate. Payton was adopted through BRAT and now lives with his
family in Illinois, sharing his toys and bed with a little terrier
mix. |
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Benji was
given up by a family who said they couldn't control him, he required too
much attention and he was too wild. The BCOSW placed him in foster
care with a family in Michigan. Benji never left his foster
home. It didn't take long for the family to see all the wonderful
qualities in Benji and fall in love with him.
Wilson
was given up to BCOSW's care by a woman who already owned 2 elderly
Basenjis. Wilson was the baby in the pack and was too wild for his
older housemates. Wilson was lucky to find a home with the same loving
family in Michigan and after a few initial squabbles, he and Benji became
fast friends. Since the adoption of Benji and Wilson, the same
family has adopted 2 more Basenjis through BRAT. The four of them
make quite a Basenji pack and enjoy hours of romping and hunting on the
family's 75 acres! |
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Alex is
also affectionately known as Mr. Tree. My son, Jack, named him that
upon first taking sight of this boy's extremely l-o-n-g legs! Alex
was picked up by Animal Control, wandering as as stray, and I picked him up
from a shelter in Illinois. Through a routine vet visit it was
discovered that Alex was suffering from Fanconi Syndrome, a kidney disease
that plagues the Basenji breed. While there is no cure for Fanconi,
it can be controlled by following a Fanconi Protocol which includes
regular vet checks and blood draws, a diet high in protein and a variety
of supplements which sometimes means up to 30 pills a day for some
dogs! We got Alex's Fanconi under control and got him started on his
protocol and then we found him a home with an amazing family in
Oregon. He now enjoys the company of 3 cats and 3 other Basenjis,
including Jack who is also Fanconi afflicted. His family is
extremely loving and devoted to this precious boy...my little Mr. Tree. |
~More
Rescue Pictures & Stories~
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