Volume XIV, Issue 1, February, 2010
Page 3
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““Basenjis enjoying dog parks. . .”
contest winners are:
Chaminade & Chip - MaxkaDebby Joslin’s Cody & Karly
Cody and Karly teaching all the other Basenjis how to properly execute the dog walk. Unfortunately, a traffic jam stopped their progress.
In this photo, concern over the puppy who fell off the dog walk.
The puppy was fine.
In this photo, Karly enticing the other B's to come up the A-frame. 
Our dog park is in Coral Springs, FL and was started by Veterinarian Dr. Steven Paul. He died several years ago from sudden onset lung cancer. Not sure how long it has been there, though I've been going for 10 years.
Our group meets almost every Saturday and Sunday morning. A lot of the other folk in the dog park call us “the Others.” Don't ask me why. Over the 10 years I have been going, we have lost about 6 Basenjis to relocation or Rainbow Bridge.
Thankfully, our group numbers have stayed up due to new members or Basenji puppy additions. Two of the newest additions, Divot and Driver (Divot being the puppy who fell off the dog walk), are owned by a morning radio host of 101.5 Lite FM here in South Florida.
Months ago, while listening to the show, we heard Susan Wise talking about her Basenjis. I immediately contacted her, and she was thrilled to know there were other Basenji owners close by. She hooked up with us immediately.
Many times, on her Monday morning shows, she will talk about the dog park escapades and all the beloved Basenjis. She once had a show about, 'How smart is your dog?’ I called in to the show with a story about Cody, which aired. I have the audio if you would like to hear it.
Kathe M. Romeo’s Pete
There's a dog park a couple miles from here and I take a couple of the crew over couple times a week. First time I took two of the Cardigan Corgis - Trigger and Dewars - they did have a grand ol' time, running and looking around. But not the high speed stretched out total gallop I was hoping for. Took Pete (she's a girl) over a couple times and she was so involved in all the glorious scents she never got beyond 10 foot of the in gate.
Last week, took all three, hoped they'd be polite and play nicely. Well, Ms Basenji took a look at them and took off!! They went after her, running full tilt!! I was surprised that they were at most 2 foot behind her, and on corners caught up. Maybe she doesn't think they're worth a stretch run. All three were leashed up after 10 minutes of catch the Basenji, went in crates in the car and slept. I am looking forward to taking them again.
Susan Kamen Marsicano’s Apu dogs
My now-passed dear friend Shirley Manning and I founded the very first legal, insured, community dog run on city land in the country, I believe. It is still there in NYC, called The Mercer Houston Dog Run Association. It was a 15-year effort, involving a great deal of politics.
Our "squatter "dog run before the new one was built. Bomabwa Blushing Bride, pregnant in summer 1977, with Shirley & Blush's best friend, Standard Schnauzer, Gretchen.
There was a very long battle to get this done. It included marches on City Hall. Basically we won when we dressed up like bankers, joined the community board, and worked from the inside. We convinced them of the truth, which was that that particular corner would be safer if the dog run was there.
Our "Dog Run" was built on highway land, at the order of the Greenwich Village Community Board, & paid for by NYU, as they owed a favor to the community board. It cost them about $60,000 to build it.
The Dog Run opened officially in 1980, replacing a dirt (can you say Mud) run being used by the dog people. The New York Post did a front page (cover) piece, about the dog run, with a photo of me in there with 4 or 5 basenjis. We had a "leash cutting" ceremony at the opening.
It was approved by the Dep't of Health, etc. It has a double entry, double fencing too, running water, drainage, a con-crete bunker for disinfectants, a bulletin board, benches, etc, and so many happy dogs & people. Friendships, collabo-rations, even marriages began there, and are still being made there.
Very few bad incidents ever happened. Oh, there was the time my Flash dog jumped up 12 feet & pulled a pidgeon down, or the time a guy jumped the fence & took my bag with my pooper scooper baggies & my apartment keys, & the officers took me & the 5 basenjis down to the 2nd Precinct to make an identification & get it back.
Ch. Apu Flash (Ashbey photo)
Flash lead a nice sing-along in the lobby of the police station. The police even drove us home in the squad car, & turned on the air-conditioner in the squad car.
Melissa Cameron’s Chili
The MacMillan’s crew
I don't mean to flaunt our winter weather to those who are snowed in and freezing, but we had an absolutely splendid day at our dog park today.I counted 18 basenjis, all colors represented...2 black, 2 brindle, bunch of reds and tris, ages from 1 to 14, most rescues, all neutered, all wonderful dogs. Watching them run and play, or laze about in the grass, is a feast for the eyes. I truly think they are the loveliest of canines...of course I could be prejudiced!
Nothing special happened to write about, just a couple of hours of basenjis swirling about, chasing squirrels, and being happy. And now tired. Ahhhhh. This is the best part of my week!
"Guess who has crumbs in her pocket?" (Don MacMillan photo)
OK, I know our little Florida basenjis are wimps when it comes to cold weather! Some even have 2 coats on and still they were shivering whenever we stopped walking. Was right at 38-42 degrees and no sunshine, brrrrrrr. Jack, far right, was the exception and refused to move when we put a coat on him, so he got to stay naked.
