It is with an extremely sad heart that I share with you that Shelby crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She had not been feeling well the last several days and I was waiting for the Vet to open this morning so I could take her in to see Dr. John. Shelby licked John when he said good-bye to her and left for work. A few minutes later I went to check on her, and she was gone. She was in her favorite spot under our kitchen table.

We took in Shelby as a foster dog on my birthday last year (July 7). We finalized her adoption in December. This is the hard part about adopting senior dogs. We don't get to love on them for very long, but for the final year of her life, Shelby knew she was loved and that she finally had a home where she belonged.

My heart is so broken right now. The Lang family side of the Rainbow Bridge is getting too crowded. Thank you to everyone at TBSR who played a part in bringing Shelby into our lives. She was truly special and will be so very missed.

Sara

After a long and eventful life, Stella waddled peacefully across the Rainbow Bridge this past July 26th at the age of 14 ¾.  She is survived on this side by pet-parents Margaret and Michael, and her pet-sister Rebecca.
Stella was adopted at the age of 2 through the auspices of Tri State Basset Hound Rescue after an extensive interviewing process to ensure a stable and loving home environment.  Her adoptive family spent the next 12 ¾ years proving it was worthy of a raised eyebrow.  Having done some independent research on the nature and temperament of the breed, her pet-parents took away several nuggets that proved particularly useful over the years:
-Basset Hounds are not constrained by time or space – a 40 acre farm is too small…
-…in practical terms, this means they have to be walked to within an inch of their lives.
-most importantly, Basset Hounds do not obey so much as they acquiesce which means that...
-…in practical terms, obedience is more likely when interests of hound and pet-parent are aligned.
Mostly as a result of walks that could extend upwards to 90 minutes and a personality that led total strangers to gravitate to her, she was well-known throughout the community.  Her hunting skills were in keeping with those of the breed; she was equally at home tracking down baby rabbits, assorted road kill as well as the odd stray bagels left over from local street fairs.
In her later years, Stella was content to sit in the sun, contemplate life and let it come to her.
Stella would ask that those of you reading this not mourn her, but consider a contribution to TSBHR in order that it might continue its good work of screening potential pet families as to worthiness to adopt the dogs they shelter…for, in the eyes of Basset Hounds (if not necessarily their sponsoring agency), pet-parenting is a privilege only to be earned over the fullness of time.

I was not lucky enough to have STEVEN as a puppy ,but was blessed to have 11 years with him. Steven came to Tristate Basset Rescue as a stray around the age of 2. I think the love affair with my sister and he started on the ride home from New Jersey to Long Island. Steven was just like a child, and went to Aunt Ronnie, who of course always said, YES! There were times I would have to tell her, No. My sister lives downstairs from me and that was Steven's mancave, paradise, eden, off limits to the other hounds in the house. When they came down he let them know, it was "get your biscuit and scram". My sister was a pile of mush when it came to Steven, he pawed the door until she caved to let him in, so he could get up on that king sized bed, meant only for her and him. Even in his later years, when arthritis started settling in, you were not stopping him from going downstairs, he whined and whined until he broke you. Steven's favorite time of year was winter; he made more snow angels than you could imagine. He loved to face the wind and let those massive ears fly in the breeze. Steven enjoyed playing with each hound that came into our home, but it was always known he was King and they did not forget that. When he ran is was like he was doing the bunny hop. He loved people,and belly rubs were always welcomed with his big hairy belly. He would drink his water and always go straight to the edges of my bed to wipe his face. I could go on and on, like everyone, all of us proud of our furkids.

Steven runs with our Fred, Columbo, Buster T Frecklefeet, Miss Shelby from Alabama and all of the beloved Bassets and wannabes that have left us too soon.

Cathy Larsen

Sugar passed on Saturday, January 28th, 2012, after a battle with lymphoma. Sugar, as her name implied, was a sweet dog always with a smile on her face and a wag in her tail. She greeted everyone as a friend. She especially enjoyed the company of small children. She would engage them in social settings and wanted to be in the middle of their party no matter what they were doing. She allowed them to do whatever they wanted with her, pulling her ears, tail etc. She never uttered a disapproving sound or an unaccepting response. Rabbits were her favorite animal to “hound”, though she did capture an occassional mouse and a squirrel on one occasion. She was a consumate camper and loved spending long lazy hours in the tall grass of summer. Of course, the food around the camp fire was another one of her favorites! No couch was out of her domain and she spent many a long day resting her weary bones. Sugar’s career as a “show” dog was highlighted by winning best costume at the BoardWaddle once and runner–up twice. The Tri-State Basset Rescue transport person picked her up from a shelter in Toms River, where she was slated to be euthanized. We got her that Sunday at the McDonald’s parking lot, with the understanding that they really knew nothing about her and we could return her if she did not work out. Well, she got out of the car rolled over on her back and requested what later became known as her signature belly rub request. Six wonderful years later, she has gone to rest. She willed be missed.

The Hanlon family