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<DIV>
<DIV>What does it take to prepare for a filming of 100 hounds to run leash
free??</DIV>
<DIV>Oh - and doing this with no cost involved, and no staff. Volunteers
only!!</DIV>
<DIV>I can tell you, my trainers pals would not take on the challenge!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Let's start with the 100 hounds.</DIV>
<DIV>Just because 100 hounds exist in rescue, does not mean they can all play
and work well together - so evaluation has to be done and only hounds we KNOW
can be involved in this type of a training protocol.</DIV>
<DIV>So - plea's are sent out for help - and we begin training the
hounds. The producers tell us what they want, and we have to figure out
how to get it on camera!! Trial runs were hilarious as we only had one or
two volunteers working the hounds, and we worked them all to determine who could
participate and who could not. Our best pack leader hound is Wally without
doubt. Sadly, Wally cannot work in a random group area as he does not like
thin blonds.... well - Wally enjoyed training the pack, that's for sure! A
jack rabbit decided to join in one day and ran into the middle of the running
pack - half the hounds stopped cold - What is that??? The other half
didn't blink and eye and ran that rascally rabbit back to his den. The
rabbit who never DID give us his name joined in again on the next run, but
evidently was too tired from training to join us on filming day.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Bath Day - for -2- days straight (and yes it rained) the need to bathe 110
hounds, clean 120 ears with blue powder ear treatment, and trim 1780+ nails in
rain, wind and cold - and the bath day folks signed up!</DIV>
<DIV>Jill Beniak gathered -2- tubs as a donation from <A
title=http://www.boosterbath.com/
href="http://www.boosterbath.com/">www.boosterbath.com</A> and MAN are
they WONDERFUL!!</DIV>
<DIV>Giant thank you's to: Jill Beniak and Barb, Bruce Garvin, Jim Strachan,
Lance & Amy Wolbransky, Marti Razo & Frank Aldrete, Linda and Felix,
Barb Patterson, Candy & Rob Holman, Edina, Monique Tecson, The Elementary
School, Kim Kurland, Sherry SImek and Carol Ashley.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Next - "wranglers" are called for, and answer the plea. Alumni and Guest
hounds are lined up and ready for action!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Kennel cleaning is of course still a daily need, and the day before a shoot
is one where we work far into the night to get our chores done - huge thanks to
Rita Dluzak, Shari Mann, Jeff (Jeff spent HOURS stringing hurricane fencing so
we had a containment area for the run - sadly, our excessive winds ripped it
down by midnight and no restringing was possible), Sherry Simek and Carol Ashley
for putting their all into getting us as ready as we could possibly be - and
Rita - She'll hit me for telling you this, but Rita slept at the kennel to make
sure we were ready for the early open up this endeavor requires.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And then it was Film Day.</DIV>
<DIV>Hounds raring to go, they know something is up from the moment the doors
get opened at 7 a.m. - and the day is off and there is no turning back!
Human wranglers and help - whom are absolutely wonderful were:</DIV>
<DIV>Rita Dluzak, Jeanne Queenen, Sitina Queenen, Shirley Queenen, Jordyn
Queenen, Hunk Queenen, Jackie Flores, Lance Wolbransky, Amy Wells-Wolbransky and
soon-to-be-arriving baby Wolbransky, Dan Hickey, Sherry Simek, Cathy Derr,
Nathan & Ashley, Edina, Jeff & Barb, Shari Mann, Linda Miller, Candy
Holman, Maria Bivens, Michelle, and Carol Ashley. And then the film crew
arrived.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Trucks, props, cameras, a crane to get an aerial shot of the release of 100
hounds (we had a few cancellations so we actually ran 92 the first run and 89
the second) - grips and electricians, make up and the limo with cast and guest
star..... and then it happened.</DIV>
<DIV>CRAFT SERVICES ARRIVED AND SET UP IMMEDIATELY OUTSIDE THE RUN RELEASE
AREA!!</DIV>
<DIV>Now - if you were a basset - and you had the choice of running after a
whacko woman on a golf cart singing in a bullhorn - or perhaps heading over to
tri tip, tortellini, chicken breast and all the fixings..... where exactly would
you go? It's called Deflecting the pack. ROFL.. Despite our best
suggestions, begging and pleading, catering was there to stay and we all made
the best of it.... including a few hounds. As the shot we were working on
we got on the second take (Wahooo!!!!) the day went reasonable well after that
and I can honestly say that the kids were soooooooooooo good!! Its not
easy to be a star, but they managed to fill their role of basset hounds to a T -
sunbathing, yawning, slinging drool, and of course Bodie the ham snuggled up to
a contestant and would not get off her. You all know Bodie - when he
pins you to the ground you stay put. Joel thought the SUV was his personal
driver and kept trying to climb in! Each and every hound is a shining
star, and our spotlight hounds were: UK Brit, Odin, Guiness, Mae &
Alice.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It was a really great day, and we had wranglers who worked well together
and made it all happen for the hounds! Very special donations came in for
this shoot - Kim Kuwahara, Jackie Flores, Marilyn Bickell, Shari Mann, Barbie
Nat and Basset Hound Rescue of Southern California all added to the hounds day
by donating much needed beds, water buckets, pooper scoopers, dog houses, and
some supplies!!!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>When dinner and bed time rolled around and I was alone with the hounds
at the kennel - there was loud snoring going on - snuggling up in blankies,
laying on toys, worn out, suspiciously smelling of tri tip the hounds gentle
snores filled my ears and my senses - singling softly to the hounds "Lullaby of
Broadway" was the nights finale and with all of that - </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Its a Wrap.</DIV>
<DIV>Thank you to EVERYONE. The hounds shall have their day.</DIV>
<DIV>Airing in May '09 on Animal Planet - we'll let ya know when the time
comes.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Dawn (exhausted in the) West</DIV>
<DIV>Basset Rescue Network at Daphneyland</DIV>
<DIV>(Where the wild bassets run free - and get catered to - LITERALLY)</DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.barniatdaphneyland.org">www.barniatdaphneyland.org</A></DIV>
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