Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 8, 2013

9

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 8, 2013 


PET OF THE WEEK

HEY, WHY THE LONG FACE?

Basset Hound Rescue of Southern California Lends Smiles to 
Hounds in Need of a Home

MOUSE #A4580319 

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

 It is always such a pleasure to meet other 
people who care enough about animals to 
do what they can to make a difference for 
the better on their behalf. I recently had the 
privilege of getting acquainted with Annette 
Florez, marketing coordinator for Basset 
Hound Rescue of Southern California, a 
non-profit organization whose mission is 
to rescue and find homes for abandoned 
basset hounds in So. Cal. I had heard of 
their organization from a client earlier this 
year and it piqued my interest, so I looked 
up their website and Facebook page to learn 
more about them. It didn’t take long for me 
to decide this was an organization worth 
supporting and promoting, so I set forth to 
do both.

 First I sent an e-mail to Annette, asking 
her permission to write about BHRSC, and 
she was kind enough to take time out of her 
busy schedule to call and share the details 
about how they got started and how they go 
about helping homeless hounds find forever 
loving homes. Much like many of the other 
organizations I have written about in this 
column, BHRSC is made up of a group of 
dedicated dog lovers who work long hours 
performing the numerous tasks involved 
with rescuing, and placing beautiful basset 
hounds that for whatever reason have been 
rendered homeless.

 It all began in August, 1997 when Sabrina 
Nichols, Adriene Sherard and William 
James (who since passed away), got together 
and pooled their resources to rescue their 
first hound, Cleopatra from the Long 
Beach Animal Shelter. As is true with most 
government funded shelters, Long Beach 
has a limited capacity to hold animals for 
any significant period of time before they 
are forced to euthanize them if they are not 
adopted. Fortunately for Cleopatra, three 
compassionate people cared enough to 
ensure that she would have the opportunity 
to live out her life in a loving forever home. 
Within 6 months after Cleopatra‘s rescue, 
several more hound lovers had 
gotten on board. With their growing 
dedicated team they were eventually 
able to gain 501(c)3 non-profit status 
and they have been successful in their 
mission to rescue needy hounds ever 
since. I looked at the list of adoptable 
dogs on their website this week and 
counted about 26 hounds currently in 
need of forever homes.

 So much is involved with rescuing 
and placing homeless hounds, and 
there never seems to be a shortage of 
dogs for intake. The volunteers who 
work so hard to facilitate the process 
are saints in my mind. Although 
they do it out of sincere love for the 
animals, it is still an arduous task 
requiring a lot of energy, time and 
money to receive rendered pups, 
provide requisite veterinary care to 
ensure that they are healthy enough for 
adoption, and finally find them a home. 
I imagine it can be very tiring at times, 
and even frustrating, as there are so many 
hounds in need, with limited boarding 
space, foster care and monetary resources. 
Still, they are tenacious in the task, and 
continue their mission to help abandoned 
hounds.

 The hounds that end up at BHRSC come 
from various walks of life, and most of 
them have been through some pretty tough 
times before finding themselves in the good 
hands of their caring volunteers. The bassets 
they take in require veterinary care and an 
enormous amount of TLC in order to help 
them overcome traumas and tribulations 
experienced in the past. As all animal lovers 
know very well, it is no small expense to 
keep even our own well-cared-for pets 
healthy and happy. Veterinary costs are 
comparable to health care costs for humans 
these days, and we all know how it can 
wipe out the bank account if we fall ill and 
require medical attention or hospitalization. 
The average cost for one hound taken in at 
BHRSC is $850, not including any extra vet 
care that might be required for a neglected, 
abused, injured or ill dog. Boarding, health 
exam, microchip implanting, spaying or 
neutering, dental cleaning, grooming and 
vaccines are among the basic aspects of 
attention each dog receives on intake.

 The costs incurred to care for the hounds 
are funded by donations from friends and 
supporters of the organization, and because 
there are no overhead costs associated with 
a facility, all monies received go directly to 
the dogs. While they would love the luxury 
of having their own facility, BHRSC has 
managed to rescue, foster and place each 
dog taken in by coordinating with shelters, 
other rescue organizations, veterinarians 
and volunteer foster families. To me it seems 
like a remarkable task, with no headquarters 
from which to work and it says a lot about 
the depth of their dedication to saving those 
beautiful bassets from being euthanized.

 As part of their fund-raising efforts, 
BHRSC holds an Annual Spring Games 
event in Arcadia Park (corner of 
Huntington Drive and Santa Anita Ave.) 
where they invite basset hound owners and 
enthusiasts to participate in a variety of fun 
and frivolous activities with their dogs. A 
few examples of the games they organize 
for the event are a tail wag-off, a kissing 
contest, synchronized swimming, a hound 
dog howl off and a costume contest! I plan 
to attend their 16th Annual Spring Games 
event on June 15th, and can hardly wait to 
see all those sweet short-legged loving long-
eared hounds playing together, entertaining 
the masses and bringing enormous smiles 
to the humans who show out. I am told 
the event is an absolute hoot! For more 
information and to participate, visit the 
BHRSC website at bassethoundrescue.org, 
link to the “events” page and download the 
registration form. The fee is $20 for the 1st 
hound and $10 for each additional hound - 
a small price to pay for such a unique day of 
fun and fanfare with your best friend, and 
all proceeds go to the homeless hounds!

 While you’re visiting BHRSC’s website, 
be sure to check out the “adoptable hounds” 
page where you can view photos of those 
still in need of forever homes. You can also 
watch a video about a darling dog named 
Abby who, upon intake required major back 
surgery after having been abandoned by her 
owners and hit by a car while wandering in 
the streets. Abby’s vet bill for surgery came to 
a whopping $5,000. If you’d like to help with 
Abby’s vet care costs, link to the “donate” 
page and type her name in the “purpose” 
field on the form. Although there are other 
monetary needs, Abby’s vet bill is among 
the most urgent at the moment. If you have 
compassion for these precious four-legged 
furry friends, I’m sure it will bring joy to 
your heart to help if you can, whether it 
be with a money gift, participation in the 
fund raiser, volunteering for foster care 
or even adopting one of the dogs they 
have available. One thing is for sure, your 
assistance will help put a smile on the long 
face of a homeless hound!

Meet Mouse (A4580319), a 
diminutive and darling six 
month old brown and black 
female Teacup Chihuahua 
puppy. Weighing four pounds, 
Mouse is a total lap dog who 
will happily keep you company 
for hours. She is good with 
other dogs, and we suggest 
an adult home because she is 
tiny and fragile. Mouse is the 
perfect go-everywhere indoor 
pet for a single adult or a couple in any living situation.

To watch a video of Mouse, visit http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=SJ8teuUZRxw

To meet Mouse in person, please see her at the Baldwin Park 
Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 
626-430-2378 or 626-962-3577). She is currently available now. 
For any inquiries about Mouse, please reference her animal ID 
number: A4568663. The shelter is open seven days a week, 12 
pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. 
This is a high-intake shelter with a great need for adoptions. For 
more information about Mouse or the adoption process, contact 
United Hope for Animals Volunteer Adoption Coordinator 
Laura at laurak@hope4animals.org. To learn more about United 
Hope for Animals’ partnership with the Baldwin Park Shelter 
through its Shelter Support Program, as well as the many dogs 
of all breeds, ages, and sizes available for adoption in local 
shelters, visit http://www.unitedhope4animals.org/about-us/
shelter-support-program/. 


HOW TO AVOID TICKS AND 
FLEAS THIS SEASON 

(StatePoint) Warm weather means barbeques, baseball and trips 
to the park with family and pets. But for pet owners, warm weather 
can also mean fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and other disease-carrying 
bugs.

“Fleas alone can each bite you or your pet up to hundreds of times 
a day,” says Dr. Rod Van Horn, a small animal, practicing veterinarian. 
“It’s vital to get control of these pests before they have the 
chance to bite, hurt and potentially spread disease.”

Now that the sunshine is finally here, you may be anxious to take 
your four-legged friends outdoors to run around. Help your pets 
avoid ticks and fleas by following these easy tips:

Treat for Prevention

You may not always be able to keep your pets away from infested 
areas, but you can stop the bugs from latching onto your pet. Treat 
your pet monthly with a topical flea and tick treatment for the 
most effective, longest lasting way to prevent infestation. There 
are now approved generic versions of topical veterinary products 
that use the same active ingredients as well, like Sergeant’s Pronyl 
OTC. It kills fleas and ticks, including those which can spread 
Lyme disease, and keeps your pet protected for up to 30 days.

According to experts, more than 70 percent of fleas bite a dog 
within the first hour of jumping aboard, so killing them within 
that first hour is paramount. Try a fast-acting treatment, such as 
Sentry Fiproguard MAX for dogs, which starts to kill fleas and 
ticks in just five minutes, before they can do damage. More information 
about protecting your pet and family from fleas and ticks 
can be found at www.fiproguard.com.

Check your House and Yard

If you think you may have a flea infestation but aren’t sure, start by 
checking your house and yard. Walking around your home and 
yard in a pair of long white socks makes pests easy to spot. Now 
you’ll see if you have fleas hiding in your home. Secure the infested 
socks in a plastic bag and throw them away or put into the 
washing machine for a hot wash.

Inspect your Pets

After a run outdoors, thoroughly check your pet for fleas and ticks 
or any signs of itching or blood stains. Be sure to look underneath 
the hair for visible bugs. But be aware that the largest part of an 
infestation – flea eggs, larvae and pupae – are almost impossible 
to see in a quick check. That’s why prevention is key.

Be Proactive

Treat your pets now, before it’s too late. Apply treatments year-
round to repel pests and prevent them from latching onto your 
pet’s skin. Just because you don’t see fleas or ticks now, doesn’t 
mean they aren’t worth worrying about. Always plan ahead.

Do everything you can to protect your pet, and you’ll never have 
to fret about bringing home pesky pests from the park again.


MAMA 
BEAR AND 
CUBS VISIT 
ARCADIA 
HOME

On Tuesday this mama bear 
and her cubs decided to go out 
for dinner.

After rummaging through the 
trash at a Highland Oaks area 
and finding nothing, Mama 
lead her children back to the 
woods where there was probably 
better food and and a place 
that is definitely much safter 
for the group. 

 Photo courtesy KTVU.