Wild pack of basenjis in rural Florida


  • Thank you for the update, it's good to hear.


  • Three of us had the 5 pups (who are aprox. 5 months old) all together playing in a dog run for over 2 hours today. They are so different in that environment, in the shelter with all the barking and all isolated, they are frightened and shy. Playing together, they run, chase balls, wrestle, steal hot dogs, are just happy, wild, free basenjis pups. They came up to us, took treats from our hands, did not avoid us and even interacted with us. They still have to be caught and try and avoid us then, but are not "freaked" by it so much any more.

    They are very sensitive to body language, they watch and know which one we are after! They will be a handful for the lucky people who get them, but they are very smart, fun-loving and friendly, once they get over their fears. They really are "wild animals" who have had no human-type rules imposed on them, but I think they will learn to love 'creature comforts' really fast.

    So if you are ready for a fun foster, or adoption, step up and fill out that BRAT application! These 5 are going to be rewarding to work with,and it will be a very unique experience. The younger puppies have been handled and humanized since capture, when they were only 2 or 3 weeks old. The older dogs will be more of a challenge I imagine, but these 5 youngsters are going to be FUN !


  • Can you post some photos for us?


  • We got the first photos today, we were not permitted till after the hearing. My ability to post photos has been very limited, I don't think I can just "e-mail" a photo from i-photo, will have to get DH to tweak some and file them so I can do it that way. I am limited by my ignorance of technology.


  • Hopefully this will work, it is all 5 pups playing with an empty zipper-lock bag.

    I am not good at figuring out this tech stuff!
    attachment_p_103934_0_wimauma-bs-p2330924.jpg


  • Oh, this came through GREAT…more photos please...
    They look so happy!
    Let us know what we can do to help you and these dogs.
    Most of us on this list really do want to keep up on their rehomings.

  • Houston

    They look so cute and happy too..yes, more pictures please..


  • Those puppies are seriously adorable! Here's hoping they can find homes soon.


  • Lovely pic of happy Pups


  • Check out these photos on facebook of the fl b's.
    http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=149203&id=592602437&ref=nf


  • Those are great! They must be the pups that were only a couple of weeks old when they were caught. Lucky little pups, they have been handled and petted ever since.


  • Anne sent this first hand account.

    We have been working with the 5 month old pups at the shelter every
    Saturday. We had them in a dog run for over 2 hours last Saturday and
    they played like normal little basenji pups, full of fun and joy and
    obviously happy. However…...they are still quite fearful of humans
    and have strong prey drives. One saw a cardinal and her interest was
    more than casual, it was DINNER ! They still don't walk on leashes
    and will dig at a fence in a heartbeat. When it's time to round
    them up, they freeze and the frightened look returns to their faces.
    Then we sit by them and gently pick them up and pet and croon till
    they stop shaking. And this is after many hours with them, and being
    with them at play, them getting comfortable that they actually came up
    to us, taking treats, sniffing feet, then ignoring us and playing near
    us, not staying at whatever end of the run we weren't. These are VERY
    smart pups, they know when we are starting to round them up, they are
    watching us all the time and really read body language well.

    I think they will be great pets, but a couple of them will be a real
    handful! The dominant female went right up to the one old chair out
    there and ripped a bit of vinyl and went after the foam rubber. Even
    feral basenjis love to destroy furniture, evidently! She is quite a
    beauty, too, and a Queen Bee even at this young age.

    The youngest group of pups has basically been raised by Pam, these 5
    kids are older but are fairly trusting already. People mean good
    things, hot dog bits and pets, and I think these won't be hard to
    "civilize", but they are a whole different mindset than even an un-
    socialized dog. Humans are aliens from space to these guys, bus so
    far they think we are fairly benign aliens. There is one that is a
    rich mahogany color with light gold, almost green, eyes, she is
    stunning! They are so normal in one sense, and so totally NOT
    "normal" in other ways.

    They need to go to foster homes within the next week or so, so jump
    right in, and see what a real basenji "in the wild" is like!

    Anne


  • Post from Debbi
    Greetings from Florida!

    We are in the midst of making plans to spring the seized Wimauma basenjis
    from the Hillsborrough County Amimal Services shelter. Thanks to all for
    your wonderful offers of help! We will be in touch with you soon.

    Kenyatta, the mother of our bottle-fed litter, has spent the weekend with
    the vet, is showing improvement, but is still in a very guarded condition.
    Her pups are gaining weight, and most are beginning to suckle a bottle,
    progressing from being mostly tube-fed. Keondra, our last mom-to-be, looks
    ready to whelp any day now. She is even following nicely on leash and seems
    to be enjoying her last days without pups. Initially very distrustful of
    humans, Koca is begining to warm up to Pam. Her two week old pups are
    becoming rolly polly. Attached is a photo of one of our young puppies.

    There are now over 50 basenjis in the pack. Transitioning these dogs from
    their beginnings in a five acre field with little human contact to becoming
    healthy, well adjusted pets with loving families is our goal. We have been
    receiving notes asking about donations. Our webmaster has set up a link so
    that donations may be made by PayPal, credit card through PayPal or by
    check. We are determined by the Internal Revenue Service to be tax exempt
    pursuant to IRS Code Section 501©(3). Donations are tax-deductible to the
    extent provided by law. We would appreciate any contributions made to help
    these basenjis find their way into forever homes.

    http://basenjirescue.org/donations/FLBasenjisDonation.asp

    Thanks for all your thoughts and concerns for these basenjis.

    Debbi Johnson
    BRAT Treasurer & Director
    Germantown, TN
    debbijbasenjirescue@comcast.net

    and

    Pam Hamilton
    FL District Coordinator
    Advisory Director
    Basenji Rescue and Transport
    flbasenji@earthlink.net


  • I can't even make myself look at the links. 😞 I will just pray that some people in the area help out those little angels.


  • Oh, you should look..she how great these dogs will be once they learn humans are good.
    Watch a dog find love with the new families is a wonderful thing to see.
    they are not starved they are just not loved….


  • Subject: BRAT-CHAT: adopting a feral Basenji

    Because of our experience with our Sana, I've been asked by a
    few people to try and describe what it has been like to adopt a "feral"
    Basenji. As many of you know, Sana was taken from the same man in
    Florida who just lost custody of all his dogs. In the winter of 05/06,
    Sana and one of her pups were turned over to BRAT. We think that she was
    four at that time, and that the surviving pup was from her third litter.
    Keiki, the pup, came to NH, and Sana was fostered by Dana Cole until we
    adopted her in May of 2006. It was the start of one of the greatest
    adventures of my life. I can honestly say that there were times that I
    agonized over whether or not we were doing right by her, but I don't
    think there were more than a very few minutes that I felt even a shred
    of regret that we had added her to our family. I just never dreamed how
    much work would be involved, or how long it would take to see her
    progress.
    Adopting a new dog is always a challenge, especially with dogs
    as unique as our Basenjis. Adopting an extremely fearful dog was a
    different challenge from every dog I've ever met. Dana Cole was
    wonderfully, almost brutally honest about Sana's behaviour, and stressed
    that progress with her would proceed in the tiniest of baby-steps. I was
    confident about two things. The first was that Bill and I could offer
    this wild little creature a safe, fairly quiet and routine home, and the
    second was that we were committed to helping her discover that life
    really was good. Our goal for her was that she become happy - simply
    that - and that she be able to relax and enjoy life. Anything else would
    be a bonus - we already had a dog who loved us, and Sana's life now
    would be all about Sana. God knows she had already paid her dues, and
    she deserved peace.

    NOTE: because we were dealing with one feral dog in our own
    home, we had the luxury of allowing her to set her own schedule and
    develop at her own pace with as little pressure from us as possible. And
    it IS a luxury - one that most foster homes may not be able to offer.
    There are different methods that can be used, especially for dogs in
    transition between their rescue and their forever homes that include a
    shortened timetable and more intensive conditioning. In no way do I mean
    to imply that there are not multiple roads to success. Everything else I
    say is nothing more than generalities about ADULT feral dogs learned
    directly from Sana and from all of the research I still do on the topic.
    I am not an expert, except in terms of our one special dog. Each and
    every dog will come with its own issues and own schedule of development!

    Generalities:
    A feral dog is hyper-sensitive to everything. Every tiny
    movement, every change in tone of voice, every sound from another room,
    EVERYTHING is a potential danger. With time, this eases, but I doubt
    that it will ever go away because it is exactly what was needed for
    sheer survival. It doesn't take long at all to learn that humans produce
    food and supply warm, comfy beds. It does take a very long time for an
    adult dog to learn broader concepts - that human touch is not only
    non-harmful but can actually bring pleasure, that "home" is a real place
    that will remain constant, that gentleness exists and will not go away
    and (most importantly) that the good things will happen every day.
    By "it will take time", I do not mean that after the customary
    6-8 weeks of adjustment time, a feral/un-socialized dog necessarily will
    be comfortable in their new home. The tiniest of baby steps are things
    to be celebrated - eye contact, choosing to approach even when there's
    no food, learning any basic obedience are huge signs of progress that
    MIGHT very well take months - or even years - not days or weeks. Feral
    animals truly are the closest things to visitors from another planet
    that most of us will meet. Again, they lived in a totally different
    world where every action and sound had to be instantly noted and
    analyzed, because danger could return at any moment. After about a year
    with us, we carefully began to refer to Sana as "extra-vigilant" rather
    than "extremely fearful" not only because it was a more positive
    description but because we were finally realizing that this was
    something that would remain part of her character forever. This
    characteristic also requires extra care in terms of protection. A feral
    dog will react INSTANTLY to a perceived threat - usually by bolting. It
    might be extremely difficult to retrieve a frightened, loose dog because
    every one of their instincts will be telling them to run and hide, and
    it's quite possible that no stranger without a net would be able to
    catch them. We are fortunate that Sana, from the first day we had her,
    is highly motivated to stay safely in the comforts of our home, and to
    do her best to return there as soon as possible whenever stressed. It is
    actually more likely that feral dogs will incline to get AWAY from
    whatever frightened them, and to run, dig or climb if necessary. Bolting
    out a door or ripping a leash out of a hand may be a constant threat, so
    owners will need to be as "extra-vigilant" as their dogs to keep them
    safe - always and forever.
    Becoming adjusted to a human household will come in time, with
    gentle routine being one of the best tools. Love, however, is an art
    best learned when young, and it is not a natural concept for a feral
    animal. Food can be a major motivation in learning the extra perks of
    living with people - Sana's first true breakthrough came by way of
    "pizza bones" - and here again time will be involved. These dogs CAN and
    WILL learn to love, but they're starting very late in terms of
    development, and it can feel like forever. After three and a half years,
    Sana will now (almost always) come to me when she feels threatened, or
    her leash is tangled around her legs, or she's hurt, etc. She always
    sleeps pressed against me, fully expects to share any meal I eat, and in
    the last few weeks has finally begun to come to me to ask for petting.
    I know that she loves me, as well as relies on me and trusts me, and it
    fills my heart in ways I can't even begin to describe.
    Time - it all comes down to time and patience, and the desire to
    do it both FOR and WITH the dog. These dogs will be a challenge to even
    the most experienced of Basenji-folk, and many households will not be a
    good match for them. We all want to help in this extraordinary rescue
    situation, but unusual care will need to be taken in matching these
    survivors with their forever homes. I can't wait to see how they'll all
    be in five years or so!
    I would be happy to discuss the details of our experience with
    anyone who might be interested. I can be reached at: bcomvp@yahoo.com
    or laura_whitney@harvard.edu or 781-643-5497.

    Laura Whitney
    Arlington, MA

    P.S. Other than our usual Basenji resources, there are two sources of
    help I would recommend VERY highly:

    1. There is a Yahoo-group called "Shy-K9s" that got me through
      my most discouraged moments. It is a wonderful group, even if you only
      read the archives. Only positive methods are discussed, the support is
      tremendous, and reading about professionals who are willing to spend
      YEARS helping dogs that they still cannot touch is humbling beyond
      words. These people GET IT, and I cannot recommend them highly enough.
    2. Many people are not comfortable with the concept of using an
      animal-communicator (I wasn't, at first) but I found that working with a
      communicator could give us a huge boost. It was very beneficial in
      interpreting Sana's reactions to situations and helping her to know what
      changes and events (like travel) might be coming. I have worked with two
      (whose names I would happily pass on to anyone interested!), and both
      have been able to track physical and emotional changes at which I could
      only guess. One was amazingly helpful when Sana once got lost. Anyone
      interested should definitely get recommendations from someone they
      trust, because there are frauds out there, but there also are people
      with astonishing gifts that can be of tremendous assistance. Again, I'd
      be happy to recommend the two with whom we've worked to anyone
      interested.

    Laura Whitney
    Arlington, MA
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


  • Here is the mahogany colored female, Kizzie, with green-gold eyes…stunning!
    attachment_p_104153_0_p2330888.jpg


  • This is Afrika, the boy, and he is all boy!
    attachment_p_104154_0_afrika-p2330883.jpg


  • I think anyone interested in these dogs needs to read Laura's message (above) and take it to heart. These dogs, especially the adults, are not impossible, but they are not going to be easy. They will be rewarding and interesting though!


  • @MacPack:

    Here is the mahogany colored female, Kizzie, with green-gold eyes…stunning!

    She is beautiful….

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