Sid Needs a Home

[basenjilover11]

BRAt decided not to place Sid I do wish that the sources that spoke with BRAT would speak with me so I know why his past is such a huge issue. In my eyes he is the sweetest dog and aside from biting within a week of having him I could never envision him hurting a fly. He deserves a good home with friends, now I am left to find that on my own. Thanks for all of your help and words of encouragement.

[Patty M]

Christie, have you contacted http://www.basenjirescue.us/
They are out of Indianapolis, and not as well known as BRAT, but their rescue mission reads as follows:

Our Rescue Mission
1. Assist with the placement of full-blooded Basenjis, Basenji-mixes, Shiba Inu
2. Assign a Rescue Coordinator, who will evaluate the dog and screen prospective owners
3. Provide foster care for the Basenji or Shiba Inu in need
4. Provide medical care and socialization, as needed
5. Assist with transport
6. Provide follow-up information, support and advice
7. Rehabilitate Basenji and Shiba with issues usually caused by people
8. Special care and home for elder Basenji

If this isn't an option, I will try to help you, too. It's amazing how many people meet Zeba and Lola at the dog park and comment that they've been looking for basenjis…. I met a lady today at the dog park that was so happy to see them~ she hadn't seen basenjis for 20 years!

There is still hope!

[debbi j.]

@basenjilover11:

BRAt decided not to place Sid I do wish that the sources that spoke with BRAT would speak with me so I know why his past is such a huge issue. In my eyes he is the sweetest dog and aside from biting within a week of having him I could never envision him hurting a fly. He deserves a good home with friends, now I am left to find that on my own. Thanks for all of your help and words of encouragement.

Christy, BRAT sent two notes to you explaining why we can not take Sid into rescue. His known history of biting would be a huge liability to us. Unfortunately we can't save every single basenji, especially one that has a bite history. I will not argue the point that you think his previous owners obviously just did not want him. Vickie is a very reputable person, and she did not feel that he was safely placeable. It is well known how much she loved all her dogs. She did the responsible thing when she made the decision to have him euthanized when she was not able to keep him due to health reasons after he bit her severely.

I am sorry that BRAT was unable to help you and Sid.

debbi j..

[DebraDownSouth]

@basenjilover11:

BRAt decided not to place Sid I do wish that the sources that spoke with BRAT would speak with me so I know why his past is such a huge issue. In my eyes he is the sweetest dog and aside from biting within a week of having him I could never envision him hurting a fly. He deserves a good home with friends, now I am left to find that on my own. Thanks for all of your help and words of encouragement.

Sources that spoke with BRAT? You posted his history here and surely you posted his full history on the application. That bite history, no matter how wonderful he has done since, is enough for most rescues not to touch. I am not the only one who tried to explain why. I take it from your comment they said because of the biting history, so I am not sure why you don't understand a rescue cannot risk massive law suits to save one dog. They help nearly 300 dogs a year and to risk everything for one dog simply makes no sense. Yours is not the first nor sadly the last dog posted here that a rescue can't take because of history.

I really don't know, personally, of any rescue that takes a dog with a bite history like Sid's. This isn't a dog who got really hurt and bit. This isn't a dog biting while being abused. He seems perfectly manageable, as seen by your family. Yet you admit it began with 2 bites. So you stress him putting in a new home and he bites. BRAT or any rescue is then liable and in this sadly sue-happy country, at risk of losing everything. Can you really truly fault a rescue for not wanting to risk helping thousands of dogs over time to take Sid? In reality, the vet that took him should be the one to help and assume liability.

[DebraDownSouth]

@Patty:

Christy, I also admire your protective love of Sid…. it's easy to sit at home, read this forum, and give advice on what you should do... and sometimes, the advice I read on here sounds less like "advice" and sounds more and more like "orders". )

Patty, please tell me where anyone here has given her orders or done anything but genuine hope that this dog finds a home? Or try to help her understand the liability with adopting out a dog with a bite history?

My heart breaks for this situation, but truly if she doesn't tell the truth and someone finds out, she can be sued (and hopefully she is far too honest than to do that!). And if she is upfront about the bites, added to his age, the likelihood of finding him a home simply is not very bright, especially through most rescues.

[Patty M]

@DebraDownSouth:

Patty, please tell me where anyone here has given her orders or done anything but genuine hope that this dog finds a home?

Debra, this is exactly what I am talking about…. enough said. I will NOT get into a quote war with you, as I have seen on other threads. I was writing to CHRISTIE... not to you, and yet I'm supposed to explain my statement to you???? This thread is to help Christie re-home Sid, correct?

To others reading this string: I spent today at the dog park with two of my basenji girls, Lola and Zeba…. read all of my posts if you want our history, because it's out there. I've only had Lola for one year (home #4) and when I rescued her, there was a sincere note: Feed her 1/3 cup of food, 3 times a day at 6 am, 12 pm, and 5 pm (CENTRAL TIME)… little Lola was only 14 lbs! She wasn't potty trained, because apparently she was always confined to the tiled kitchen! :mad:
We potty trained Lola.
We plumped her up, and she is no longer Food Aggressive.
In 10 words or less: We gave Lola the freedom to be a basenji. Fast forward to Sophie. Then Becca. And Zeba.
It takes a BASENJI VILLAGE to raise these dogs.
We are very blessed that our family has been "the village" for our rescued basenjis. But there's a dark deep secret: Miss Lola…. the well adjusted one that's been in our home for a year? Well.... she has BIT my son. AND my other son. And ME too. Why? Pick your reasons: the fact is, she did.....
So, fast forward in time and pretend that circumstances dictate that I must re-home my Lola, also known as "Lolita, Senorita, Margarita May".... should I confess to these "situations"? Or do I let the new owners just take her, and have my fingers crossed behind my back?

People are NOT perfect. Nor are Basenjis. :);)

I have never met Christie, but I can relate to the feeling that she has... where this creature called a basenji somehow enters your life and changes your perspective on EVERYTHING! With good conscience, she is speaking the truth as SHE sees Sid... and has seen Sid EVERYDAY for the last 2 years. THAT IS A LONG TIME!!!! Perhaps the conditions prior to Christie were "less than ideal"…. I don't know, nor is it fair to sling those people in the mud.
_
For the last 2 years, Mr. Sid has understood this thing called Life with Christie, and he has LOVED IT.:p He has been showered with love and affection, and has responded in kind with respect to humans, big and small._

[Quercus]

@basenjilover11:

BRAt decided not to place Sid I do wish that the sources that spoke with BRAT would speak with me so I know why his past is such a huge issue. In my eyes he is the sweetest dog and aside from biting within a week of having him I could never envision him hurting a fly. He deserves a good home with friends, now I am left to find that on my own. Thanks for all of your help and words of encouragement.

Christie…I can't speak for BRAT...but as a dog professional, what worries me about Sid is that, even though he has only bitten three times (that I know of), the bites exhibited what we call a lack of inhibition....meaning, there was no warning, and the bites were deep and multiple. Dog bites can vary from an air-snap, where there is no contact, but the action of biting is made...to a muzzle punch where the muzzle contacts the skin in the action of 'biting'...on up to mauling. As far as I know, you are accurate that Sid RARELY bites...but the down side, is that when he does, he does a lot of damage. This was definitely the case with Vickie, and your partner. This doesn't make him a bad dog, and he may never, ever bite again...but a rescue organization really can't put themselves in the position of assuming that...and the vet who placed him with you shouldn't have put himself in that position, and he certainly should have told you the truth.

I know it is hard to be objective when you love him, and want the best for him. But the reality is that a good rescue would have a hard time justifying taking the risk of placing him.

I really hope you will re-evaluate your feeling that you need to rehome him for his happiness. I know you think he is depressed, but the fact that he hasn't shown any aggression in a long time, shows that he is comfortable..and it sounds like he leads a very rich life with you, even if you have to compromise on how much time you spend with him right now. I am pretty sure that if he could talk, he would tell you he wants to stay with you...you said that he chose to bond with you, instead of your partner....that tells you a lot

[DebraDownSouth]

@Patty:

Debra, this is exactly what I am talking about…. enough said. I will NOT get into a quote war with you, as I have seen on other threads. I was writing to CHRISTIE... not to you, and yet I'm supposed to explain my statement to you???? This thread is to help Christie re-home Sid, correct?

Nope, you said people give orders, indicating an attack on others here. SO it wasn't just TO her, it was ABOUT others. You don't want to explain, you don't have to, but if you make accusations, don't be shocked and outraged if someone calls on you to back it up. And usually, when people make comments they can't back up, what that means to ME is "I can't prove it, it's just how I FEEL so I'll call it fact and hope no one notices."

Yes Andrea, snarky and intended to be. That's how I respond to snark.

[DebraDownSouth]

@Patty:

…..
So, fast forward in time and pretend that circumstances dictate that I must re-home my Lola, also known as "Lolita, Senorita, Margarita May".... should I confess to these "situations"? Or do I let the new owners just take her, and have my fingers crossed behind my back?

If you have one ounce of ethics, one iota of morals, one drop of care about being responsible, you tell the truth. Just my opinion.

[agilebasenji]

@Quercus:

I really hope you will re-evaluate your feeling that you need to rehome him for his happiness. I know you think he is depressed, but the fact that he hasn't shown any aggression in a long time, shows that he is comfortable..and it sounds like he leads a very rich life with you, even if you have to compromise on how much time you spend with him right now. I am pretty sure that if he could talk, he would tell you he wants to stay with you…you said that he chose to bond with you, instead of your partner....that tells you a lot

I am wondering if there are ways that we could help Sid stay in the home he is currently in. If Christine is willing to keep him, perhaps we could offer suggestions in enriching Sid's life where he is. Could you please share a typical day(week?) in Sid's life?

[basenjilover11]

Well it is obvious that no rescue group is going to take Sid as everyone has clearly listed. The fact that he has bite me means absolutely nothing to me, it wasn't severe and after it happened I wasn't scared of him nor am I scared of him or what he will do to other people. Regardless of the situation I think it is in Sid's best interest for me to just keep him. It is a headache having to deal with people assuming what is best for him and thinking negatively about any dog who has bitten. Sid is going to be 10, and although I do not think he is happy I guess the life he has with me is going to have to be the best that it gets. I refuse to let him go into a home and risk him being put to sleep if he bites someone. He has shown no aggression for close to 2 years now and I don't see any sort of aggression picking up anytime soon. You are right that if he gets placed he could become very confused and aggressive, so that is something I don't want to risk.

And as far as the vet goes, yes he has done this kind of thing before, he just doesn't believe in putting dogs to sleep because they bite. He thinks there is a remedy for dogs who bite and believes any biting dog can be dealt with. Do I agree with his remedy? To an extent. I am not mad that I ended up with a dog who has bitten because he has never severely hurt me or anyone around me. It is unfortunate that he can't be given a chance in a better home than mine because of that, but thats neither here nor there.

Moral of the story, I am going to keep Sid and probably get another dog once I move home so he isn't so lonely. If I do decide to give him up it will be to someone I know and speak to on a regular basis and they will most definitely know his bite history.

[basenjilover11]

Thank you for your words of encouragement Patty. I am going to try to make it out on Sunday so Sid can interact with other basenjis. Yea maybe someone will fall in love with him, maybe not. What I can do is continue to give him a good home and love him. He is a good dog and it breaks my heart that anyone would ever put a dog done because they bite them. It's not in me to do that, understandable if it was a child but most certainly not myself. I believe there is a remedy for every situation and euth is not one of them. Wish me luck and hopefully you will be meeting Sid soon. Don't worry he won't bite you :-p

[basenjilover11]

@basenjilover11:

Thank you for your words of encouragement Patty. I am going to try to make it out on Sunday so Sid can interact with other basenjis. Yea maybe someone will fall in love with him, maybe not. What I can do is continue to give him a good home and love him. He is a good dog and it breaks my heart that anyone would ever put a dog done because they bite them. It's not in me to do that, understandable if it was a child but most certainly not myself. I believe there is a remedy for every situation and euth is not one of them. Wish me luck and hopefully you will be meeting Sid soon. Don't worry he won't bite you :-p

Thank you for your words of encouragement Patty. I am going to try to make it out on Sunday so Sid can interact with other basenjis. Yea maybe someone will fall in love with him, maybe not. What I can do is continue to give him a good home and love him. He is a good dog and it breaks my heart that anyone would ever put a dog done because they bite them. It's not in me to do that, understandable if it was a child but most certainly not myself. I believe there is a remedy for every situation and euth is not one of them. Wish me luck and hopefully you will be meeting Sid soon. Don't worry he won't bite you :-p

[MacPack]

Christy, we were hoping to meet Sid yesterday, we had a fairly small group there, all mellow, I think he would have fit nicely. I understand you are very busy, hopefully you can meet us one week. We are at the DI park almost every evening with our 2, if that is closer to you just let me know we will meet up with you there.

[Kipawa]

My heart goes out to you for making the decision to keep Sid. I do believe that living with you will be the best life he will have. Wishing you and Sid lots of good times.

[Patty]

Christy - i'm relieved and very pleased that you've decided to keep Sid. My best wishes for his and your future.

[DebraDownSouth]

@basenjilover11:

Regardless of the situation I think it is in Sid's best interest for me to just keep him.
It is a headache having to deal with people assuming what is best for him and thinking negatively about any dog who has bitten.

Perhaps a home will come up. I guess this means the people who had his grand dam decided no?

I am sorry that you keep thinking people offering suggestions are headaches "assuming what is best" or that everyone thinks "negatively about any dog who has bitten." Neither is true. Realistic about his chances for a home, realistic about what taking him could do to a rescue and knowledgeable about dogs that bite severely is not the same thing. But bottom line is that it is heartening to know you will keep him safe. Sid lucked out in finding you, even if you weren't looking for him.

[basenjilover11]

I am assuming the people with his grand dam decided no yes. I never heard back from her, she had to discuss with her husband. She had 3 other basenjis who were 15, so on there last leg, but then again she said that Sid's relative was 18!! That to me tells me that if I am gonna have him for 8 more years I am indeed going to have to get him a friend! Lol. Looks like he comes from a line of very healthy basenjis and at this rate he might even outlive my cat! Set all of that aside, I will always be on the look out until I find him a friend and just keep in mind that he did pick me and there may not be anyone else out there for him. He's had a rough life, in a sense it wouldn't really be fair to just give him up after all the progress he has made. Being on here has made me see the ups and down of my relationship with him and realize that he is probably better off with me.

On my evenings off, which are very few and far between, I am gonna try to swing him over to Davis Island and hopefully make it over every other sunday to West DP. I think it will good for him in interact and just see other basenjis in action. Hopefully he joins in the fun

[MacPack]

Super news! We are usually at the DI 'wet' park around sunset, just too hot earlier. We have 2 older tris, and on Sunday and monday nights our friend with a B-mix is usually there too. And of course we have Basenji Sundays at West park!

[basenjilover11]

i do believe i have seen you at DI before. You live right up the road don't you?