Hi everyone,
I rescued a red and white girl 4 days ago from Atlanta, GA. I saw an ad on Craig's List, and inquired if the 1 year old girl was still available. The woman wanted $275 for Zeba to cover her spaying and rabies.
When I talked to Zeba's mom, she explained that she was getting rid of her because she kept jumping the fence to "get to the chickens". Her husband wanted to get rid of Zeba because he just replaced the chickens and didn't want them to get killed again. (Note to Humans: Basenjis are hunters!!!:eek:)
As I was driving to Atlanta to meet this lady, I called her and she gave me more information. The onion kept peeling back, and with disbelief, I learned:
1. Zeba lived her life in a dog run. The fence she was jumping was the one keeping her confined.
2. Zeba was never allowed inside the house, except for when she was recovering from her spaying. Therefore, Zeba wasn't house trained.
3. Zeba was the leftover pup from when this BYB bred her two dogs, from their "first litter". They just got rid of the second litter, and her husband told her to stop breeding dogs (I thought, Thank God!).
4. Zeba "gets along with dogs", except for her female shepherd, who she picks fights with.
When I met Zeba, she was with her Mom, Dad, and little 8 yr old girl. I had my 2 year old tri, Lola, with me. Lola and Zeba both had hair-raising hackles, and were growling/talking/snarking at each other. Zeba is definitely a story teller! Lola grumbles, Zeba talks! I noted a huge scar along Zeba's side, and the woman said that it happened when she bit through the fence to get to the chickens. (Wow, she bites through metal and jumps over fences too!):eek:
The saddest part of this experience was the little girl's non-reaction to losing Zeba. I asked her if she would miss Zeba and she said, "No, Zeba's mean!" It was clear to me that this pup was never part of their human pack. :mad: I paid the money to get Zeba… not because she was a beautiful pup that was delightfully cared for and ready for her forever home, but because she needed to be rescued. If only I had a stun gun handy!!!:mad:
The dad put Zeba into the crate in the back seat of my truck (they also had a four door truck, but traveled with Zeba in the truck bed.) Zeba cried, howled, roo'ed, and was confused about what was going on, and after about an hour, she settled down. We stopped after about 3 hours, and I let her and Lola out to meet each other. There was a round of butt-sniffing; the hair was raised for both... but no aggressive fighting. ;)Whew! Zeba was afraid of me, and when I went to pet her, she was terrified of my hand. I fed her dog food~ first, on the ground, and eventually from my hand... and finally, she let me pet her ears as she ate. It took about an hour for this little victory. 
I got her back into the crate and we continued on our journey to Tampa. After a short nap at a rest stop, I drove through the early morning hours and pulled into Tampa at about 7 am. Rather than go directly home, we stopped at the local dog park for some more social time at a neutral spot.
Lola and Zeba sniffed each other and found other dogs to play with. There was a wonderful group of dog-park regulars, who warmly welcomed me and my two basenjis. I explained that I was unsure of what Zeba's reaction was going to be, and they were all patiently welcoming to her.
When Zeba came into our home, she joined into our dog pack (2 tri girls, 1 male rat terrier), with some grumbles and occasional spats, but there's been nothing overly aggressive. The added "bonus" to rescuing this girl was the realization that there was a "Free! Inside!" present.... worms! :mad: This poor girl... we immediately de-wormed her.
Zeba is afraid of men. At first she growled at my 15 year old son, and when he continued to reach out to her, she snapped at him and nipped his hand. She grumbles at my husband, but has not snapped at him. She seems fine with my 13 year old son, but maybe because he is younger?
So, we are on day 4. For the first 3 days, Zeba was glued to my side and constantly underfoot... I think of little Sophie/Bunny and her foster mom? I've left the house twice, and while I was gone today, she entertained the men with her songs, aka cries/roos.:D Today, the dogs are play-fighting, and Zeba will do quick yaps that almost sound like barks. Definitely happy sounds! She's venturing farther away for me within the house, but she's still tentative. We are working on the house training, and I have high hopes for little Zeba.
My sincere thanks to MacPack for trying to help me find a forever home for Zeba. I think that it may be too much to have four dogs at one time, but I want Zeba to become adjusted to life inside of a home before I give her away... it's not fair to the new family unless they are ready for the challenges of an insecure b. It totally astounds me when I hear of dogs that are left outside 24/7... is that how we should treat "man's best friend"?
If there are any basenji lovers near Tampa that would be willing to take on the rehabilitation of Zeba, please send me a private message and we can talk. In the meantime, here are some pictures of this beautiful girl!
