AZBHR Community News


Simon - AZBHR’s 1400th Rescue
At The Bridge

Simon, the sweet beautiful red and white Basset Hound came to AZBHR from the AZ Humane Society a short time ago. Simon was the 1400th rescue for AZBHR. From what we can tell looks like the owners dropped him off at the humane society as he still had his tags with their phone numbers on it and his name. Seems Simon had a few lumps and they couldn’t adopt him out because of this. So the Webster family went to the AZ Humane Society and picked him up. Simon it turned out was very sick boy and the Webster’s took him to the vet for medical care, then home to give him lots of TLC. Simon continued to get worse so AZBHR set him up to stay with one of our vets, Sundance Animal Hospital where they continued to treat him and test him to see what was wrong with him. Simon had lots of discharge from the eyes, nose and was coughing heavily. It turned out he had staph infection and after taking antibiotics most symptoms cleared up but coughing persisted and his heart seemed to be working overtime so I set up an appointment with cardiologist vet specialist. So on Tuesday night I sprung Simon from the vet’s office and he enjoyed some relaxing in the sun outside by the pool then came inside. I snuggled with Simon in bed last night and his breathing was very heavy and knew that there was definitely something terribly wrong with him….sometimes you can just sense this. This morning Simon was doing OK but not wagging his tail like he was yesterday and he started peeing all over the house. So I picked up Simon and put him in the back of my SUV and off to the cardiology vet we went. Once he was in the car we headed down the road but something very strong hit me and I just started crying and then praying to God that if it was time for Simon please don’t let him live in any pain and take him peacefully. I cried and prayed all the way for about 25 minutes until we arrived at the vet’s office. When I opened the back of the SUV and saw Simon with his breathing even more irregular, white gums and no movement I knew the end was near for this sweet boy. So I picked him up in the blanket I wrapped him in and ran crying and yelling into the vet’s office saying I think he is dying…the staff was so awesome but it was too late within minutes of arriving his big enlarged heart gave out. You see they think looking his heart was enlarged and had congestive heart failure. They let me say good-bye and I told him to fly free…my Beatrice, my foster Naomi and so many other hounds would be there to greet him and someday we would meet again. I want to personally thank the Webster’s who took him in when the call went out from Robin Martin, intake coordinator and they took him into their home. I know they are hurting too. I meet Simon at the vet’s office last week and brought him to my house yesterday but I got to tell you he got to me big time…my heart is breaking and the tears still flowing but I know Simon is free of pain and probably enjoying a steak dinner and dancing at the Rainbow Bridge.

Some may ask how you can do what you do in the rescue. I honestly have to say some days I don’t know how any of us do it. It can be very frustrating and yet very rewarding. Times like this are few but nevertheless it’s very hard. I just know that making a difference in the dog’s lives is the reason I have the passion I have to help the hounds even when I don’t know where the energy or strength comes from. Whether you foster, volunteer, adopt, and donate…YOU make a difference!

Hug your furry friends and thank you for all you do for the hounds of AZBHR!
 


AZBHR Saves Over 60 Bassets from Life in Puppy Mills

As you may already know Puppy Mills are a problem in our nation and now it’s even closer to home than you think. Over the past six months Arizona Basset Hound Rescue, an expert in dog welfare and puppy mills, has taken in 52 Basset Hounds from a puppy mill in Pinal County. AZBHR has worked with Pinal County for over two years trying to close down this breeder and is very thankful to Pinal County and all their staff for the efforts in getting the owner to surrender the final group of Bassets as of Monday, August 3rd.

Pinal County was able to get the owner to surrender 29 Bassets back in February and 22 of those dogs were turned over to AZBHR the balance were adopted out by Pinal County. The breeder recently was evicted and lost her home and moved down the road leaving 13 dogs at the property outside. When the Realtor showed up to survey the property, she found them and called animal control in Pinal County. According to animal control the dogs had NO food and NO water - this was last week, when the temps were in 110's plus. Once they tracked the breeder down, she claimed that she was feeding and watering them when she could, but hadn't had a ride in 3 days, so she hadn't been there. This week we received the call from Pinal County that they were able to get her to surrender all remaining Bassets to animal control. AZBHR will be taking in 16 of those 21 Bassets. Some of the remaining Bassets have parvo and are very sick, in fact a couple have not made it due to any vet care which is common with these puppy mills. “It breaks my heart to know that these dogs that have died from neglect could have been saved if they would have been taken to a vet for care at the early stages. The dogs depend on us humans to be there for them and care for them. No one should have an animal if they can’t care for them properly.” Kim Bruck, President, AZBHR.

When a dog is in a puppy mill they are often kept outdoors with little or no shade, kept in kennels or very small crates, giving the minimum of food and sometimes it’s not even dog food, when the dogs are no longer producing pups many times they are shot or drowned as were a few Bassets that AZBHR was to take from a puppy mill in another state.

Why buy from a puppy mill when there are so many dogs and cats that are euthanized each year? Check out the stats but Maricopa County is around 30,000 plus. Spay and neutering your pets is the responsible thing to do.

AZBHR is very active in saving dogs from the life of a puppy mill and have saved many from other states and in the past year alone over 60 Bassets. AZBHR requires all our foster homes other pets are spayed and neutered to promote spay and neuter.

Many of the Bassets have health issues such as valley fever, worms, and ticks and have never had any medical care so the medical expenses are high. All the Bassets are receiving medical care, shots and given love by the volunteer foster homes! 21 of the 22 Bassets taken in back in February are already adopted and in loving homes. One that is remaining is Fitzgerald and he was probably the most traumatized and was deathly scared of humans. Another major side affect of puppy mill dogs is that they have not been socialized with humans and are many times abused. AZBHR has two females, Natalie and Emily that have been in their foster home in Tucson for 1.5 years and still hide when company comes over. It takes lots of patience and love from their foster homes and adopters when severe cases like this occur. I’ve personally fostered 2 back in February and have one from recent group and they are hesitant at first but have come around and then cling to you by following you around and wanting to be with you all the time.

 

Puppy mills are not our only priority AZBHR works with all the dog welfare agencies in Arizona including the Arizona Humane Society and has taken in dogs about to be euthanized for the past 10 years. AZBHR prides itself on the volunteers who give countless hours to help save these animals and seeing them find a forever home to live out their life! See how many are enjoying their new lives.
 

 

More videos and new stories about the dogs:


AZBHR Gives Back to the Community

Meet Katie, AZBHR’s own therapy Basset Hound.

Last year Betty Briggs one of our great volunteers and Communications Coordinator (Betty handles our incoming calls and emails to info@azbassetrescue.com) came to the board with an awesome idea. Betty wanted to train one of our Basset Hounds in Delta's Pet Partners program to be a therapy dog. So the search began for the perfect therapy Basset Hound….. Katie, a rescue from Arkansas, who came to us with heartworm and was now very healthy and such a sweet, friendly and gentle Basset would be the lucky Basset.

Click Here to see the full story and lots of pictures! >>



Learn more about why you should ADOPT and not SHOP >>


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