<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Century Gothic'" size="4">I was thinking while reading the latest issue this morning how special the DD is and how much I laugh and cry and care about people and dogs I have never met. I find advice, commiserate, laugh and cry some more, and have concluded that only special people were intended to have this very special breed. Five months was all I could go without the pitter patter of giant basset nails, I adopted Hazel June from a Michigan shelter in June. She is about 5, was picked up as a stray in May, it was evident that she recently weaned some large puppies. I kept looking on line for weeks and checking with the animal control, thinking someone must be missing her. Although--she is the most "challenging" of the series so far: counter cruises right in front of me, takes random things (paper towels, toilet brush, pencil), Basset 500's like a maniac, and is my first housebreaking challenge, but all worth those moments when I watch her sneak off to bury a chew in the closet, or she puts her head on my shoulder. I miss my girls terribly but the house feels more right again. Almost forgot to mention that when I brought her in the front door when we got home, I put the leash down to shut the doors, she made a bee line for a dining room chair hopped up on it and checked out the dining room table. I am not kidding, directly from the front door. Welcome home. </font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Century Gothic'" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Century Gothic'" size="4">Best wishes and prayers for a happy, healthy, peaceful 2014 to all. </font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Century Gothic'" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Century Gothic'" size="4">Joanne and Hazel June </font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Century Gothic'" size="4">Chicago, IL</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Century Gothic'" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Century Gothic'" size="4">Rosemary ('We're watching you, Mom.') and Veronica (' Get her off my chair.') ATB</font></div></body></html>