I remember the first time we laid our eyes on Sally. We were over our friend’s our house (Rich and Robyn Bryant) because Robyn told Rich that she went to the SPCA and adopted a dog. It was in the summertime, the weather was warm. We went over to meet the new addition to the Bryant’s household. At that time, Sally was about three years old and full of fire!! I played with her and she chased me around our friend’s above ground pool several times. She was a happy dog with her tongue hanging out and smiling all the time. A few years later, we heard the news that the Bryant’s decided to give Sally to a new home since their first-born son was young and Robyn was expecting twin boys. Robyn decided to give Sally to a friend she knew who lived on a farm. We were sad to hear that Sally was getting a new home but was comfort by the fact that Sally was going to a home with lots of places to do what she did best at that time, sniff!! I don’t know what happened when Sally was on the farm but the Bryant’s ended up getting her back after a few years had passed. Sally wasn’t the same fun loving, high spirited basset we all remembered. Sally had changed and not for the best. Rich had spoken to Paul about placing Sally in the rescue because Sally had developed aggression issues (especially with the kids) and Rich didn’t feel comfortable enough to keep her in the family anymore. The year was 2005, we lost Stocker a year earlier to cancer and we had adopted Alvin at Christmas time in 2002 from Tri-State. We went over the Bryant’s to pick up Sally to begin the process. I spoke to Paul and we decided to keep Sally as one of our own because we were both afraid that Sally would be put down because of her aggression issues, that she wouldn’t be “adoptable”. She definitely did change, as you couldn’t touch her when she was on her bed at night because she would growl and show her teeth. You couldn’t kiss her nose either as she would try to bite your head off. She definitely had trust issues too!! But she would give you a kiss but it was on her terms and she would always flop on her back for a belly rub but be assured she would have one eye on you the entire time. Sally listened well and we adjusted to her and she adjusted to us in time. We had a very unique understanding of each other. Sally was a great guard basset and she really turned into a loving dog. Eating and sleeping were her favorite things to do. She was definitely “The Queen” in our household and let Alvin; and the other foster bassets we had, know it every day. We had the opportunity to enjoy Sally for 7 years until about a month ago when she started having seizures. We didn’t know what was going on with her, but we knew it was her time because there was no more wagging tail when we came home and no more love in her eyes. She was 13 years old. It was like someone shut off the lights but she didn’t even realize that her lights were shut off. We will forever love our Growly Sally or Sally Ann as I use to call her and she will always have a special place in our hearts!! I know that she’s still trying to be “The Queen” at the Rainbow Bridge and she’s doing her best to boss all of the other puppies up there around - especially Alvin!!

Karen & Paul Curley