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<DIV>
<DIV>An impossible memorial to write. </DIV>
<DIV>Our BoW.</DIV>
<DIV>The Red Collar Dog.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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".</DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It took months to be able to touch BoW. Many people deemed him,
"Unadoptable".</DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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!"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Joe called me this morning to let me know - BoW passed on his own terms, at
home this morning.</DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV>There is no such thing as an Unadoptable dog.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Bow Mendoza-Tan of Daphneyland.</DIV>
<DIV>Forever the teacher, forever in our hearts.</DIV>
<DIV>ATB 11/1/10</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Frida & Joe are arriving here at Daphneyland today by special
request. The tears will be flowing - </DIV>
<DIV>Wrangler will need much TLC.</DIV>
<DIV>Lighting candles - </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Dawn of the West</DIV>
<DIV>Taught by BoW</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><A
href="http://www.daphneyland.com/">www.daphneyland.com</A><BR>661
269-2682<BR><BR>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!<BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#ff0000 size=2 face=Arial
FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">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 <A
href="http://www.bhcsc.com/">WWW.BHCSC.COM</A></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#ff0000
size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"> FOR
DETAILS!<BR></FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>