Riley

Ten-year-old Riley came into our lives in October 2010, sadly given up by his previous owners as a result of a divorce. He was just passing through and was supposed to stay with us only long enough to be neutered and then go off to a foster home, but he was such an easy dog to be around, and was a nice playmate and quiet counterpoint to mischievous, noisy and busy Billy, that we decided to adopt him. Riley filled that last vacancy in our pack left by Kirby’s passing, and he now rounds out our 3-dog quota. Riley is quiet, gentle and mild mannered. He is playful with Billy, and gentle with more fragile Jackie. He loves and begs to be petted. Riley’s size and rugged good looks turn heads wherever he goes, too. Seeing him run--heavy feet and with folds of skin flapping, reminds me of a medieval charger in full regalia. Riley is a gentleman in the house, in the yard, in the car, on the street, at the dog park—everywhere. He’s just an all around lovely guy. Fran and Mark Madden, Billy and Jackie. January 12, 2011

Molly

On Saturday, February 5th, Molly's owner - a young soon to be college student, drove to my home in the Placerville foothills with Molly. She wanted to see for herself that Molly would be living in a "country" home on 5 acres of land. My husband and I were finishing up securing the 1 acre fenced area around the house when they arrived. Molly was let out and was met by a curious and little bit reluctant "Chico" our macho little Chihuahua. It took some time and some treats and soon Chico realized everybody was his friend. Naturally, Molly was curious about Chico and wanted to sniff him and Chico was being a little bit agressive so we put him inside so Molly could relax. Molly wanted to meet and greet me an my husband. She was very friendly and personable. But what she wanted most was to explore! She smelled a critter hole and started digging. This was OK because most of our property is "natural" and not landscaped. She was a little bit scared of the horse, mini horse and goat in the ajoining pasture. But she was very subdued and did not bark at them or provoke them in any way and they appreciated that about her and were curious and friendly toward her, willing to be her friends. We showed Molly and her owner the inside of our house and how parts have gates so that dogs can be carefully monitored on carpets. Chico is a little dog and sometimes has a problem in big spaces when left alone. Molly's owner had brought all her toys and her bed as well as all her favorite snacks. We put Molly's toys with all the other dog toys. She started to pick out some of the new ones and play. She showed us how good she was at making the toys squeek! Molly was adorable. As the day drew on Molly's owner reluctantly realized it was time for her to go. I knew how hard this was for her. She was genuinely relieved and happy to see that Molly was going to be happy in her new home. As she drove away through the property gate she smiled through her tears and we promised to keep in touch and let her know she was welcome to visit any time! I had Molly on her leash and we continued along the road. We walked to the neighbors who have a beautiful property full of rock formations, trees, and interesting planters and natural gardens. She also loves animals and has 5 dogs and 14 cats! She rescues dogs and cats and has a Basset Hound that is 14! Molly was happy to visit with the dogs and explore the area. The cats were smart and stayed out of sight. Everyone was very excited to meet Molly and happy that she would be the new neighbor. After the visit I took Molly on down the road for a long walk. We went around the lake nearby. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and the air warm. Molly settled in easily and it has been 2 weeks and she has not had any accidents. Chico warmed up to Molly and they tend to go out at the same times and sort of hang out. We have 2 indoor cats and and one outdoor and Molly is still learning to control her urge to chase them. She tries really hard. We know from past experience that at some point the urge will be gone. We acclimate her to the cats who are both very docile and sweet. The outdoor cat likes to hang out with dogs and has his own way of "training" new ones. Molly is no longer afraid of the horses or goat. In fact one evening I had to walk the horse because he had signs of collick. I walked him all over areas of our property even unfenced areas and Molly stayed close by without wandering off. The horse acted gently toward her and seemed happy that she was not the type to tease or herd. Molly is very sweet and loves to hang out and be close. She is a great cuddler. She is adorable and plays with all kinds of toys. She sleeps through the night and eats well and is an all round great dog. We are so pleased to have Molly as part of our family. Thank you to everybody at Golden Gate Basset Hound Rescue for all that you do - for making this match possible. Sincerely, Judie Stanley

Romeo

We waited and waited until the time was right to get a dog. Whenever we saw a basset hound they made us smile and we knew this was the dog for us. We have been smiling ever since! When we first me Romeo, now Remington, we fell in love with his friendly demeanor and constant curiosity. He has been a part of our family for over a year and everyday brings joy, excitement and countless surprises. He is a dog with a huge personality and hilarious mannerisms. He loves to travel in the car, stroll and sniff around the neighborhood and cuddle on the couch. At a time when we celebrate and reflect on what we are thankful for, we would like to thank the Golden Gate Basset Rescue for helping these wonderful dogs find forever homes. We are so happy that we get to give Remington his. Nick, Shelly & Remington Auriemmo

Cooper

Cooper came into our lives like a bolt of lightning. We were living a fairly staid life, comfortable but missing the two dogs we had lost this year. We had adopted a Rescue Staghound as a companion for our other two dogs, and she was a gem, taking over as queen of the pack with scarcely a ripple. We had feelers out for a Basset Hound, looking for a mature dog to replace the Basset mix I once had. In-stead, Donna Lim of GGBR offered us a puppy, a starveling of 10 weeks or so that GGBR had rescued from death at the hands of the Sacramento City Pound. Sallie looked at me and said “A puppy!?” “I'll take all responsibility,” I replied, not remembering (or choosing not to remember) past puppies I had raised. We agreed to take him. His name was Cooper. When we picked him up he looked like a big-headed dachshund with legs like tree trunks. He couldn't move forward without stepping on his own ears. He pooped and peed and threw up in the car on the trip home, then nestled in under my arm with his head in my lap. I was hooked. Since then it has been a little like opening Pandora's box. Not that anything evil ever came out of this little guy, but he was a constant whirlwind of chewing, romping, bookeating, toiletpaper unrolling, wastebasket exploring,peeing and pooping, a dog who wanted to taste everything life had to offer. We had had him three days when he had to go to the emergency room at VCA in Sacramento. He had to stay overnight. The next day when we came to get him, he romped all over the car, threw his toys in the air and gave little yelps of joy. He was so afraid we were going to abandon him! He's now a 5 mo old adolescent, knows to sit and wait for food, to go to the door when he has to go. Our Staghound has taken him under her wing and taught him some doggie manners. She is his doggie mom, and they play together for hours. He has been quick to learn some human commands and he will start Basset school soon. He can still be a goofy puppy. We love him.

Dory

We adopted Dory (who we named Bailey) in October. We were married in September, 2009 and have no children yet, but had been discussing getting a dog for awhile. We wanted to rescue a dog but also wanted a puppy so the Finding Nemo Litter was the perfect compromise for us. When we went to visit Kendra's, we fell in love with Bailey immediately. She came right over to us and had the funniest, spunkiest personality. We also loved the way she watched and followed around the children that came to visit as well. Since we took her home, she has fit in to our family perfectly. We have two cats and the three of them have fun chasing each other around the house. Sometimes when Bailey gets a little too excited, the kitty's give her a light swat to remind her who is in charge! There is never a dull moment around here anymore... Bailey loves to go wine tasting with us and sits calmly in the tasting rooms people watching and taking it all in. She is a very social and people-loving dog so she goes everywhere with us and loves it, which is exactly what we hoped for! She has grown so much in the few months we have had her (a little more than what we had expected) but she still thinks she is a tiny puppy who can sit in your lap... We just don't have the heart to tell her she isn't so little anymore! We are so grateful to the Golden Gate Basset Rescue for sponsoring these beautiful dogs and we are especially thankful to Kendra Fortino for being the angel who took in Lucy and gave our puppy such a good start in life. We can't imagine our life without our beautiful Bailey girl!! Amy & Tim O'Connor (and the kitty's Bootsie and Theo) Novato, California