Getting from the breeder is an excellent idea. I think most on here would agree. However IMO Rev's response was rude and dismissive. People were just giving their experiences and asking why. Had he said I am not interested in one I don't have a background on, no one would have said a thing. But he basically said rescue is not good enough for me, again IMO. Many people on here have rescued dogs and that seems hurtful.
"Good for you, I have no intentions of ever getting a Brat not even for free which they are not. Thanks for the comment though.
adopt all you want! "
I am sorry for your loss. It is so hard to lose your best friend.
I, too, have no kids and am married. Our dogs are our kids!:o My husband and I sent our 16 year old red and white male, Congo, to "puppy heaven" in March. We have an almost 7 year old tri female, Bandit, who we felt was going to die of a broken heart. It didn't take us long to realize that she lost more than we did when Congo was gone. No amount of treats and special attention brought any joy into her life.
We, too, wanted an adult dog. Not being home all the time and other obvious basenji reasons! I signed up for BRAT with the thinking that everything happens for a reason and if it is to be, then let's at least see what happens.
I didn't feel comfortable contacting any breeders right away because you can never "replace" the perfect basenji (Congo really was!!!) . Anyway, I was surprised to get a call not 2 months later from BRAT, "was I still looking?".
A 1 1/2 year old tri male was being placed up because the lady who had him had 2 big dogs and just didn't want him anymore.
Can I just say how lucky we are to have found Hunter? :o He is the most precious little boy who just wanted love and attention. He wasn't abused or neglected, more like ignored. He is now able to get his "puppy" out and just be a basenji, for the first time. We have him enrolled in obedience class and the instructor last night said she was impressed that he has come so far, being a basenji and all!
Not all rescues are "horror stories". If you are willing to put yourself out there, you just might be as pleasantly surprised as we were!:) Good luck in your search!
Getting from the breeder is an excellent idea. I think most on here would agree. However IMO Rev's response was rude and dismissive. People were just giving their experiences and asking why. Had he said I am not interested in one I don't have a background on, no one would have said a thing. But he basically said rescue is not good enough for me, again IMO. Many people on here have rescued dogs and that seems hurtful.
"Good for you, I have no intentions of ever getting a Brat not even for free which they are not. Thanks for the comment though.
adopt all you want! "
You and I might be overly sensitive, but I agree with you 100%. :rolleyes:
All six of my dogs are rescues and I couldn't imagine not giving them a safe place and the love they've missed. In return, I am rewarded with so much love. There are so many Basenjis in need these days.
To each his own.
+1 on what Dash and Vicki said, but also..to each his own..
There are pleasant ways and not so pleasant, we all choose what way to go..
As a fellow Brat fosterparent, I admit, my feelings were hurt..but I also see why you might want to go through a breeder..please do make sure you do just that, go through a breeder..
I think Rev got the good and the bad on here and everyone is so right about to each his own.
Basenjimamma do not let it hurt your feelings we know that there are lots of people that will go to BRAT same as some that will not. As long as they get good homes that is what matters? Right.
Yes I hope they go to a breeder. I am sorry about there loss and sometimes when we loss our baby it's hard to see other ways time might take care it for them and they find what they are looking for.
Rita Jean
One point I think is very pertinent to this discussion is that rescue exists because of BYB's and puppy mills that do not take responsibility for their dogs for their whole lives. They care more about the sale than about whether a basenji is a good fit for the people who contact them. I am not by any means suggesting that rescues don't deserve homes…..but when it comes down to it rescue is part of the market for BYB's and puppy mills. They don't care where their dogs end up...
Better that a dog come from a responsible than from someone who got their dog from a BYB. It's all about the demand...
anticipating that I will be yelled at
I won't yell at you. It has been said here before, rescue is a catch 22. The dogs deserve good homes but by cleaning up after the mess of others so they do not have to take responsibility for their actions only perpetuates a cycle where animals will continue to end up in this situation.
Education is key to breaking the cycle. The fewer people who purchase BYB/puppymill dogs the less will be produced because they can not be sold. I also think rescue organizations should send a letter to the breeders when known asking them for donation to pay for the expenses to rehome their dogs. When BCONC was still able to do rescue, we did that and it did have an impact when a person keeps getting those letters in the mail, not on everyone but on some.
Also, there are people out there that have been treated rudely by individuals representing rescue groups…and that may have left a bad taste for them. I think everybody just needs to take a deep breath, and not take the comments personally 
Rescue is great, responsible breeders are great...different people have different preferences and needs..we can all respect that.
IThe dogs deserve good homes but by cleaning up after the mess of others so they do not have to take responsibility for their actions only perpetuates a cycle where animals will continue to end up in this situation.
I almost used the phrase "cleaning up" in my post because I really do think it's the best descriptor. And I really like the idea of sending a letter to irresponsible breeders asking for a donation to rehome their dogs….
I agree with what has been stated, I too feel as if it is a major catch 22, if we have rescues the BYB's and the likes have somewhere for their dogs to goi.e get dumped, not good, but on the flipside, rescue is good for the times when somebody passes away or gets sick and can't take care of the pets anymore, or whatever have you.
It is a shame I think that rescue organizations take dogs from BYB's and puppy mills over and over again..I wish there was a way to stop that from happening, but I don't know how to get that to happen. By helping them out we are not stopping it, we are doing just that, helping them out..
By the way, my feelings were hurt on a foster type level, nothing personal what so ever..
Lots have been said on this thread that is good and depends on how you take it bad. After all has been said and done lets hope this guy finds his B and it has a good forever loving home. I wish all B's for that matter all dogs had forever homes people would just stop and think. It is BYB'S but also people I want today and I rid the next day those people are so also much of the problem.
Rita Jean
I won't yell at you. It has been said here before, rescue is a catch 22. The dogs deserve good homes but by cleaning up after the mess of others so they do not have to take responsibility for their actions only perpetuates a cycle where animals will continue to end up in this situation.
Education is key to breaking the cycle. The fewer people who purchase BYB/puppymill dogs the less will be produced because they can not be sold. I also think rescue organizations should send a letter to the breeders when known asking them for donation to pay for the expenses to rehome their dogs. When BCONC was still able to do rescue, we did that and it did have an impact when a person keeps getting those letters in the mail, not on everyone but on some.
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I totally agree with you. When we discussed our next pet my wife suggested maybe we go to the pound and save a life rather than buy a dog from a breeder. Trust me, if I thought taking a dog from a pound would make an impact on irresponsible BYBs, I would do it in a heartbeat. But the reality is that buying dogs from pet stores and continually saving pound puppies only perpetuates this ugly cycle.
While I believe in full disclosure, I also think that its not right to deny any animal a good home. While I do not know first hand, if Brat is participating in educating people who adopt Basenji's about Fanconi or the possibility of it, then they are at least doing something positive. Neutering these animals prior to their adoption does help control the spread of Fanconi as well as other undesirable traits. Rescue work takes a lot of time and effort and I am sure there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes we never know about. It is no fun to see a dog that has been starved, neglected, and abused. Its worse when there are noticeable issues, such as ear mites, rashes from ticks or fleas, and worse yet possible injuries or broken bones. It is very hard not to let your heart go out to these dogs. Once they start to recover, it also takes some special consideration by foster care and adopters to take into consideration what these animals have gone through and how it might affect their behavior.
With that being said not all Baseji's that go to rescue have any of the issues mentioned above. As you know some people just change their mind about owning a dog 2 years down the road and decide the dog needs to go because it's cramps their lifestyles, ties them down so they cannot travel, or just takes too much and effort for them to deal with. Of course this is not the fault of the dog. Yes there are breeders that will take them back, but as you know there are breeders that will not as well.
I personally do not blame anyone who would seek out a responsible breeder to adopt an older dog. Its a much safer bet and those dogs need homes too. I am a little disturbed but the terms used Show Dog flunk out because that also reflects back on breeders and handlers as much as it does the dog. There are people that show that have bought their dogs somewhere other than a responsible breeder. Even puppy mills and back yard breeders can sell AKC registered dogs, and if they are AKC registered they can be entered and shown.
So I do not think its fair to fault someone who wishes to limit their risk when considering the adoption of a Basenji. While Brat is a viable option for adoption, its not the only way to responsibly get a pet or provide a good home for an animal in need.
Jason
I am a little disturbed but the terms used Show Dog flunk out because that also reflects back on breeders and handlers as much as it does the dog. There are people that show that have bought their dogs somewhere other than a responsible breeder. Even puppy mills and back yard breeders can sell AKC registered dogs, and if they are AKC registered they can be entered and shown.
Jason
Not all dogs like the show ring, it doesn't necessarily reflect poorly on anyone or the dog if they "flunk". It just might not suit their personality. I know several dogs that didn't like the show ring and are perfectly happy doing other things.
Without words being taken out of context or playing semantics here, I just was simply objecting to the implication that a dog flunked period. Yes I agree there are dogs that simply do not work out for the show ring. I also agree that there are dogs that are trained in agility that can be trained very well, but it when it comes time for competition, they just get too distracted. It does not mean the dog flunked. It just means it was not for them. Did they flunk? Not in my opinion. If someone decides to stop showing a dog, it does not mean they flunked either. What it could mean is, that this particular dog when compared to the others being shown was not noticeably better. Or maybe it the dog was not shown as well as it could have been because of the inexperience of a handler. Of course there are various other reasons as well. None of these reasons mean a dog had flunked. At least not in my opinion.
If a woman does not win the Miss USA, or Miss Universe contest does it mean she flunked? of does it mean that the judges just thought someone was better at the moment?
Jason
While I think that people should look for a pup or adult with whatever they are comfortable with… my only complaint with BRAT is the DNA test for Fanconi... while I understand that if the test is "Affected" this can or would be a deciding factor for a person looking to adopt... I believe it is unfair not to do everything possible to disclose...
If BRAT did test for Fanconi and they were affected I think it would be better to tell a person first. The dog may not get a home but the way I see it the dog that gets a home and has this when they get sick may loose there home anyway. What a time to loose your home older and sick and unwanted because the owner was not told first.
Rita Jean
I just adopted my foster girl from BRAT and they do send info about Fanconi. There is also info on the website and a blurb if the dog has been strip tested on the dogs webpage. Although that may not be the best thing to do, it does inform the adopters what has been done. On the info that BRAT sends out to adopters it also expalins that they do not do the DNA test but it is available and where to get info about it.
The DNA cost may not seem much to some, but for a group that is already struggling with a large number of rescues, it really adds up. I am sure they would love to be able to do it for all the dogs. There are people that are willing to take Fanconi affected dogs. Unfortunately, IMO the cost is just too high right now.
Thank you for the information Jennifer as I did not know that BRAT had and sent the info. Yes true cost would be way up there if every dog was tested. If people are told then they can at least get the dog tested as be no different then person getting a puppies not been tested and they never test either.
Rita Jean
I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I do not think it is responsible to NOT do the DNA test before a Rescue is placed. Regardless if they pass on the information, by the time a person would do the test, 99% of the time there is an emotional attachment (and I am sure that is what many are counting on) that they will just keep the dog and hope for the best. I think that is wrong. Again, my opinion
