Seymour (formerly Hector)

UPDATE - Happy holidays! I wanted to give you all an update on Seymour (formerly Hector). He is the love of our lives doing very well. He's about 44 lbs now (way up from the 32 lbs when SPCA first found him), and as one of our friends put is, is quite 'svelte'. He's a really active and playful pup, and is always happy to chase other dogs at the dog park, go for a walk by the marina, or run circles around us in the living room. Pretty much everything Seymour does cracks us up! You know those springy door stoppers on the back of many doors in the house? He enjoys batting at them with his paw to make them go "sproing" and then he barks at them. He'll also bark at other dogs at the park if they ignore him. Luckily he doesn't bark otherwise (only in play), and we've had no worries about him when he's home alone. We have discovered the many things he enjoys chewing on. Besides his usual kong and rope toys, he loves our socks, plastic bottles, and paper (including dollar bills), so we do have to be careful of what is left out. Especially on the coffee table, which is just the right height for him to take anything off of (remote controls). Good thing he can't reach the kitchen counter! Another of his quirks are some of the things he seems to be afraid of. Usually if its something new he hasn't seen before (we think) he'll shy away from it. Like a handful of bubbles from a bubble bath! He was really funny about it - he'd back away when he saw the bubbles, but later if they were on the floor, he'd come up and then get bubbles all over his snout and ears. Overall, Seymour is a great dog, and makes us smile every day. We'll will never tire of looking into those big brown eyes, or scratching behind all those furry folds. We are very grateful that we lucked out with such a wonderful dog, and really appreciate the efforts GG Basset Rescue to place him with us, as well as caring so much for all the other bassets in need. Please feel free to share our story and photos with others. You'll see that Seymour was a scuba diver for Halloween - he's such a good sport! Cheers, Diane and Rob Haas November 2008. Original story: Seymour (Hector) is doing great! He's starting to respond to his name and eat well. He's been to the local dog park a few times and he has a blast - he's so fun to watch. We even met another basset there yesterday! He does seem to get a little intimidated by some tall people (but he knows Rob now), but hopefully he'll grow out of it. Everyone loves him, and we're so happy he's part of our family! Thanks so much for all of your help in providing us with a wonderful little guy. --Seymour was adopted in June 2008

Penny

Miss Penelope Pitstop is a lucky gal! Although she was abandoned by her family and lived as a stray for months, she was rescued last summer by the wonderful folks at Golden Gate Basset Rescue. She was thin, dirty, and very sick. Veterinary examination revealed infections in her uterus, lungs, bladder, and teeth. The Golden Gate board members saw a real spirit in this small basset girl and longed to give her a second chance. After $1,000 worth of surgery and recuperation at a loving foster home, Penny was ready to venture out into the wide world again, although she didn't much trust people, shied from their advances, bolted at loud noises, and wouldn't look folks in the eye. She has come a LONG WAY! She is now the sweetest, stubbornist, happiest gal ever! She loves to meet other dogs, is entranced by cats, lives with two chickens she thinks are fascinating, and she loves to take walks and roll in the long, cool grass. She has brought her Mama so much joy in the last 8-1/2 months! She is truly a wonder!!! Miss Penelope Pitstop - Best Rescue Story Ever!!! (Penny was adopted in October 2007)

Murray

Meet Murray! Murray was adopted in May of 2004 through what is now the Golden Gate Basset Rescue. While he was never actually taken into the rescue, his former owner was about to turn him in when we contacted the rescue looking for a basset. The rescue put us in contact with the owner who we talked with over the phone. It sounded like Murray would fit in well with our family. We drove from Hollister to Stockton to meet him and his family who were driving from Pioneer. We couldn’t believe how BIG he was! He was lovable and calm and interacted well with our baby, toddler, and 14 year-old American Eskimo who were all along for the trip. We adopted him on the spot and took him into our home. Murray does have a deformity in his front legs that prevents him from walking or running for very long. He enjoys short walks immediately followed by a long nap. Murray loves to sleep and will drown out the TV with his snoring! He is not shy about stretching out on his back and going deep into dreamland. After searching for the perfect homeless basset for months, I knew we had the right one when I noticed my one year-old son stepping on Murray’s hip to help climb up onto a chair. Murray was watching the baby as if to say, “Be careful! Is there anything else I can do to help you?” He also welcomed our newest family member, Becky (American Eskimo), with open paws. We adopted her in January 2005 after our older Eskimo passed away in December. Murray has been THE perfect addition to our family. Thank you GGBR!

Gracie

My husband and I had adopted a basset hound puppy, Jane Eyre, twelve years ago (1996). I arranged her adoption to be around May 21st, my husband's 30th birthday. She was my very first dog and we took her into our family before we had children. We doted on her and loved her like a child. She taught us how to be parents and responsible adults. Alas, Jane died on Easter, 2007. It was devastating for us. We had adopted a lab mix puppy in September of 2006, but we missed having a Basset Hound. We were Basset owners without a Basset Hound. Since we had recently gone through puppy stage we were not too anxious to do that again. After a full year, we thought we had recovered enough from the loss of our dear Jane to think about getting a new dog. Since we didn't want a puppy and desperately wanted a new Basset Hound, it was a clear choice....Basset Rescue. We were new to the area so we just did a Google search and found Golden Gate Basset Rescue. I put in an application, a home evaluation was quickly arranged and we met and brought Gracie home that following weekend. The week before my husband's 42nd birthday. We were coming full Basset Hound circle. Gracie was an instant hit! Our two children adored her and she didn't mind them at all. Our lab mix was beyond thrilled to have a play mate come to her home. Gracie was a bit shy with our dog at first, but one week later they were romping and rolling all over the house. They share toys, beds and lots of play time. I could not be more pleased with the match that Golden Gate Basset Hound has made for our family. Gracie has adjusted so well and we just couldn't be happier. Thank you so much for the gift of our new family member. It is an amazing gift to give a family and we are so appreciative. Thank you!

Madden

We started Fostering Kahlua on June 7th, 2007. She was SO petite, weighing in at 38 pounds!! Teddi, Casper and I picked her up after work and we went for a long walk so that everyone could get acquainted and I asked my girls if she could come to our house and stay for a while. She was SO shy! She would hide behind me if a strange dog came up to her and she did the same when people tried to pet her. She didn’t like the dog park much at all and would not leave my side!! Shawn told her after the first night that she could stay with us if SHE wanted to!! Kahlua was renamed Madden to keep with our Raider theme and she picked up on her new name fairly quickly, and everything was going good for the first month, or so I thought. However, since she had been an only dog in her previous home, she didn’t know about waiting her turn and letting the “senior” dogs go first, and since I wasn’t doing anything to “teach” Madden the correct way to do things, Casper took it upon herself to show Madden who’s the boss!! I realized the error in my ways and started making sure that Teddi and Casper got petted first and left the house before Madden and things have calmed down a LOT!! At the end of September, Madden grabbed her first toy EVER!! Her previous family said that she never liked toys, so we were VERY thrilled!! We praised her and praised her and told her what a good girl she was!! And then 2 days before Madden’s 6th birthday in October, she started chasing after Teddi and Casper as they ran through the house!! What a sight that was!! She’s still not sure what to do with them once she catches them, but at least she’s joining in and trying!! Madden is letting her personality show more and more and she is a LOVE!! She loves to snuggle. She loves going on hikes, either on-leash or off-leash!! She’s got to meet some cows and horses up in Garin Park and has become quite a bird dog, loving to chase after birds of all sizes!! Oh, and she’s up to 48 pounds at the last vet check!! The girl LOVES her treats (as long as they’re not green beans!!)!! J Adopting Madden has been such a blessing and we look forward to many, many years together!! ~Gwen & Shawn Dossey- Slave to Teddi, Casper and Madden~