Wild pack of basenjis in rural Florida

[LizNewton]

From Pam Hamilton and Debbi Johnson:

Greetings from not-so-sunny-or-warm Florida!

As many of you are probably aware, the hearing was held Thursday, Feb. 11, to determine the custody of the basenjis confiscated by HCAS (Hillsborough County Animal Services). The owner did not show up for the custody hearing. The judge heard a brief review of the case, promptly awarded custody to HCAS, waived the 30 day appeal period and enjoined Mr. Holland from owning any animals in Hillsborough County. It will take a bit of time to finalize paperwork. It is currently the intention of HCAS to have BRAT take the basenjis and rehome them. More details on that process will follow soon. It will take time, money and manpower to get this unique batch of basenjis onto their new lives in real homes. Donations will be gratefully appreciated for this significant endeavor.

Debbi has spent the week running around with Pam, taking care of basenjis young and old. Mr. Holland's basenjis have gone without vetting for so long that getting all of his basenjis parasite free and healthy has taken some time. Debbi's now had the chance to experience a bit of the nursemaid duties.

I will provide a description of the characteristics and personalities that this line has. Adopters and fosters must be able to demonstrate that they will be able to meet the needs of these intense and high-level basenjis. They have neat personalities, but they are a bit like "Jolt" - a high-caffeine, high-sugar soda - lots of kick and energy.

It has been a pleasure to work so closely with a shelter to help basenjis. I hope that more shelters will work with us in this fashion in the future.

We have not yet had any news from the SPCA in Pinellas County.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Pam & Debbi

[thunderbird8588]

Great news!

[MacPack]

Guess it's OK to talk about them now! We had 4 of the older pups, probably 5-6 months old, out together playing in a small dog run at the shelter today. What a difference, they ran, tussled, were full of joy. We sat beside the cages of some of the more fearful adults and just talked to them and tossed hot dog bits. Some of the males will take bites from hands, but they are the braver, more curious ones. Hopefully the pups will get adopted quickly so Pam and her volunteers can work more with the shy adults, they will be more of a challenge. It was way cool to see those 4 pups playing!

[thunderbird8588]

This is great news, thanks for the update.

[sharronhurlbut]

in case you all didn't see this post.
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Basenji Club of America, Inc"

[sharronhurlbut]

Also, if you want to help these dogs, you will need to become a BRAT volunteer by completing the short form at: http://www.basenjirescue.org/Volunteer.htm

[sharronhurlbut]

Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 12:20 PM
To: BasenjiBreederRoundtable@yahoogroups.com; BRAT-L; B-List
Subject: [BBR] Update on Florida basenjis

It is so heartwarming to see the Basenji community pull together for these
Basenjis. It may be towards the end of the week before I am able to start
replying to the wonderful offers of help. We anticipated having 30 days
after the court hearing on February 11 before the dogs could be released to
Basenji Rescue and Transport (BRAT). The Appeals period was waived at the
hearing, and ownership of the dogs is being transferred to BRAT. The
Hillsborough County Animal Services (HCAS) will vet these dogs this week and
possibly into the next week. So we need time to get our ducks in a row.

I spent the last week with in Florida working with the dogs and attending
the court hearing. Pam Hamilton, our Florida District Coordinator, is
physically working with the dogs along with the help of local volunteers who
have been helping to socialize them. I am fielding the offers of help.

The Basenji Club of America (BCOA) has generously offered to provide crates.
Carrie Jones is the liaison person for BCOA. I think it is wonderful that
the Club and Rescue are cooperating to help the Basenjis. As you may know,
BCOA is not a "hands-on" rescue organization, and does not actively
participate in rescue. BCOA does, however, understand that every Basenji
deserves a loving home and is in the midst of donating funds to help with
the transition from rescue Basenji to beloved, well-adjusted pets. This
transition is our goal. We are appreciate the help of BCOA.

We have been receiving notes asking about donations. BRAT has already
incurred significant vet expenses as we have had the mothers, mothers-to-be,
and their pups in our possession for a while. The pups range from 2 days
old to 5 or 6 weeks. We still have one mother who has not whelped. The
mother who whelped on Saturday spent several days at the Emergency Hospital.
We almost lost her.

I have asked our webmaster to set up a link on our website so that donations
may be made by PayPal, credit card through PayPal or by check. I hope to
have that link up soon. Our web site is www.basenjirescue.org . Until we
get the PayPal link set up, donations may be made by mail using a personal
check or money order. Donations are tax-deductible. Our donation form
includes the mailing address for BRAT and be found at
http://www.basenjirescue.org/DonationForm.htm .

Thanks for all your thoughts and concerns for these basenjis.

Debbi Johnson
BRAT Treasurer & Director
Germantown, TN
debbijbasenjirescue@comcast.net

[Basenjimamma]

Wonderful and exciting news..I am so glad things are going in the right direction for these pups..
I will send some money via paypal, any way I can help..I wish I was in Florida so I could help first hand, but I figure money is tight and any help at all is good…
Keep us posted Sharron..

[sharronhurlbut]

Funds are so helpful..foster homes are badly needed as well.
I have heard of other things, not final yet, that might work for getting some dogs/puppies into other states, but again, just talk now.
More as I can post it.
So, maybe YOU can be a foster home for one of these dogs, puppies, or female b's healing from spaying. If you think you might want to be considered, please do go to the
BRAT site and fill out the forms. No one will force a dog on anyone, but we need to have places for these b's to go!

[sharronhurlbut]

Nice letter…...re the BRAT b's and BRAT's Pam Hamilton.
They were feral when captured. They were brought to the kennel after freezing, and starving in a five acre pasture. They never had been held or touched or treated with kindness. They were terrified of humans. At Animal Services, they received veterinary medical care, food, water, shelter and warmth. They are thriving. I am proud to say the basenji population has increased from 33 to 40. One of the pregnant females gave birth to 7 puppies and there are 1 or 2 more litters anticipated in the near future. Mom and puppies are doing fine.
The basenjis could not have been saved without the efforts of Pam Hamilton. Pam Hamilton has been instrumental in working with the dogs and socializing them. She has also worked with staff and volunteers and educated everyone on how to work with the basenjis.

She is a dedicated asset to your organization. Thank you for all your efforts for these wonderful dogs. Jan
Janet A. McDonald

Senior Assistant County Attorney
Hillsborough County Attorney's Office
Health & Human Services Division

[sharronhurlbut]

Greetings!

Another week has flown by. Here is a summary/review of what has happened and
what we expect to happen in the near future:

Feb. 11 - Custody of the Wimauma basenjis was awarded to HCAS. The 30 day
appeal period was waived by the judge. The scramble begins as we make
arrangements to move dogs in a couple of weeks versus a bit more than a
month. Terry and Jackie from out of town visited "the nursery" (our house,
which is also a hospice…) to take pictures for posting.

Feb. 13 - Kenyatta, the heartworm positive, anemic, emaciated, hypoglycemic,
very sweet and cooperative, pregnant female went into labor early in the
morning. By noon, she had her last viable pup. She finally delivered the
last one, a stillborn, around 8 PM, after multiple doses of Oxytocin.
Surgical removal was not an option without serious risks because her
condition is so poor. Her body score out of 9 is just 2 (determined prior to
delivery - without pups, she, of course, appears to be even thinner, perhaps
just a 1). Tube feeding of her pups every two hours begins (the only "milk"
Kenyatta has is a tiny amount of mastitis - and her body condition certainly
cannot support nursing). Reasonable efforts are ongoing to help Kenyatta
make a recovery. She has been to our regular vet, the emergency/critical
care vet (through delivery), and HCAS (they are able to provide transfusions
and injections that would have continued to accrue significant expenses at
the ER/critical care vet's). Kenyatta and I, along with Debbi or my folks,
have spent a lot of time together in the vehicle, running from one place to
the next.

Week of Feb. 15 - All basenjis currently located at HCAS are
spayed/neutered/vaccinated. They are ready to leave HCAS as soon as we have
all arrangements in place. Five of the older pups who are still at HCAS that
have been doing quite well with socialization activities will first go into
short-term foster homes. Potential applicants are invited to submit
applications through BRAT to adopt them. There are approximately 10 others
that will move to Pam's Basenji Town for a chill-out/evaluation period prior
to being moved to longer-term foster homes. The nine pups in our nursery
visited HCAS for boosters, more deworming and weighing - they are getting
chunky! It is determined that they are about 8 weeks old and big enough to
be spayed and neutered. These procedures will be done soon. They will be
ready to move on to their new adoptive homes before long.

Arrangements have been made with HCAS regarding vetting of the basenjis who
are at Pam's nursery and no longer at the shelter. HCAS will
spay/neuter/vaccinate all basenjis, including those still "in the oven" (one
more mom-to-be has looked ready to pop any second for days...), so all pups
will stay in the area until they are at least 8 weeks old.

This "in-house vetting" is a huge help to BRAT. Our expenses for vetting
these b-kids is already high. The stress from shelter and/or bad body
condition took a couple over the Rainbow Bridge. We were able to snatch the
rest back from the brink. We haven't even begun to consider other vetting
expenses the older basenjis will need. Amazingly, there is only one who
tests heartworm positive at this time. I have begun to check what other
needs they may have; for example, one of the older moms has
broken/tartar-covered teeth that may need some attention. Because of the
condition of the mom during pregnancy, the pups currently being
tube/bottle-fed every two hours
have a very uncertain future. They may need additional vetting. Donations
for these basenjis is greatly appreciated. A special link will be added to
our website soon.

Many people and groups have offered help throughout the past month. If you
have not received a response, please accept our apologies. We have been a
little busy... Given the abbreviated time that we have to get the basenjis
out of HCAS, we are asking your help to reorganize more quickly. If you
would like to help in some way, could you please send an email again,
complying with the following:

Please label the subject line with one of the following:

a. FOSTER -<your name=""><your location="">
b. TRANSPORT -<your name=""><your location="">
c. ADOPT -<your name=""><your location="">
d. OTHER -<your name=""><your location="">

If you are able to help in multiple ways, please send multiple emails.

If you are able to help with fostering or transporting , we ask that you
become a BRAT member. Please note on the "Join BRAT" form you are joining
to help with the Wimauma basenjis. If you wish, you can ask to drop your
membership later. There is no membership fee to join BRAT.
http://www.basenjirescue.org/Volunteer.htm .

If you are interested in adopting one of the Wimauma basenjis, please submit
an adoption application through BRAT's website.
http://www.basenjirescue.org/ApplDB/AdoptForm.htm .
Please note on your adoption application you are interested in the Wimauma
basenjis.

These basenjis are different from our "normal" rescue basenjis and are
different from the puppy mill basenjis BRAT volunteers have met in the past.
I have been saying this for a month to Debbi (though, to be completely
honest, I've made my statements based on what I've heard about puppy mill
basenjis - I've never had basenji that was an abused puppy mill breeder b).
She has now had the opportunity to meet the basenjis down here - and agrees!
(She confessed that she was dissin' my thoughts…). These basenjis
generally need more exercise and are bigger, stronger, more energetic, more
sensitive to body language, and more capable of "taking care of themselves"
than most basenjis. It is neat to have the opportunity to see what their
behavior is like having come from a natural, wild pack. One of the greatest
benefits is that the adults seem to be almost house-broken from the first
moment in
a house, possibly because soiling the area near the den would attract
predators. Though there may be exceptions, their desire to escape should be
expected to be very high. They do like the creature comforts of a home,
though, so they should accept being in a home if great care is taken to make
sure that the introduction is nothing but pleasant.

We have had basenjis from this line in the past, some as pups, some as
adults. We have a fair amount of experience regarding what works for these
basenjis and what doesn't work for them. Adults that have come into rescue
have often been relinquished from individual owners because of behavioral
problems. We have been able to rehabilitate them and provide their adoptive
families with handling techniques to prevent the behaviors from resurfacing.
Please realize that it is necessary
to follow the advice and procedures that are recommended regarding these
basenjis. These are really basenjis of a different color.

Thank you again for your support!

Pam Hamilton
FL District Coordinator
Advisory Director
Basenji Rescue and Transport

and

Debbi Johnson
BRAT Treasurer & Director
Germantown, TN
debbijbasenjirescue@comcast.net</your></your></your></your></your></your></your></your>

[Nemo]

I saw some photos of the puppies on FaceBook. They're really cute and the chocolate and liver colorations are interesting. I hope they find good homes. At least the really young puppies never had to live in such poor conditions, or at least for very long.

[thunderbird8588]

Thank you for the update, it's good to hear.

[MacPack]

Three of us had the 5 pups (who are aprox. 5 months old) all together playing in a dog run for over 2 hours today. They are so different in that environment, in the shelter with all the barking and all isolated, they are frightened and shy. Playing together, they run, chase balls, wrestle, steal hot dogs, are just happy, wild, free basenjis pups. They came up to us, took treats from our hands, did not avoid us and even interacted with us. They still have to be caught and try and avoid us then, but are not "freaked" by it so much any more.

They are very sensitive to body language, they watch and know which one we are after! They will be a handful for the lucky people who get them, but they are very smart, fun-loving and friendly, once they get over their fears. They really are "wild animals" who have had no human-type rules imposed on them, but I think they will learn to love 'creature comforts' really fast.

So if you are ready for a fun foster, or adoption, step up and fill out that BRAT application! These 5 are going to be rewarding to work with,and it will be a very unique experience. The younger puppies have been handled and humanized since capture, when they were only 2 or 3 weeks old. The older dogs will be more of a challenge I imagine, but these 5 youngsters are going to be FUN !

[sharronhurlbut]

Can you post some photos for us?

[MacPack]

We got the first photos today, we were not permitted till after the hearing. My ability to post photos has been very limited, I don't think I can just "e-mail" a photo from i-photo, will have to get DH to tweak some and file them so I can do it that way. I am limited by my ignorance of technology.

[MacPack]

Hopefully this will work, it is all 5 pups playing with an empty zipper-lock bag.

I am not good at figuring out this tech stuff!

[sharronhurlbut]

Oh, this came through GREAT…more photos please...
They look so happy!
Let us know what we can do to help you and these dogs.
Most of us on this list really do want to keep up on their rehomings.

[Basenjimamma]

They look so cute and happy too..yes, more pictures please..

[Shaye's Mom]

Those puppies are seriously adorable! Here's hoping they can find homes soon.