Spring Basset Blast a Huge Success!

Elvis Hastings Crowned 2012 Duke at the Spring Basset Blast

ABC's Spring Basset Blast was a very successful event with the best attendance in humans (302 people) and hounds (209 dogs) ABC has ever had!  ABC's FaceBook page has wonderful photos of the event at SBB Photos 1 and SBB Photos 2.  Shelly Gordon also put together a Photobucket Album of the SBB.  Thanks Shelly for posting all these great photos!

From the Southern transport from TN and GA, which just arrived in Rochester on Friday night, four Bassets found their forever homes - Bernie, Lizzie, Claudius and Marla.  Penn was also adopted, a sweet boy from the last transport, as well as Ernie who was adopted by the Cote's.  We got to meet the Cote's and visit with Ernie.  It was amazing, he was so happy and seemed like he'd been with their family forever!  Congratulations to all of the adoptive families on their new additions!  We wish you many happy, healthy years together!  The remaining Southern hounds were placed in foster homes until their forever homes are found.

Penn and his lucky new forever family!

Bernie and Lizzie Adopted!

Claudius and his new forever Dad!

Congratulations to Marla and her new forever family!

Ernie Adopted by the Cote's, lying down at Dad's feet.  Seemed like he'd been with them forever.

Deb and Steve Gittens drove to TN to drive the Southern rescues to NY.  On their way to the Blast they ran into a lady who blogs for Wild Rose Farm.  She was captivated by the story of the Southern transport and the Blast event.  She wrote this cool blog post about meeting up with the ABC van.  View blog at Wild Rose Farm: Bound for the Basset Blast.

Steve Gittens watering the hounds during the transport.

There were many amazing rescue stories.  Chet (Cote) and Ruby (Hallingse) were brother and sister Bassets from a puppy mill rescue in which ABC took in 34 hounds.  They met up at the Blast along with their Mom, Hattie, for a happy reunion! 

Chet was one of Hattie's first litter of puppies and crowned King at the Blast

Ruby and Nina with Chris

King Chet resting his head on his Mom's back

The day was packed with great vendors, games and activities for the hounds, and tons of vendors selling unique and wonderful hound and human wares that you won't find anywhere else.  A Silent Auction was held with the most amazing baskets.  Dollar Raffles and the great Vacation Get-Away Raffle (lucky winners they were.)  There was even a paw-reader, for those hounds that could sit still long enough to have their paws read.  All to raise money for homeless and abused Basset Hounds.  There was also the Adoption and Foster Event, Coronation of the Royal Court, and a very touching Memorial Service for those hounds that passed on to the Rainbow Bridge and much more.

Howling Hound Contest

The Slobber Shoppe

Great Job to the Nowicki-Gordon team!  Thank you for toting so many wonderful things to the Blast!  Hope you made lots of dough for the hounds!

There was a fashion show that featured some really creative and beautiful costumes.

Ruby Noel and Nina Panina (Hallingse) strutting their beautiful costumes!

Bella (Wojtaszczyk) as Fairy Princess.  Bella was also crowned Queen!

The Royal Court and their human attendants!

King Chet (Cote) Coronation

Queen Bella (Wojtaszczyk) Coronation

Daisy, Lucky & Spike with Dad Nowicki

Duncan raised $40 with his 'Dollar Coat'

Duke and Sommer color coordinated their outfits

Eeyore and Diesel Gordon

Laura Johnson - Volunteer of the Year Award!

Thank You to all the volunteers who worked so hard on the Blast!

It was a wonderful event for all and the Bassets all had a Blast!  It was great for us and Spanky to be able to meet all these great hounds and their folks in person.  Spanky walked around nonstop, enjoying all of the pets and belly rubs.  He also attended the pizza party get together before the event which he thoroughly enjoyed.  He got to meet sweet Eeyore who he fell instantly in love with and even received a little kiss from her which sent him into seventh heaven.  Duke actually let me pet him...well, a little anyway.  We all fell in love with the famous Diesel (Gordon).  We are already counting the days to the 2013 Basset Blast!

Special thanks to CPR Metro.org who let us use their livestream feed to cover the event.  Video of the event can be viewed at CPR Metro Livestream 1 and CPR Metro Livestream 2.  We learned a lot from the technical problems we had and hopefully will have the glitches worked out next time.  Stay tuned for additional pictures and videos still to be downloaded!

Sweet Eeyore, Spanky's new love