[Dailydrool] BoW Mendoza-Tan of Daphneyland ATB

[Basset911 at aol.com]

An impossible memorial to write.  
Our BoW.
The Red Collar Dog.
 
It is impossible to share Bow's story and truly relay the wonder of a hound 
 named BoW. I have been asked to write it by his fur ever humans Frida and 
Joe, I  will attempt to do him and them justice.
 
The dream of a basset rescue ranch where we could work with our rescue  
babies daily, have potential adopters come to meet and greet, volunteers to 
love  on the hounds in a place that is free of stress and committed completely 
to  bassets had become a reality in 2002.  Daphneyland opened.  Almost  
immediately an email came in from a friend, Connie at Beagles and Buddies. A  
year before we opened Daphneyland a case had come through Orange County which  
was a horrific tale.  A PD Officer was called out to a park across from an  
elementary school, a basset had been used in a gang ritual and was hanging 
in a  tree.  The responding officer, a dog lover, arrived just as school was 
 letting out.  He could not wait for animal control, he needed to remove 
the  body before all those kids hit the park.  He climbed on his cruiser and 
cut  the basset down.  He could not stand to see the wire wrapped around the  
bassets neck.  He cut it off.  And the basset took a breath. He was  taken 
to the shelter.  A series of mishaps occurred and he bounced through  one 
rescue group, was returned to the shelter in 24 hours, and ended up  
accidentally at Beagles & Buddies. Being terrified of humans and exhibiting  severe 
collar line aggression, no volunteers could work with him and he was  
languishing in a back run for a year.  We opened Daphneyland and B & B  was in a 
decision making process - what to do about him?  The email said  "Would you 
try to work with him, we have no solutions".
And so it was that the first red collar basset was transferred to  
Daphneyland.  He was transported to the Basset Hound Picnic in a crate in  2002.  
Meeting him at the end of the day is a long tale and one day I'll  have time 
to tell it.  BoW and I met and took a ride back to the  ranch.  I parked in 
the kennel main yard and had to leave the door of the  van open, for him to 
come out and explore on his own terms.
 
It took months to be able to touch BoW.  Many people deemed him,  
"Unadoptable".
He was my personal challenge.  I do not believe in  "Unadoptable".  The 
common statement we make upon visitors arriving at  Daphneyland is... Do not 
pet a red collared hound.  This line began with  BoW.
Slowly BoW trusted me enough to allow me to massage his chest, he responded 
 to verbal and hand commands, and thus weekday and non public hours had BoW 
 socializing with the pack.  Weekends he had to stay in his run until after 
 public hours and the ranch run would find BoW near my side.  Always  
watchful, always just out of reach of any other volunteer - but watching me for  
any command. I knew BoW would be a "Daphneyland Hound" for life most likely 
and  our bond grew.
 
One day a couple arrived during public hours.  Of all the hounds  available 
for adoption, BoW was the focus. I explained his case, I told them  over 
and over how BoW was NOT the hound for them.  They were  insistent.
Waiting for public hours to end and staying behind the kennel was cleared  
and after explaining that he would rip their faces off, BoW was released.   
He charged them as they squatted calling his name, jumped on them.  And  
gave a kiss. My mind reeled.  There are times when a hound knows better  than 
we do, just where they should spend their life.  BoW knew these were  his 
humans, it took me another week or so to get over the shock.  "You'll  NEVER be 
able to leash him up" Joe squatting and putting the leash on and taking  it 
off.  Bow standing and smiling at me.  And finally he went to their  home 
on a trial basis, foster we called it.
The first week of nightly calls from Frida - the night Stevenson Ranch  
caught on fire and fireman were everywhere, dogs running loose and I watched  
with my heart in my throat as the TV played out the rampage of fire sweeping  
it's way through the neighborhood - I just knew I would see BoW charging 
and  biting a fireman - the call from Frida & Joe - they were headed up to 
drop  him off so he'd be safe and sound.
BoW came to the ranch every weekend for his "play time" - never to be able  
to attend a dog park, Daphneyland was his own personal ranch and he ran 
with  glee - chasing me on the Golf Cart and running ahead - the wind in his 
face, his  ears flowing back - full stride and total bliss.  BoW was adopted.
 
Frida and Joe became regular hound wranglers and so it was that when the  
first parvo pup litter arrived at Daphneyland, they were asked to stay for 
the  intake.  They decided BoW might do well with a pup and they picked one 
out  - and Wrangler became BoW's little brother and constant companion.  The  
years flew by.  I would meet them at the vet's office to sit and sing to  
BoW as a blanket was handed over and then I would cover him for the injection 
to  knock him out.  It didn't take long before Joe took over this job.   BoW 
stayed here at the ranch when Frida and Joe had to travel, and so over the  
years BoW has been a constant and many volunteers have come to know him  
well.  Even my father who has been told a million times NOT to pet BoW was  
caught on the porch petting him.  "Oh, THIS is the hound I'm not supposed  to 
touch? But he LOVES me!"
 
Bow - who took a nice chomp out of a very famous communicator one fine  
HoeDown Day as she told us the story of Bow's wanting to be a therapy dog for  
children.  Frida's guffaw as she asked... Where?? Juvenile Hall?  (So  much 
for that communicator).
 
BoW's first glaucoma onset.  The decisions.  Eye removal and  rehab here, 
an ecollar being the only option had one pissed off BoW.   Seeing a true 
angel, wings and all as SItina and I were at the kennel and  realizing - those 
aren;t wings, BoW has gotten the ecollar undone!!!  Duck  tape is an amazing 
solution to so many of life's problems.  His second eye  almost 9 months 
alter and BoW was blind.  He adjusted amazingly well with  the help of his 
humans and his brother Wrangler.
 
Bow became paralyzed,  Surgery was discussed, the question became -  how 
can he be rehabbed?  He HATES and stresses at vet appointments and at  human 
touch - how can one sling him, bicycle him and even suture removal would  be 
a challenge - crate rest and herbs saved he day and BoW came back up without 
 that decision having to be made.
 
And then last Friday as I walked -2- hounds into Dr. Kim's office, and  
heard a howl that I knew.  BoW was not doing well and Frida & Joe were  there 
with him.  I NEVER do Friday vet runs, this week for some reason the  fates 
aligned so that I did.  I sang to him, and even got to kiss him as he  was 
muzzled, e-collared and very annoyed as blood was being drawn and an IV put  
in.  Acute Pancreatitus was the dx on Saturday morning and prognosis was  not 
good.  He spent the weekend at home with his family as the stress of a  
vet's office surely would be catastrophic.
 
A million memories of the first red collared hound.  Learning to  handle an 
abuse case.  Learning to handle triage and rehabilitation with a  hound 
scared of human touch.  Alternative therapies when allopathic is  impossible.  
So many lessons our BoW has taught us.
 
Frida and Joe, the most AMAZING humans..  Most rescuers would have  shaken 
their heads at the application - new home owners, not married, both  working 
long hours - not an ideal situation in the classic sense - yet they  
without doubt are the BEST ADOPTIVE FAMILY EVER.  BoW knew it when he  picked 
them, they proved it time and again over the years.  I am so  proud to call them 
friends.
 
Joe called me this morning to let me know - BoW passed on his own terms, at 
 home this morning.
The wind is howling drowning out my sobs as I gaze into that very blue sky  
with the wind whipping through the valley's......  I can see him, running  
at full stride.  Forever young, forever free, forever BoW.
There is no such thing as an Unadoptable dog.
 
Bow Mendoza-Tan of Daphneyland.
Forever the teacher, forever in our hearts.
ATB 11/1/10
 
Frida & Joe are arriving here at Daphneyland today by special  request.  
The tears will be flowing - 
Wrangler will need much TLC.
Lighting candles - 
 
Dawn of the West
Taught by BoW

_www.daphneyland.com_ (http://www.daphneyland.com/) 
661  269-2682

Daily rehabilitation and socialization of up to 100 basset  hounds and some 
mixes - public viewing and visitation are Saturdays &  Sundays from 11 - 5. 
Come and rub bellies in person! Volunteer opportunities  abound!
DAPHNEYLAND IS CLOSED NOVEMBER 13 & 14, 2010  - THE FIRST EVER BASSET HOUND 
FIELD TRIAL EVENT TO ALLOW SPAYED & NEUTERED  BASSETS IS BEING HELD IN 
CORONA! HAVE TO BE THERE!! EMAIL OR VISIT _WWW.BHCSC.COM_ 
(http://www.bhcsc.com/)  FOR  DETAILS!
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