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<p class=MsoNormal>Esther, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>You are no fool, and an experienced basset lover, so I trust
that you know a bad placement when you see one. If your parents can’t
handle Bertha, then maybe they need to allow the rescue to place her with
someone more capable of helping her with her issues. There is no shame in
doing your best and finding out that it just isn’t good enough.
What kind of life will Bertha have if she is living in a home that is incapable
of curbing her behavior issues, and possibly having them exacerbated by someone
who can’t cope in an appropriate way? What happens if she must be
crated all the time because she can’t be trusted? That is not a
happy environment for anyone.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>There are plenty of bassets out there who have needs that
your parents can meet. While I don’t believe that dogs are like
shoes, and you can try them on and discard them at will, I do believe that for
the safety and health of all involved, sometimes one has to make the hard
choices. Just because one dog doesn’t work for them, it doesn’t
mean that another won’t. Each dog, like each person, has a
different personality and a different set of needs. It sounds like Bertha
is too high strung, and needs more exercise than she gets, is too sensitive to fear
causing situations (ear and claw maintenance), and way too scent motivated for
your folks. That is a placement issue, not a lack of care or love issue.
Someone made a mistake, and now multiple lives are affected. No rescue is
perfect, and they are just doing their best when they place hounds, but
sometimes mistakes get made. If the rescue is able to better match your
parents with a homeless hound, and Bertha gets matched with a home more
suitable for her, then everyone wins!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>As for Bertha being damaged by the change of home, dogs don’t
distinguish between “Foster” and “Permanent”
homes. These are simply human terms. To a dog, everything is
permanent until it changes. In this case Bertha is unhappy, and the parents
are unhappy, (sounds like mom is scared of her), so help them and the rescue
make the best decision for everyone, including the homeless houndie that they MIGHT
be able to help if Bertha isn’t working out. I would rather see them
better matched with a hound that suits their lifestyle, then see everyone
miserable, or see them never again be considered for adopting a hound. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Gaylene
Opal-Deitering<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>My
passions do not replace my relationship with God, but are instead a reflection
of it!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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