This has been a traumatic couple of months, capped by the fire. One of our latest little gals is a very scared black and white 3 1⁄2 year old who ended up in a shelter because her human dad is dying. Realizing Kooshy was insecure enough to bite any potential adopters, the local police department contacted us about her since they would only release her to rescue. Chuck was able to take off at 4am the day after the call and drive about four hours each way to pick up one very scared Kooshy. Although we have a come-a-long (the pole with a noose at one end that can be tightened), we have never used it but since Kooshy arrived with no leash and bounded out of her crate when the gate was open, we faced the choice of continuing to scare one very terrified dog or simply dropping the come-a-long quietly over her neck. Even this took time but I finally got her looped and we slipped a light chain leash on her collar, allowing her to be in her crate but also allowing us to handle her from three feet away, a distance that makes them feel so safe. I sat in the dirt with Kooshy convincing her that even her threats of biting were not working and that my hands were really good when allowed to rub tense necks and heads. Amazing how quickly some understand and begin to trust. By her third trip out with me, Kooshy was no longer threatening bodily harm and even let me pull her over to me. Sitting on my lap in a chair is also a pleasure for her, and she is now showing a very playful side. After all these years of bringing in rescue basenjis with various health and emotional issues, we would have to say that Kooshy must have been abused as we have never seen one of our kidlets so terrified of people who hadn’t been mistreated in a previous situation.
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Kooshy

Same color, different package:

This is Lady and her pictures don’t do justice to her personality. Lady is indeed a lady of about 18 months whose owner never claimed her from a pound in southern California. It is hard to imagine a more perfect example of Basenji and Corgi. As loaded as we and all rescues are now due to the economy, letting this incredibly sweet young gal be killed in a shelter would have been unforgivable. A young couple with a Basenji mix spotted Lady, bailed her out, and kept her until they could bring her here. Some very lucky family is going to end up with one of the best pooches ever. She is a bit timid with strangers but when she opens up, there is no way you can be around her without smiling or laughing as she bops around the yard. She even does the Basenji 500.
 

This is one of our special kidlets, rescued from Orange County Shelter years ago. He was going to be killed since he had been labeled “vicious”. On the day he was available, I had to work, so Chuck and one of our female adopters drove down figuring that, like some basenjis with problems, he might be more comfy with one gender over the other, so we covered our bases. Although Zende was difficult for new people to get to know, we had no problems with him and in fact, he was a charmer and settled down well enough to be adopted by a couple who had never owned a basenji before. After several years Zende got returned since they planned on having two footed kids and Zende would not be a childproof dog. A wonderful couple from northern California who have had several basenjis came to adopt and met Zende. Immediately Zende bonded to the guy, and off he went. About six months after his adoption, Zende went suddenly blind, one of those idiopathic things. Being a very intelligent little guy, Zende quickly learned a vocabulary that guided him on a leash. Once again Zende has had an idiopathic illness that has caused the muscles on one side of his mouth to tighten but again he is undaunted by what has been dealt him. When his people come to southern California to visit relatives, we get the pleasure of Zende’s company so we have gotten to keep enjoying him over and over. Zende always greets us with enthusiastic tail wags and has no problem letting us put on the goggles that protect his eyes from dust and low tree branches. This little guy will always have a very special place in our hearts. He really is a champion without ribbons.

Is this just about the cutest Basenji picture you have ever seen? This is one of our kidlets who was adopted several years ago by a couple who remain part of our extended family and send us updates and pictures.

Stella, the red gal, and her brother Scooter had been returned to us when their previous family had to move to Stockton to be with an ailing relative and Stella was a difficult gal to find a suitable home for since fence climbing was a favorite challenge. She scaled a 6 foot chain link here and had been know to go over a 6 foot block wall. Both of these are absolutely marvelous Basenjis but faced severe limitations in rehoming due to Stella’s penchant for climbing. Along came a terrific couple from Las Vegas, previously owned by Basenjis and with an 8 foot wall!!

We met them in Barstow and had to take pictures of the two cars side by side. Looks like a Basenji convention with “BAROOOS” and “BARKLSS” for license plates.
 

Meet Hababi (red male) and Sadie with their new people. Hababi had been placed by us into a family with a teen age son and two other dogs, a situation that did not work out as Hababi had some issues when he was returned. He spent some time with us mellowing out and was spotted by this couple who actually came to adopt a mix after having lost their Basenji. “Cool”, as the new dad is called, is really cool and so great with Basenjis. He had seen pictures of Sadie, the brindle gal, and wondered if Hababi and Sadie could be a pair. Hababi is totally in love with his new dad and sis and is being a perfect gentleman. Time, consistency, and love really can do wonders and finding the perfect home for a dog that could have been deemed unadoptable is one of the great rewards for all the time and work that goes into rescue.
 

This ten year old sweetie owes his life to Susan Marsicano of the Rip Van Wrinkle Basenji Club in New York who urged his breeder in Conn. to contact us after tremendous efforts to find a safe home for him had failed after his owner’s death. Although many avenues were tried and it seemed a home had been found, Bricque’s new family gave up on him because he was crying and were going to put him to sleep unless a home could be found. Bricque’s breeder had tried another Basenji rescue who not only wouldn’t take him but also didn’t even suggest getting in touch with us as strange as it seems since Bricque was in CALIFORNIA and we are in CALIFORNIA. Trying to help a Basenji in California when you are in Connecticut has to leave you feeling helpless and at the mercy of a rescue stepping in to help if no new home materializes before the dog will be euthanized. The family who tried to adopt him were next door neighbors of Bricque, people who had never had a Basenji but were willing to make a fourteen hour drive to bring him to us. We cut four hours off the trip by meeting the son in Bakersfield and brought home a wonderful and loving older gentleman  who, through no fault of his or his breeder, needed to find a place to wait for a new home.

We find it to be a sad commentary on rescue that a non Basenji family was more concerned about helping Bricque find a safe place than another Basenji rescue that didn’t even suggest us as a possibility to a frantic and caring lady on the other side of the country.
Unfortunately this is not the first time we have found out about a Basenji who was about to be killed that we had no knowledge of even though we were within driving range of the Basenji and another Basenji rescue knew about the Basenji. Even though we have a large load of dogs here all the time, we still find it appalling that there is a profound lack of caring for the breed, a lack of caring and compassion that prevents someone from crossing that invisible line that separates two rescues to think past the politics and concentrate on the lives of Basenjis in need. We are not able to help Basenjis all over the country, but at least we can offer a sanctuary to those in California if we are alerted to them when another rescue has knowledge of the Basenji and cannot find a foster home at the time or doesn’t want to deal with a dog that has been labeled ..sometimes very wrongly..a biter. Several years ago an all breed rescue bailed a red gal out of a shelter where she was about to be killed, a gal we had not heard about but were told another Basenji rescue had been contacted about and didn’t bail out.. Yes, she was labeled a nipper and yes, she did indeed want to nip if her side was touched. It was quickly evident that she had a painful spot on her side, so off she went to our vet who repaired an old BB wound on her rib. Gabby went on to become a spoiled and cherished bed partner.
From our crew to all of you, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a year filled with the delightful sounds of yodels and many little feet doing the Basenji 500. Chuck and I especially want to thank Susan for persevering and encouraging a breeder so far away to give another Basenji rescue a chance to step forward and bring to our place an absolutely wonderful senior gentleman whose needless death would have been a terrible commentary on what Basenji rescue is about. Bricque brings smiles to us every day and we are truly lucky to have him sharing his life with us while he awaits a forever home.

Karen Jones, Basenji Rescue of California