A basenji finds his purpose

[nobarkus]

Life is full of surprises and this is a good one. I think Kipawa knows and senses what you need in this situation. I hope your husband heals quickly!

[tanza]

Thanks for sharing! How wonderful to read such a touching event!

[MacPack]

So glad Darrel's issue has a cause and solution! I have been thinking of you, hoping for good news. Kipawa is a very special guy, bred well and raised well, and doing what he was meant to do!

[agilebasenji]

Thanks for checking in. Sounds like Darrel is on the mend.

And I agree, it is amazing to see a silly basenji become a wonderful therapy dog. I have 3 who all have enjoyed doing visits. Z had a great visit at the Alzheimer's facility earlier this month. Curled up on someone's lap and I thought she was going to have a very long nap there. As it turned out this was a new patient who was having some difficulties adjusting.

[DebraDownSouth]

Fran I am so glad they found out what was going on with your husband so they can treat it and get him home again soon! Indeed, it seems Kipawa has found his calling.

[Patty]

Fran, I hope that your husband is on the mend and home again soon.

Well done to Kipawa and you and of course to Therese and Kevin. I've always found that Basenjis do make ideal therapy dogs whether official ones or no. They always seem especially in tune with the mentally as well as the physically disabled.

I find them particularly sensitive whentheir owners are ill.

[Walter]

Oh Fran…this is so wonderful to hear about Kipawa but not so good for your husband. I hope he has since recovered from the pneumonia and that any and all complications have been resolved.

Scarlett is proud to have such a strong, intelligent brother that is doing so much to promote how special B's are and not only in the "dog world" but "people world" as well. Sarah, Scarlett and I went down to Therese and Kevin's this past weekend to visit with them and the little ones. We have decided to bring a Basenji boy into the family and hope he is as wonderful as Kipawa!

[sharronhurlbut]

Fran, glad your hubby is home by your side again. I think your b would pass the test for pet therapy quickly. You have done such a great job on
training him. Then he can share his doggie joy with folk who are in pain and need a doggie snuggle.

[jdido09]

I hope your husband is doing better! Very inspirational, thank you for sharing! Dexter is in therapy class right now, and sometimes it definitely is tough and feels a long ways away! But I know we will get there sooner or later and this post makes it feel more realistic!!

[Kipawa]

@Walter:

Sarah, Scarlett and I went down to Therese and Kevin's this past weekend to visit with them and the little ones. We have decided to bring a Basenji boy into the family and hope he is as wonderful as Kipawa!

Hi Walter - yes, Darrel is back home and is doing very well. Thank you for mentioning him. So… bringing a basenji boy into the family. Does this mean that you are thinking of breeding in the future? Truly, any basenji coming from Kevin and Therese is going to be wonderful, as you would know with having Kipawa's sister Scarlett. I haven't seen pictures of Scarlett in a very long time, so would love it if you would post some! Glad to see you are still reading the forum.

[Kipawa]

For all those who were thinking good thoughts while Darrel was in the hospital, I really thank you. I believe this kind of energy really makes a difference. Darrel left the hospital with a clear chest x-ray (other than some minor scarring). He is getting progressively healthier each day. The seizure did affect a part of his brain that is responsible for memory and hearing…. yeah, that is why he never listens to me. We were told that eventually his memory should pretty well get back to normal, but to not put a time frame on it. As far as memory loss goes, they say it is very mild, so we are extremely happy about that.

Animals are so in tune with us. Kipawa jumps up on Darrel (in his wheelchair) so many times a day to do a 'check' on how his daddy is doing. It's far more frequent than before, which leads me to believe that Kipawa and probably the basenjis/other dogs that all of you own, are so very in touch with how we are feeling. I can't think of a better word for it than 'beautiful'.

[thunderbird8588]

Fran, i'm pleased to hear Darrel is home and doing well

[krunzer]

It is so nice to hear that he is at home and doing well. It's also great that Kipawa is keeping an eye on his Daddy. They are so in tune with their people it is unbelieveable. When I came home after my knee surgery, I got into my chair and Tucker jumped up so gingerly on the chair, making sure to avoid my knee. Then he laid on my chest and licked my whole face! He was trying to make his mommy feel better! that or the anesthetic tasted really good coming out of my skin!

[Walter]

@Kipawa:

Does this mean that you are thinking of breeding in the future?

Hi Fran! "Apollo", as we are possibly going to use as his call name…will be a show dog. Me and Sarah will not be the ones showing him at this time, Therese is going to do it for us. We haven't yet worked out all the details but he will be allowed to continue in Kevin and Therese's breeding program. Basenjis are very special to us and we are excited to be a bigger part of Kevin and Therese's "family".

Unfortunately at this point we are still waiting to find out which boy it will be...has to be a good fit all-around. There has been talk of possibly getting one of the "men in black" boys Therese will be getting from Lisa in CA. The waiting is so hard!

I hope everyday reveals improvement for Darrel. Give Kipawa a huge B hug from us.