Basset hound group rescuing area puppy mill dogs

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As you may already know, puppy mills are a problem in our nation, and now it’s even closer to home than you think. Over the past six months Arizona Basset Hound Rescue, an expert in dog welfare and puppy mills, has taken in 52 Basset Hounds from a puppy mill in Pinal County. AZBHR has worked with Pinal County for over two years trying to close down this breeder and is very thankful to Pinal County and all their staff for the efforts in getting the owner to surrender the final group of Bassets as of last week.

Pinal County was able to get the owner to surrender 29 Bassets back in February, and 22 of those dogs were turned over to AZBHR; the balance were adopted out by Pinal County. The breeder recently was evicted, lost her home and moved down the road, leaving 13 dogs at the property outside.

When the realtor showed up to survey the property, she found them and called animal control in Pinal County. According to animal control, the dogs had NO food and NO water; this was last week, when the temps were in the 110s plus. Once they tracked the breeder down, she claimed that she was feeding and watering them when she could but hadn’t had a ride in three days, so she hadn’t been there.

Recently we received the call from Pinal County that they were able to get her to surrender all remaining Bassets to animal control. AZBHR will be taking in 16 of those 21 Bassets. Some of the remaining Bassets have parvo and are very sick; in fact, a couple have not made it due to lack of any vet care, which is common with these puppy mills. “It breaks my heart to know that these dogs that have died from neglect could have been saved if they would have been taken to a vet for care at the early stages. The dogs depend on us humans to be there for them and care for them,” says AZBHR president Kim Bruck.

When a dog is in a puppy mill, they are often kept outdoors with little or no shade, kept in kennels or very small crates, given the minimum of food, and sometimes it’s not even dog food. When the dogs are no longer producing pups, many times they are shot or drowned, as were a few Bassets that AZBHR was to take from a puppy mill in another state.

Many of the Bassets have health issues such as Valley fever, worms and ticks and have never had any medical care so the medical expenses are high. All the Bassets are receiving medical care, shots and love from the volunteer foster homes. Twenty-one of the 22 Bassets taken back in February are already adopted and in loving homes. One remaining Basset is Fitzgerald, and he was probably the most traumatized and was deathly scared of humans. Another major side effect of puppy mill dogs is that they have not been socialized with humans and are many times abused. AZBHR has two females, Natalie and Emily that have been in their foster home in Tucson for 1.5 years and still hide when company comes over. It takes lots of patience and love from foster homes and adopters when severe cases like this occur. “I’ve fostered a couple from the puppy mill and saw them grow to love humans and not mistrust them; that is rewarding to every foster home and most of all to the Bassets we have saved.” said Bruck.

AZBHR is very active in saving dogs from the life of a puppy mill and have saved many from other states and, in the past year alone, over 60 Bassets. AZBHR requires that all foster homes’ other pets are spayed and neutered, the responsible thing to do.

Puppy mills are not our only priority. AZBHR works with all the dog welfare agencies in Arizona, including the Arizona Humane Society and has taken in dogs about to be euthanized for the past 10 years. AZBHR prides itself on the volunteers who give countless hours to help save these animals and find them a forever home to live out their lives. Why buy from a puppy mill when there are so many dogs and cats that are euthanized each year?

Arizona Basset Hound Rescue, a non-profit 501c(3) animal welfare organization. Arizona Basset Hound Rescue has saved over 1,200 Basset Hounds and Bloodhounds since incorporating in September 1999. Arizona Basset Hound Rescue is an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff and no physical location. Volunteers throughout Arizona foster all the dogs in private homes. In 2008 the veterinary fees and care for the dogs was over $100,000. AZBHR has over 75 dogs in foster care and needs volunteers to foster, adopt a Basset or donate to help with the medical expenses of these dogs that never knew the good life and have been bred over and over.

AZBHR is hosting the Basset Ball 2009 on Sept. 12, 2009, in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Basset Ball is our largest fundraiser with over 300 silent and live auction items and a sit- down dinner. AZBHR celebrates 10 years, saving over 1,200 Bassets and will put on a special program at the Basset Ball. Dress code is cowboy chic and not black tie. Tickets are $70 and must be purchased by Sept.1. RSVP at www.azbassetrescue.com under events. Last year’s event raised over $47,000 to help the hounds.

For information on Arizona Basset Hound Rescue (AZBHR) call 602-225-7800, visit www.azbassetrescue.com or email [email protected] or [email protected].

Submitted photo

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