The Rip Van Wrinkler,
Volume XVIII, Issue 2, May 2014

Page 7 < previous page > <next page>

Dear Karen & Rip Van Wrinkle Basenji Club.

I apologize profusely for being so late with our thanks yous from us and the kidlets. We have appreciated so much the generous help from Rip Van Wrinkle Basenji Club over the years. It is a big help for us as we care for our permanent guests, prepare new comers for their forever homes, and deal with the health problems of some kidlets. In addition to being rather busy, I have also been fighting a sometimes losing battle with Windows 8, now renamed Windows H8. At long last I have put together the stories of some of our kidlets who have come and gone last year. We were extra busy in the first two months of this year with some incredible placements, but that will have to wait until next year’s story. Thanks again for thinking of us and reaching out with such generosity to help us care for some great kidlets.
From Medfly Brigade Basenji Rescue

Hope you enjoy the stories of some of our kidlets we had the pleasure of meeting and finding homes for in 2013.  It was a fun year filled with tears of joy as we found some absolutely wonderful homes at the perfect times for kidlets as they came and went.

Bridjet was the first kidlet we took in from a dear friend of ours who is in failing health. She has had such a transformation in her life as she has now become a service dog so she gets to fly first class with her new mom and  has been to a Miami Heat game in Florida where she got to sit on the front row. Bridjet was adopted on the day after Christmas in 2012 and she now has more frequent flyer miles than most people since she and her mom live in Alaska and being two snowbirds,  flee to warmer climates every year. Her new mom sends us updates on her, including her Halloween wardrobe and Bridjet seems to enjoy every moment being in the spotlight no matter what.

Even the Rubik’s cube was OK since it had been preceded by a vacation on a Florida beach.

Bridjet’s mom had a total of six Basenjis and we initially picked up 4…Bridjet, an older blind gentleman named Mister, and a pair of sisters named Bonnie and Trina. We had Trina and Bonnie with us earlier in the year as we took them to our terrific new vets in Palmdale for laser spaying, umbilical hernia removal and micro chipping and returned them to their mom. At that time we did not know they would shortly be coming back in need of a permanent new home. Trina was the shyer of the two but was quite willing to get into a chair and put her face close to me so we could do our barter system: she got a cookie and I got a kiss. Bonnie would drape her front paws on my legs and get her cookies in exchange for petting. Watching Bonnie and Trina horse around was delightful as they pounced and ducked and attacked, throwing each other on the ground. No splitting those two for anyone.

 Bonnie and Trina

These two were still with us when we got word that the youngest pair, a gorgeous pair of young tris, littermate brother and sis, needed to come in so they could be socialized and get ready to find a new home together. We had met them and desperately wanted to keep this beautiful bonded pair together. They were the only security each had known and what an absolutely stunning pair they made. Now all we had to do was get them neutered, micro chipped and comfy with us and other people. When they were first allowed to run free in our back yard, it was a treat to watch a very scared little gal pacing across the back…a treat for us but sad that she was so scared. Her bigger brother was a bit more courageous but we were going to go through a lot of cookies on this pair.

 
Sauda and Swayla at our place watching quail and rabbits… and their arrival at their new home.

The kidlets stayed with us for several months as we worked with them and waited for permission to get both of them neutered. We knew we would only adopt them to a previous Basenji home and to people who could really appreciate how special these two were. Sure enough we got a call from a great couple who had two Basenjis in the past and wanted two more, so we had them come to Acton to meet the kids. You know you have great people when they will sit on the cement to meet dogs and spend hours visiting and offering those wonderful cookies. We highly recommend Costco’s lamb jerky strips for winning over the hearts of scared kidlets! We delivered Sauda and Swayla to their new home in San Diego so we could do a yard check and help settle them into their new digs. The kidlets have new African names. He is Sauda which means dark and beautiful and she is now Swayla, meaning gentle and easy. What a well prepared home for Basenjis!! And their new mom and dad are so wonderful about sending pictures of their travels, These two scared little ones have been to Mammoth on the gondola, on hikes and fishing trips, and in their home city of San Diego, their regular dining spots see them coming and bring water bowels just for them.


Sauda and Swayla hiking and Swayla showing off her hiking boots.

Pooped out and resting for the trip on the gondola.

Finally found a place for a good nap.

Kidlets and Chuck and Karen Jones

Basenji Rescue of California

PO Box 93

Acton, CA 93510

(661) 269-2364

karen@basenjirescue.com