Billy Bob and Buford Are Home!

Playtime was FUN at Terri's House!

Buford and Billy Bob, two year old Bassets, were part of the ABC-Belly Rubs Basset Rescue transport group that travelled to NY on 3/22/2012.  The condition of the economy, home foreclosures and the loss of homes due to the terrible storms and tornadoes which recently struck Alabama, has made housing very limited.  Not just for Bassets, but for people as well. 

Billy Bob's Escape from Death Row

Buford Escorted into a New Life by Two Wonderful Ladies

Billy Bob and Buford found themselves in the very frightening position of being not only homeless, but in a kill shelter with their time to live very limited.  They were brought into an Alabama shelter as strays by animal control.  After searching diligently for the original owners - these two were obviously well cared for - and receiving no responses, the Shelter Director reached out to the Southern Basset Hound rescue groups begging them to take these two young fellows.  When she received no responses (foster homes in the South are full) she posted a plea for these beautiful boys.

Terri Davis, CEO and founder of 'Jewelry to Benefit Paws' and Pet Memorial design who works tirelessly for homeless and abused animals all across the South, saw the post and set about pulling and placing them.  Since foster homes across the South are full, Terri and her fellow hound lovers, have taken on the huge task of networking with rescues all across the country to pull Bassets from shelters and get them into temporary foster homes.  She has people from the regions around her covering GA, TN and AL.  They are saving as many lives as they possibly can without funding of any kind.  Terri sets up online chipins to help defray the expenses for gas and vetting.  They have rescued several Bassets and placed them in forever homes.  Terri set up this Facebook page to save and place as many Bassets as they can into caring homes Basset Hound Rescuers (Alabama) and Surrounding States.  (They are short on foster homes so if you live in that area and have an empty place on your couch for a Basset foster please check them out!)

Thank you to Terri for posting such beautiful photos of her foster boys!

Buford and Billy Bob

Handsome Buford at Terri's house

Beautiful Billy Bob at Terri's house

Terri received help from Robert Hudson to get the boys pulled from the shelter and Belly Rubs Rescue volunteer, Anne Jacoby, transported them to Terri's home.  Margaret Whitaker Lewis also helped Terri brainstorm the plan to spring the boys from the shelter.  With no homes to be found Terri housed the boys herself, along with her own 3 Bassets and 3 other dogs!  Terri said she absolutely fell in love with these guys and wished they could have stayed longer.  That's a hound lover!  She posted and tried to get them a home in the local area, but unable to find anyone to step up and adopt them she worked with Belly Rubs to get them aboard the Southern transport which landed them in Buffalo, NY on 3/24. 

Along with many other Causes Terri coordinates, she set up a Basset Hound Rescue Cause page to raise money for Basset Hound Rescues across the country.  She rotates between each once a month.  After the first Southern transport ABC completed in January, Terri set up the following Cause page for ABC - Help ABC Basset Hound Rescue Raise Funds - which has raised a whopping $475 the first two nights it was up.  Special thanks to Angela McMahan Showalter for her $200.00 donation!

Billy Bob was adopted the very next morning at Camp Bow Wow at the Breakfast for Bassets event in Tonawanda, NY.  He is doing well with his new family and loves playing with his two-legged brothers and sisters.

Billy Bob's New Family

Buford (now known as Duncan) was adopted by ABC's very own Andrea and Justin Beabes.  Justin is Boardmember of ABC and Andrea is Boardmember and ABC's Foster Coordinator (snicker, snicker).  Justin and Andrea only had Buford a short time before they realized they couln't live without this active, puppy love bug.  They had been proud of their foster record - Buford was their 23rd foster hound and their first failure!  (Now we don't feel so bad at failing on our first foster, Spanky.)  So does Buford still count as foster #23?

Duncan with his new Papa, Justin!

The dedication and commitment of Terri and her fellow volunteers is awe-inspiring.  Thanks so much to Terri, ABC and Belly Rubs Basset Rescue for saving the lives of these two beautiful boys and giving them a chance for a bright, happy future.  Congratulations to Billy Bob, Duncan and their new families.  May you have many healthy, joyful years to come with these wonderful brothers!

Duncan is Home!