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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In response to Ginny, who asked for stories about
long-lived bassets, our oldest basset lived to the age of 16. Abbey,
adopted from Tri-State Basset Hound Rescue, didn't come to us until
she was about twelve. Her family was in financial crisis and had to move
to a place that wouldn't take dogs. They were heartbroken to give her up,
and she was (temporarily) heartbroken to leave them. But that
irrepressible basset good nature kicked in, and soon Abbey decided she liked
life with four other hounds. She was tri-color, mostly brown,
with really long fur and a bushy tail. We would have suspected she
was a mix except for the "pedigree" that came with her (which also proved her
age). She eventually became alpha dog but was always a good-natured queen
bee. She loved all humans and every dog she met except Rosie, our
Jamoboree hound, whom she despised from the moment she met her until the day
Abbey died. Abbey began to develop canine cognitive dysfunction at about
the age of 14, and we treated her successfully first with Chinese
herbs and later with anipryl. The last year of her life she was so daft
she wouldn't eat out of a bowl like a normal hound and had to be hand fed.
But Abbey was always happy. (She didn't know she was senile!) The
last month or so she began to have brain seizures, and we knew she was no longer
enjoying life. On the morning that we took her to the vet for the final
time, Abbey, weak as she was from yet another seizure, made her way to each dog
to touch noses, knowing in her wise hound way that it was goodbye. Except
for Rosie, of course, whom she walked right past.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We cherished every day we had with
Abbey.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Pat Dill & Carol Sharp</FONT></DIV>
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