Imagine 50 Basset Hounds running around a 10-acre park like wild dogs…carousing one another, playing and wrestling, taking unauthorized swims – it’s a sight one will rarely have the chance to see. But that’s exactly what Ohio Basset Rescue’s (OBR) BassetFest 2009 was.

Held in Delaware, Ohio at Columbus Dog Park, OBR’s efforts reach all the way to Cleveland, New York and even further for that matter. Local foster parent and Cleveland pet rescue enthusiast Ashly Smith, who lives in North Olmsted with her two Bassets and two additional foster Bassets, attended the event along with foster parents and potential adopters from all over Cleveland and other parts of Ohio.

BassetFest 2009 was a great success according to organizer and OBR owner Amy Barnes. With raffles, games, prizes, and fun events like a costume contest, and with adoptive families and potential adopters all showing up, it was a chance for OBR to raise funds, screen adopters, and let current foster parents come together to celebrate the short-legged, long-nosed hovering canines that are so beloved by many.

Smith, who ended up bringing one more foster Basset home to Cleveland, said she fosters because of the rewards. “Knowing that I am helping save the life of an animal, and helping them cope with their more often than not violent pasts and learn to trust again is why I do it,” she said. “Seeing that change in them brings out so many others…it’s amazing.”

Smith, who lovingly refers to her Bassets as “howling short-legged wonder dogs,” has been fostering and placing dogs for OBR for about a year now. She personally gathered $150 for the cash prize raffle for the event, of which the winner turned around and gave $100 right back to the organization.

BassetFest 2009 was a howling success, raising about $5,000 for the organization and adopting out four dogs who desperately needed homes. Like so many other rescue organizations across the country, OBR is filled to the brim. Additionally, multiple adoption applications were filled out that will hopefully turn into successful adoptions.

To learn more about OBR, to become a foster parent, or to see the dogs available for adoption, visit www.ohiobasssetrescue.org.

Hi everyone,

Sorry I haven’t been posting this week – I came down with a nasty flu virus and was extremely sick. I’m feeling a little better today though so I wanted to share something with all of you.

This is a picture of my sister’s two Basset Hounds. The one on the left is Franklin – who she adopted, and the one on the right is the newest foster- Bo. Enjoy!

Please welcome Marvin, the newest foster Basset in my extended family.

Marvin

Marvin is house-broken, loves people and other dogs, and is good with kids. After two years of living with a loving family, they relinquished the poor guy with some lame excuse, same as most other lame people in these tough times.

He is currently living with my sister, who fosters for Ohio Basset Rescue. If you are interested in adopting Marvin, contact OBR or send me an email at thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com for further instructions.

Barney

Barney the foster Basset’s first time creek-walking went very well.  He loved the water and romping around with his brothers. We take them to the MetroParks, a huge reservation of forest and intersecting rivers throughout the Cleveland area. We have nicknamed it the “MetroBarks.” BOL! Barney  had a very good time during his first visit and we are taking the Bassets back this weekend!

Well since this is the hardest contest we’ve ever had to judge (we had about 150 entries), we decided to pick a Top Ten (well it’s a baker’s dozen ten, actually 11), but only the first 6 will get prizes. The other four will get recognized for being super adorable and photogenic. Please accept our apologies if your dog’s photo was not featured over the last few weeks, it’s nearly impossible to keep so many entries straight, especially since some come without telling us the names of their pets. We will be having another dog photo contest coming up in September so feel free to re-enter at that time.

Here are the winners and the honorable mentions:

11. Stella

10. Bruno

9. Mille

8. Paisley7. Harley

6. Pinta **(note to Pinta, please send us your address, we lost your email)

5. Moo Moo

4. Bailey

3. Maggie & Mitch

2. Max & Marley

1. Thor

We would also like to give honorable mentions to Brody, Buttons and Maxie. Brody is our good friend;  he’s quite the active poodle who is captured in the action shot below. Buttons is a blind dog who was saved from euthanasia by a deaf woman, and he currently is helping a patient heal in the hospital. Maxie is just plain adorable and never got to be featured in the other posts.

Maxie

Brody

Buttons

We recently were sent a sample of K9 KlearUp to test out. We gave it to our cousins, the Basset Hounds, since they have so many problems with bug bites, hot spots, and gummy armpits.

Boy does this stuff work wonders. Our human Aunt Ashly, who owns the Bassets, said that K9KlearUp worked better than anything she’s ever tried on the hotspots and gummy armpits, and she’s tried everything over the years. We definitely give this product four paws up.

A little about what K9 KlearUp can be used for:

1) Hotspots: K9 KlearUp can be applied directly to any hotspot. A little bit goes a long way, so you only need enough to apply a very thin layer of the product to the affected area. 
 
2) Ezcema, Acne and Rashes: Customers have been telling K9 KlearUp that chronic conditions that the vets normally prescribe steroid-focused medications for have been cleared up quite effectively with their product. Follow the same instructions as with the hotspots – apply the cream to the affected area. Note: If the affected area is quite large, you will want to try this sample out on just a small part of it (an inch or two squared). That way, you’ll have enough to apply it a bunch of times, which will give you the best results. 
 
3) Bug Bites: It’s bug season and our dogs are just as likely as us (if not more so) to receive quite a few bug bites over the next few months. Sometimes the small ones can be ignored, but big, swollen itchy ones can be quite painful (and made worse by constant scratching). Apply a liberal amount of K9 KlearUp on the spot and you’ll notice an almost immediate relief.
 
4) General Itchiness: This is more of a general condition rather than anything specific, but for any chronic licking or scratching due to some sort of environmental problem (i.e. allergies, bug bites, rashes etc), applying a liberal amount of K9 KlearUp to the source of discomfort has brought almost immediate relief.

K9 KlearUp is a naturally antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiseptic balm so it’s safe for pets.  It has a secret Mayan ingredient that makes it work… cool! BOL!

For more information, or to read more about what conditions it can help, visit the K9KlearUp website.

I was able to get some early summer photos of the crew a couple weeks back… of course Sasha escaped the flashy box and wouldn’t let me snap her, but here are the boys and their cousin and Theodore, who all love the camera…

Benson

Gibson

Theodore

Our cousin Henry

Not sure if you all remember my sister’s first foster Basset Hound, Yeager, he was only with us for a few weeks before he got adopted out to a wonderful home in Michigan. Recently his new owners sent a pupdate to tell us how “Luther” (they renamed him) is doing. Here is the pupdate and two pictures. We love happy endings and there are so many to  tell about in fostering! Hooray for Luther/Yeager, and hooray for my sister for getting him adopted out to a wonderful furever home!

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“Luther is doing great.  Chris and I just adore him!  It did take quite alot of work to get him housetrained and to stop marking his territory inside the house.  I think he’s finally understanding what’s right and wrong.  I knew to use alot of patience.  I can see from scolding him, he lays on the ground and rolls over extremely scared.  Someone must have beat him in the past. We do not train that way!  When I see him that scared I put my arms around him and hold him telling him he’s a good boy.  We have found he’s very afraid of loud noises.  Probably associated with the beatings from a previous owner trying to scare him into doing right.  During thunderstorms he is so frightened.  I started to use the natural calming holistic Naturvet products.  They seem to be working to ease him.  All of this brings me closer to him.  I want to protect him and give him a happy carefree life.

He makes us laugh at all the silly things he does and gets into.  When he walks, his front feet are so big making him clumsy sometimes.  His howl is so unique that we laugh at that all the time. He stills jumps up onto the counters and us when we sit at the table.  This will take some time but eventually he should know to sit and behave along with his brothers. 

His brothers love him! They play constantly. He loves to play chase all afternoon in the yard with both brothers.  They get a little carried away sometimes with the play wrestling so we have to jump in and settle them down but then it’s off and playing again.  He loves to be my shadow and follow me all around.  When I sit on my swing in the front yard, Luther comes running, jumps up and lays down next to me.  He loves to swing with me.  When Chris gets home from work, Luther pretty much knocks him down with excitement.
Chris and the three boys love play wrestling and playing chase. 
I’ve attached a couple more pics. Luther’s body is really filling out nice from eating regular good meals everyday.  He’s a beautiful dog!”

Barney the Basset loves looking out the front window…

Barney is still looking for a good home with a set of parents who have lots of energy to play with him and take him on long walks. He LOVES to play with the other Bassets, too, so having another dog in the house might be a good idea. If you are interested in adopting Barney, please email me at thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com, go to Ohio Basset Rescue to get more information about him (click on Adoption List and then scroll down),  or email ashlysmith21@sbcglobal.net, his foster mom.