• Please send any donations to
    Debbi Johnson, Treasurer BRAT
    7255 Jermyn Cove
    Germantown TN 38138-8780
    For the SD Puppymill dogs
    It will go into a fund to be used only for the care, transport and vetting of these dogs and the puppies the pg bitches will have.


  • I live in socal. Is BRAT looking for foster homes close to SD only? Do they ship via plane if you are far away?


  • @Sweetpeaelf:

    I live in socal. Is BRAT looking for foster homes close to SD only? Do they ship via plane if you are far away?

    Brat needs help in SoCal too, I believe. There was just a large mill bust in Arizona. I'm not certain if they got any basenjis from there or not.


  • I live in Florida otherwise I really would love to take in one of the puppies 😞 Keep us updated & I will be sure to send a donation this weekend! Also, if any head to the Florida area let me know!


  • I went to the BRAT website and signed up to help foster. We'll see what happens next. My husbands not to keen about us fostering, since we just added a new puppy (Piper) to our family. I dont think having one more basenji in the house would be a problem, especially since we dont have children.


  • @Sweetpeaelf:

    I went to the BRAT website and signed up to help foster. We'll see what happens next. My husbands not to keen about us fostering, since we just added a new puppy (Piper) to our family. I dont think having one more basenji in the house would be a problem, especially since we dont have children.

    You might want to talk to other that have fostered in this situation… these are usually NOT socialized dogs, many time certainly not house trained. Not used to human contact..... And really if the whole family doesn't buy into the fostering it is not a good idea to do it.


  • I hope they can find enough foster homes, those poor dogs. I'm in So Cal AND at my legal dog limit, but will send a donation to help.


  • Right now they are trying to set up foster homes and BUR runs to get the dogs moved.
    I really don't know where they are going, but I have raised my hand to help bring some to Wa state, if they need it.
    I do believe Ca can be arranged as well, but really, we need to get them fostered and vetted first.
    I don't know as I have not ever had a pg basenji, but I would think they woudn't let them fly…
    Could be totally wrong. As I say, I am not up on that part re dogs, pregnant and flying


  • ok correction.
    There are only TWO pregnant bitches right now; and most of the dogs were born 2000-2007, with one mom that has 5, 1 week old pups. So there you have it.
    Sorry I posted the incorrect info.


  • As I understand it, all the dogs are now in BRAT's hands and on their way to their new foster homes.


  • Hooray! So glad that BRAT bought them,that will give those dogs a chance at a wonderful life, and keep many more out of pet stores. I hate puppy mills.

    Anne in Tampa


  • I am hoping to have good happy ending stories soon.
    I love good news!


  • Post from one of the gals who has one of the SD dogs.

    Hi, everybody,

    Thought you might like a progress report from someone who has interacted with the SD group firsthand. We met the truck in Des Moines yesterday. What a group! All those basenji eyes on us! They seemed like a sweet, responsive, good looking bunch at first glance. Closer examination suggests that they're very scared, very boney and pretty dirty. Most were fairly scrawny and their coats are a little dry.

    We took our foster boy over into the grass which seemed to be an amazing sensation to him and quite unfamiliar.

    At home, I am guessing he is like most of the SD group is likely to be: overwhelmed, frightened of us, unfamiliar with a house, or furniture or movements around him. He is very sweet, though, and will approach us if we're sitting on the floor. He will let us pet him just a little if we're very calm and still and he seems to be deciding that is a pleasant sensation. He seems very comfortable with our two dogs. Fiona has tried to play with him a couple of times, but he doesn't get it.

    If it is helpful, this is what we're doing right now at the very beginning of his time with us to help him through this very stressful transition:

    1. Talking to him ALL the time (in soothing voices) as we're doing other things.
    2. Sitting on the floor a lot and letting him approach us.
    3. Playing quiet music in the house.
    4. Not letting visitors come by yet.
    5. Taking him outside every hour or so (when we're home and awake). He will sniff around and go to the bathroom in the yard every time we take him out, so we want him to get the feel of doing this outside.
    6. Making sure he has some crate time so that he can rest (he is not likely to relax right now while he is out in the house).
    7. Going about our business so that he doesn't feel the pressure of being the center of attention and he feels like we are in charge and he can trust us.
    8. Not taking him on a walk yet - he has never been on a leash and he has extremely underdeveloped muscles from sitting in a cage all of his life. We're starting with letting him just walk around in the yard.
    9. Not giving him a bath. He needs one badly, but this is stressful even for a well adjusted basenji, so we're going to have to wait a little while. We got some "dog bath wipes" at Petco which have helped a little.
    10. Putting a collar on him right away so that he can wear a tag that has our phone number on it. He has no other ID yet and this would be his only hope of being returned to us and to BRAT right now.

    He is a fine little dog, though, and trying to be trusting. Best wishes to all of those who get involved with the rest of the SD group!

    Lindy
    (& Ivy & Fiona & the as-yet-unnamed SD foster boy)

    ====


  • The remainder made it to Mattoon today. As Sharron said, two females are definitely prego; however, two more could possibly be.

    Out of the 24, only two of them were really shy, and only one of them nipped. None of them really attempted to bite, but one of the males we did not handle because he was acting so fearful.

    I'd bet that all of them have worms (tape, round, etc).

    Almost all of them are in fairly sorry shape with sores, skinny/boney, and poor nutritional health.

    There is one litter of 5, and they have a real sweet-heart of a mama. She didn't like us handling her pups, and she made it known by aggressively licking our hands when we did handle them. The females that are/might be pregnant appear to be in better health than the others.

    The stud is a big proud tri, and he seems friendly also.

    There were probably 4 tris under 1 year old. There is one very skinny younger brindle. There are a whole bunch of red/whites.

    None of the prego ones look very prego except for one. I do not know when they can be expected to start whelping.

    Overall, I really think that most of these dogs will take to new "pet" lives very well, and with much appreciation. I'd say at least 80% of them really appeared to crave some human attention.

    On a last note, there's a little 7mo old male tri, that would barroo at me every time I walked by his cage. He was play bowing, and almost even acting ticked off that he was being ignored. I can't help but wonder if somebody at the mill hadn't been taking care of him as a pet, because he definitely seems like he's had some extra lovin' that he's missing.

    That's it for now. When I have get my pics, I'll post them here.

    Vegas


  • My heart goes out to all of those poor pups. Many ((hugs)) to you and all who have gone above and beyond to help them.


  • Thanks for this post. I am sorry more are pg than reported…sigh.
    Breaks my heart they are is such rough shape, but its it wonderful they will be taken care of, fixed and rehomed to humans who will be their slaves.
    Hugs and love to everyone who has worked to make this so...


  • @sharronhurlbut:

    Thanks for this post. I am sorry more are pg than reported…sigh...

    Well, it's just an semi-educated guess based on their appearances. It may or may not prove to be correct. We got the vet there today though, so everybody will get weighed, and then we should be able to more easily monitor the suspect females.

    I wonder if the make doggie prego test kits?:o


  • @Vegas:

    Well, it's just an semi-educated guess based on their appearances. It may or may not prove to be correct. We got the vet there today though, so everybody will get weighed, and then we should be able to more easily monitor the suspect females.

    I wonder if the make doggie prego test kits?:o

    Breeders sure wish they did…... but the answer is no... they don't


  • How long will it take to tell if the dogs are pregnant?


  • @sharronhurlbut:

    How long will it take to tell if the dogs are pregnant?

    They can do ultrasound at 21 days…..

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