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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We were delighted to turn the page and see our
Abbey's photo today. We adopted Abbey through Tri-State Basset Hound
Rescue. Her family of 12 years had gone into serious financial distress,
were losing their home, and could no longer care for her. When the owner
brought her to our house, Abbey knew that something was seriously wrong and
refused to get out of the van. He scooped her up, said a loving goodbye
and sadly drove away.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Fortunately, resiliency is one of those great
basset traits. Once Abbey got used to the idea of living somewhere else,
she was as happy-go-lucky as most any basset. She loved having basset
playmates, quickly staked out her territory under the dining room table during
meals, and delighted in going outside to woo-woo for the sheer joy of it (much
to our dismay, living as we did at the time in a Long Island neighborhood where
excessive barking is frowned upon). Abbey had had untreated bladder stones
for so long that even after we had them surgically removed her bladder was
weak. As a result she had to wear diapers for the rest of her life.
She never tried to remove them, never objected to them being put on or taken
off, and seemed to understand that they were what allowed her freedom in the
house. When we moved to Western PA, well, she loved that, too! No
one cared if she woo-wooed late at night, the bigger yard gave her more room to
wander, and there were lots of new people to meet.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The only dog she ever met whom she didn't like was
Rosie, our blind Jamboree basset. We always suspected that it was the
combination of Rosie's erratic wanderings, bumping into everything, along with
Abbey's advancing senility. When she finally departed for the Rainbow
Bridge at the ripe old age of 16, she may have been extremely senile, but was
still supremely happy with life.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The photo shows her resting in her "drawer-bed"
after an exhausting day at a Tri-State event.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Abbey is the poster child for adopting senior
hounds. We had four wonderful years with her, and having her in our family
enriched our lives forever.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Pat Dill & Carol Sharp</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Proud to be loved by Rosie, Sadie, Bailey and
Sampson</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Benji, Murphy, Taffy, Misha-Herald, Abbey, Kelly,
Maxwell and Hugh ATB</FONT></DIV>
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