This is a crosspost from BRAT, this is a lot of B's that need help:
This is an email to request your help. I have been made aware that there are 24 adult or young basenjis and numerous puppies available from a South Dakota puppy mill. I have been corresponding with the owner and he does not yet have a buyer, however I know in the past SW Missouri Auction has done total buy outs in these situations and then resold the dogs at auctions to other mills. He thinks that I am interested in purchasing them to breed. Although I did not tell him that I also have not corrected his misperception.
I and many from BRAT have purchased basenjis from the auctions and from individual breeders who are going out of business, or getting out of basenjis. As a matter of principle, BRAT has a policy to avoid purchases where we are only buying the over-stock of males or older basenjis, to make room for more breeding. This puppy mill is selling out of basenjis. He does not represent himself as a mill and refers to these basenjis as his "pets". He has other breeds for sale also, and he says he is moving.
It is not possible for BRAT to take this many basenjis at one time to foster in our homes and few BRAT members have our own kennels. I am asking you as fellow basenji owners for help and support in order to rescue this group. If basenji owners who have kennel space or room in their homes would be willing and able to foster one or more in different locations, I propose I negotiate the rescue and we move these basenjis to homes where they can be family pets and not an agricultural commodity.
The adults will likely be difficult and require some rehabilitation, however there are 6 pups from 2007 and others from this year, some not yet whelped, who can be placed with ease. None of the adults are older than eight years. BRAT will be 100% responsible for these foster basenjis in paying their costs (as BRAT always does) and we will also be 100% responsible for placing them. A BRAT volunteer will be able to evaluate the basenjis before the purchase is completed. This rescue will likely occur in the next week to ten days.
We have a common love of our breed, and together we will be able to remove many Basenjis from a horrible life in a mill.
I have a record of success in rescuing groups, though none this big. If this rescue is to be done, we would need foster homes or kennel space in addition to our BRAT foster homes. I can't fill every available BRAT foster home if it would result in BRAT having to turn away other basenjis needing our help this spring.
In responding, please type your state and what you can help with (transport, fostering, coordination, home visits for adopters, adoption) in the subject line. You may receive a response from someone other than me, but we will respond to you. Joining BRAT is optional: http://www.basenjirescue.org/joinbrat.htm
Thank you for any assistance you are able to provide to this rescue effort! Permission granted to share with all basenji lists.
A Yahoo list has been set up to expediate communication.
Group name: resqsdbasenjis
Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/resqsdbasenjis
I EMPHATICALLY encourage any of you that can to please help foster these basenjis. This rescue will be taking place as soon as next wednesday. Talk to your significant others about becoming a foster. If you do not already belong to BRAT, please join. It is a free membership, and in becoming a member early you enable the organization to complete all screenings (ie. make certain that you aren't another puppymiller), and utilize your help as soon as you can provide it.
Is this the breeder that listed the entire lot of them on puppyfind.com?
tanza- i have no clue.. I just cross-posted this from the BRAT-CHAT list.. i just looked at puppyfind and i would assume that its the same people..
I do believe it is that breeder you were refering to.
Besides fosters, which we so badly need we need folks to help transport.
Course, $$ also, but mostly we need a place to put these dogs so we can get them eval and vetted.
Some of the bitches are already breed.
Where to send money? BRAT? Or is someone else doing the purchase who needs money? We are a long way off to try and foster, and it would have to be a good fit with my 3 as we have a tiny house, but I can spare a few weeks of lunch money for a good cause like this!
Anne
I don't know if they are putting a seperate fund up, but I will ask and get back to everyone.
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?
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.
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!
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)
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