TIME TO GO TO WORK

This is how Nailah escorts me to work each morning. No wonder I love my job!

What rituals or habits do your dogs have that especially brighten your day?

Elves

 

 The Victim

I recently sent a letter of apology, a check, some brownies, and a photo of Ivan to a library in a neighboring community. A book I requested from that library suffered grievous injury when it was set upon by elves and possibly other unknown ruffians. Eric, who operates on a rational, logical plane, said Ivan was the most likely culprit. I smile at that sweet innocent face and know logic has nothing to do with it. How can you look at that adorable face and suggest such a thing? I’m sure Ivan is not guilty, but we could hardly blame him if he had chewed the book. It has a photo of food on the front of the book jacket; this is practically entrapment.

 

 I’m pretty sure it was elves. Elves are held responsible for not a few incidents at our house, and with good reason as they’re always trying to set up the Munchkins to take the blame for some mischief they’ve caused.

 

Dasa has occasionally been found at the scene where a cardboard box has been chewed, and sometimes even has a bit of cardboard sticking out of her mouth as she finishes chewing. This is all circumstantial evidence, and I certainly don’t think it proves anything, except how cute she is, wagging her tail when she sees me. And really, it’s just a box, the contents are seldom damaged. So it was ready to be  mailed or contained neatly sorted items for the thrift shop? It isn’t her fault the elves choose inconvenient targets for their naughtiness.

We received a return letter from the neighboring library, agreeing that elves can be sneaky at times, and absolving Ivan of all guilt. They also said they loved Ivan’s photo, so they certainly won points for recognizing that he’s innocent and gorgeous. Those elves, however, get no quarter from us.

BRAT's 2014 Calendars Now on Sale!

I am excited to announce that BRAT's 2014 calendars are now on sale!  http://basenjirescue.org/calendarcontest

 

Every year, we hold a contest for the best basenji photos submitted by volunteers, adopters and this years friends of BRAT.  The top 15 photos in that contest can be viewed at http://basenjirescue.org/calendarcontest/default-order.asp .

 

2014 BRAT calendars cost only $20.00 each plus postage and handling costs.  We are calculating postage based on the number of calendars ordered, so you will save shipping costs if you order more than one to the same address. 

 

Once again this year, you can use your credit card to order calendars.  Credit cards will be processed through our PayPal account, but it is not necessary to have your own PayPal account to use a credit card.  A check or money order may still be used as well. 

 

We include scores of photos in the calendar so if you entered a photo in our contest, consider buying a calendar to see if your photo was included.  If it was a good one, odds are that it is featured somewhere in the calendar.

 

We have only a limited number of calendars available and when they are gone, we are unable to order any more.  So order one or more today!  Also, we would appreciate if you could share information about our calendars on your Facebook or other social media accounts so that we can get the word out to the entire basenji world.

 

The calendar project is our biggest fundraiser of the year.  All the net proceeds from the project go directly to the dogs.  Please consider making an additional tax deductible donation to BRAT when you submit your order.  In a large percentage of BRAT placements the vetting costs exceed the adoption fees.  Your generous donations enable us to continue to rescue many basenjis each year who are either elderly and/or in need of extensive vetting who would otherwise be put to sleep by their owners or in shelters.  After restoring them to optimal health they are adopted into loving homes.

 

Thank you again for your support of basenji rescue.  To learn more about the mission of Basenji Rescue & Transport, Inc., click here: http://www.basenjirescue.org/BRAT_Info/default.htm.  Special thanks to Jacque Holdaway who designed the calendar, Chey Miller who mails all calendars, and Debbi Johnson who processes the calendar payments.

 

Liz Newton

President

BRAT, Inc.

 

Welcome home, Remi

As I prepare for a transport today to bring Remi from Kansas City to Baton Rouge, I realize that 2013 marks my 5^th year as a BRAT volunteer.  I am still a relative newbie, and remain humbled by the depth and breadth of the expertise of the BRAT organization.  I found BRAT like many of you, searching online on the website, wanting to add to my single dog family.  Iggy definitely needed a playmate.  As my first B, from an established show dog breeder, he rules the roost.  And I was tired of being his playmate 24/7. 

So I found BRAT.  I registered to help…as a transporter, home visitor and foster.  Because there are so few basenjis in Louisiana, I thought my chances to foster would be limited…and considering other parts of the country, they are, but I have had the wonderful privilege to foster.   It has not always been easy…there’s the epic basenji battle that landed Iggy and Tristan in the emergency room, the destroyed furniture, the chewed up electronics…but I can honestly say, it’s always worth it.

My first opportunity came quickly, just two months after registering to volunteer.  Roxy, forever first in my heart, was found wandering the streets of New Orleans.  Heartworm positive. 14 pounds.  Almost didn’t survive the heartworm treatments.  She didn't make it to the View Basenji Rescues postings on the BRAT website; I adopted her. She had a great life for four more years until she succumbed to a damaged heart from those heartworms.

I was hooked. 

There have been more opportunities to foster during these five years:
·         Tiger, aptly re-named for his aggressive nature that caused his owners to surrender him.  Turns out he just needed thyroid medication, and he’s doing fine now in California.
·         Tristan and Genny: forced to produce babies in a puppy mill somewhere in Texas.  A bonded pair.  Happily living in Pennsylvania now after a failed first placement in Maryland.
·         Macy, underweight, was still lactating though no puppies were found with her.  Found locked in a shed in an abandoned house in south Louisiana.  Lived at a shelter for a month til she was pulled.  She came into my life at the exact moment I needed her.  She never made it to the adoption postings; I adopted her just as my sweet Roxy was leaving this life.
·         Bebe, the 18-month-old puppy who had already had a litter of puppies.  I am convinced there’s a backyard breeder in St. Bernard Parish…if I can only find it.  Three of my fosters have come from the same area, wandering the streets, unknown origins.  Bebe’s now a Southern belle in Savannah, Georgia.

And so today, I travel to Little Rock as the last leg of an owner surrender that starts in Kansas City, MO.  Remi is 15 years old.  She is going to be confused, leaving the only home she has ever known.  But thanks to four willing volunteers who are helping to safely and lovingly transport her, we will get her to Baton Rouge. 

I already know how this story will end.  She’s coming to foster with me almost at the exact time Roxy did five years earlier.  She won’t be a replacement for Roxy, but I’ve learned that I have a tender spot for the older Bs. 

She will have a soft pillow, a bright sunny window and even a warm fire to live out her days.  She likely won’t make it to the adoption postings either.  I don’t know her yet, but my heart already does. Welcome home, Remi.

Is your pet's microchip registered??

I'm the owner of 3 basenjis that I adopted through BRAT. The importance of microchip registration, and specifically of UPDATING your dog's microchip registration when your contact information changes, was brought to my attention recently by my vet, and I'd like to share what I learned.  Here is an article that explains it: 

http://www.pawfun.com/2011/09/is-your-pets-microchip-registered-if-not-it-is-useless-heres-how-to-register/

I can't emphasize enough the importance of having your dogs registered with an entity that is likely to be contacted when a lost dog is found.  No one thinks that their dog is going to get loose or become lost, but what if it did?  In the worst-case scenario (which is unfortunately not always unlikely) where a lost dog is found with no collar, tag, or other identification, most shelters will scan the dog to see if there is a microchip implanted.  However, who is the shelter likely to contact once they've scanned the chip?  Most shelters will use the universal microchip lookup database (http://www.petmicrochiplookup.org) to see if the chip is registered with any of the many possible registries, and then if your chip is registered with one of the registries the shelter may contact them to see if they can look up your contact information. But, if you haven't actually registered your pet's microchip ID # with one of these registries, the shelter won't know whom to contact about your dog.  

Currently, BRAT maintains a database of ID tags/info for its adopted dogs, which is connected to BRAT's "Lost Dog" hotline (a free service for all dogs adopted through BRAT that helps connect lost and found basenjis back to their adopted families via the BRAT ID tag the dogs wear on their collar), but this is NOT the same as a microchip registry.  BRAT does NOT maintain any kind of registry matching microchip IDs to owners, so if you get your dog implanted with a microchip, it's entirely up to YOU to register that microchip ID with the microchip registry's own "Lost Dog" service. This is very important! As the article notes, if your dog's microchip is not registered with a service connecting your contact information to the microchip ID, having the microchip in the dog is absolutely useless. 

Also, if you've moved or changed phone numbers since you registered your dog's microchip or adopted your dog from BRAT, you should contact your dog's microchip registry and/or BRAT to update the database with your new information. A note from BRAT Director Chey Miller:  "We can't stress enough the importance of adopters updating their contact information. I send a letter to each new adopter specifically requesting that they notify us of any changes to the dog's name, their name, their address, and their phone numbers.  Jackie Kuhwarth (the BRAT Director who answers the 24-hour "Lost Dog" hotline) needs accurate information in order to contact the owner of a found BRAT dog.  I maintain the database, but it's up to the adopter to keep us current."

I suspect a lot of owners have a false sense of security thinking "my dog is chipped and in the event it ever gets lost, I'll be contacted."  Unless your microchip registry has your correct contact information, you won't be. 

contributed by:  
Chris Hayes, Kristen Ayres, & the BRAT Board

Here's how to register / update your dog's microchip and BRAT contact info:

Microchip Registry:  If you're not sure if your microchip is registered, try looking it up here: http://www.petmicrochiplookup.org  If it shows that your microchip is not enrolled with one of the major registries, or if your information is out of date, contact your microchip registry service (something like AKC Companion Animal Recovery https://www.akcreunite.org) to make sure that your dog's microchip is registered with your correct information. Note:  There is a nominal cost, usually around $15-20, that the registries charge to initially register your dog's microchip with your contact information, but there is NO cost to update your information if it changes.  Remember -- if your dog ever gets lost, this simple registration process could save his life!!

BRAT Tag Database:  If you've adopted a basenji through BRAT, make sure that your dog is wearing his or her BRAT ID tag at all times.  If your dog is ever lost, your dog may be returned to you if someone who finds your dog calls the BRAT "Lost Dog" hotline on the tag, and your contact information is located in the BRAT Tag Database.  But, in order for this to work, your dog must be wearing the BRAT tag, and your contact information in the database must be correct!  If you've lost your dog's BRAT tag and need to order a replacement tag, you can do so here:  BRAT Replacement Tag Order Form.  If your contact information has changed since you adopted your BRAT, email BRAT director Chey Miller (rusenji@rochester.rr.com) to update the database with your dog's name, ID tag #, and new contact information.  

Walking with Basenjis and Baby

Now that the Bs and I are getting used to having our new little bundle of joy, my 2-month-old son Declan, around the house, we're starting to get a little bolder in our attempts to venture out of the house as a group.  My intention has always been to try to continue to walk the pups once a day as I had always done before, since all dogs need their structured daily exercise in addition to running around after squirrels all day in our fenced backyard.  However, since I can't very well leave the baby home alone, daily walks now mean that we ALL have to find a way to go out together.  Of course that's easier said than done, but slowly we're finding a way to make it work.  The dogs are  learning not to walk in front of the stroller or too close to the wheels (that's where the command "Left!" that they know from our running days comes in handy!), and I am learning how to drive the stroller with one hand and hold the leashes in the other, so that when the dogs see a squirrel and jerk the leash they don't jerk the entire stroller too!

Reef and Biko cool off in the shade of the stroller

So far, we're all adjusting well to our new walking style, and the dogs are definitely enjoying me being on maternity leave because that means our walks occur in the middle of the day while there's still bright sunshine to be had!  My only worry in all of this is that because my BRAT boy Biko is still very reactive to other dogs (and by "reactive" I mean that he goes Cujo on them), I am very nervous about what we will do when we're unwillingly approached by an off-leash dog.  Previously when this happened (albeit rarely, since there ARE leash laws where we live in New Jersey) I was always able to just cross to the other side of the street and walk a little faster, and possibly even run with my dogs to get away from a potential dog fight between Biko and an oncoming off-leash dog.  Now, however, we've got the stroller and the baby with us, so a quick getaway isn't going to be possible. 

To help us deal with this problem, I'm trying to work with Biko on being less reactive around other dogs, although admittedly I'm not making much headway right now since I've got a newborn baby to care for.  Also, I bought us some pet-safe citronella spray (like this one) to clip onto the stroller that will hopefully deter oncoming dogs in the event that we're approached by an off-leash dog not under their owner's control.  I haven't had to use it yet and I hope that I never do, but just in case -- we're prepared! 

So, so far so good in the group-walking department, and the dogs seem to be getting used to walking with the stroller and the strange little creature in it.  Now, all we need are some more of these beautiful, sunny fall days, and we'll be all set!!

2014 BRAT Calendar: Coming Soon!

Coming soon!

We have had several inquiries about the annual Basenji Rescue and Transport calendar, and we're pleased to announce that it will soon be available for purchase. 

Jacque Holdaway devotes many, many hours to this project each year, painstakingly gathering information, matching names with photos, obtaining appropriate permissions where necessary, and bringing it all together in an attractive product that will be enjoyed by basenji lovers all year long.  

As soon as we receive shipment from the printer -- any day now! -- webmaster Don Kuhwarth will activate the order pages, Debbi Johnson will begin processing the orders, and I will put them in the mail to buyers in plenty of time for Christmas gifting. The cost will remain the same as in recent years, $20 each, plus shipping.

Here is a sneak preview of our 2014 BRAT calendar.  The inquisitive cover dog is Jeremiah, photo taken by BRAT volunteer Julie Hartigan.

The back cover features an evocative painting by BRAT volunteer Susan Bloom, "Looking For My Forever Home". Her model is Kenya, her BRAT rescue.

*  The profits from calendar sales go to support BRAT's mission, as posted on the sidebar on the right side of this page.

Do You See What I See

Morning excursions into the backyard can be distressing for the Munchkins. I lead them into the dreaded wet grass with a treat. They gingerly tiptoe out, carefully nibble the treat, and tiptoe back to the patio, ready to escape into the house without even thinking about going potty.  When this ploy fails, I try luring them out by tossing treats onto the patio. For some reason, this often works better than standing in the grass.

I watch Ivan and Dasa search for the treats I’ve thrown on the patio. I have, if I do say so myself, become much more accurate, much better at lobbing the treats just in front of them. They snuffle and seek. They apparently don’t see treats at such close range; they sniff them out. I can tell by the way they sniff, searching for the treat. Treats at close range must be found. They don’t immediately see them with their eyes, they discover them with their noses. We can tell them where to search, but then their magnificent noses are on the hunt and their eyes follow and confirm.

If I call their names and point, they look at me and then at where I’m pointing. In her book, Inside a Dog, Alexandra Horowitz confirms what many dog lovers know; dogs are much more intuitive than other creatures, even primates. Dogs are more attuned to their people, they look at us for clues, for directions. Dog more than any other creatures are connected to humans by communication, by observation, by attentiveness, by emotion. Dogs reach us on a level that is heartfelt and soul uniting. We communicate heart to heart.

Dogs can tell which humans are sympathetic, which can be helpful, and which cannot. Dogs are very good at reading our expressions, at noticing how attentive we are.

Horowitz also tells of an experiment in which a person with a sandwich is blindfolded and the dog doesn’t stay as close as possible to that person's sandwich, rather he seeks a non-blindfolded person upon whom to employ his begging skills, in hopes that eye contact will increase his chances for success. This dog was obviously not a basenji. I’m pretty certain that, should I wear a blindfold while in possession of a sandwich, that sandwich would disappear into thin air and Ivan and Dasa would look innocent and confused if I questioned them about it. Sandwich? We didn’t see a sandwich.