The Journey Home

Early the next morning, I made my way back to WARB to pick up the girls. Pat was as gracious as she had been the day before. We went through the paperwork, certificates, adoption, vaccinations and receipts. They all got new collars, a supply of food, micro-chip identification. We all went to the living room, where I sat on the big chair and the girls all piled on me for a photo opportunity. Then loaded into the SUV and we began the journey home. The snow fall of the previous evening had left just a dusting, and as we pulled away the large flakes began to fall.

Unlike the trip down, I had decided that it best to drive straight through to home, with no overnight stays. Luckily the Washington State highways have perhaps the best rest areas anywhere. They have areas to exercise and poop and pee your pooch! And so the road trip began with obligatory stops of drinks and pee's. A little romp and back into the SUV to the next gas station or rest area. The romping was fairly short lived at some places, due to the cold and snow.

Hoar Frost decorates the Pet Area sign

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So Many to Choose

On this particular day, there were about 16 bassets in every shape and colour who found themselves resident in WABR. Some as young as under one year to Oscar, who Pat described as being "older than dirt". My arrival had triggered the basset baying and as soon as I crossed the gate threshold, I was suddenly surrounded by wagging tails, and excited hounds. Not a glimmer of aggression as they all pushed and shoved for a scratch or a pet.

Lady (Annie)(L) Grace (C) and Dixie (L on the futon)

I had long ago come to understand that the best way to communicate with a dog is to get to their level. In the case of a Basset this is somewhat more difficult, as they are typically built very low to the ground. However, lucky for me there was a full sized futon set up in the middle of the room.

From Auction to Rescue

The exact history of Annie prior to her rescue from the Washington Basset Rescue, may never be known. But what is known is that she was a three year old lemon (white with tan markings) female basset hound. She was found at a dog auction. This is a place where people who breed dogs go to sell them off. In her case, and those of her companions on that day, she had herniated, others had herniated or had mastitis of the breasts. All as a result of continuous breeding.  Incidentally, the spaying of a female dog reduces the risk of this form of cancer by 50%. So, continuous breeding in effect increases the potential. The places where they are held are referred to as puppy mills. At the dog auction, she would be sold of for medical research. her usefulness to this world was finished in the eyes of the breeder. She could no longer breed and the expense of having her medically treated was cost prohibitive, against the revenue she could generate producing those cute little basset puppies, you see in the pet shop windows around the world and pay significant big bucks for the purebreds. But she still had some revenue in her, by being auctioned off and then sent to a lab to be used as a test animal.