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<DIV>My first basset was named Charlie. He was 7 years old when I adopted
him from the Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee, WI. His owner died and
no one in the family wanted him. I got him in September of 2003. I
had been wanting a basset hound for several years. I loved watching the TV
show Columbo and he had one he called Dog. In August of 2003 I attended
Basset Buddies Rescue fundraiser and the following month I saw Charlie on the
WHS web site, went down there with my lab mix Cheyene and as the two got along,
Charlie came home with me. He became my heart dog. For 7 years we
kept pee pads around a coffee table in the living room as when we were
gone, he would pee in the house, never did it all night, just during the day
when we were gone. He slept between Kathy and I at night and would take
over my side of the bed. When he had back problems, I would carry him up
and down the stairs, towards the end of his life I would take him out late at
night, even when I was recovering from hip surgery, so he could go potty and not
mess the house. By then he was becoming incontinent, which was hard on my
wife. He would get us up every morning at around 5 am, rain or shine, week
day or week end without fail. Then on the 27th of August, 2010, he went to
the Bridge. I woke up and heard some noise and saw him dragging himself
from the den. He had lost the use of his rear legs. Seeing him drag
his little body to his favorite couch and not be able to get on it just broke my
heart. I had call my son and have him put him in the car for his final
ride to the vet, as I was recovering from my hip replacement. What
really makes me feel bad is that he fought going to the Bridge, and to this
day I wonder if I made the right decision, wondering if there was some other
course of action I could have taken. I still cry to this day thinking of
him and his last day. He raised thousands of dollars for Basset
Buddies as his legacy. I sure miss the little guy. I always called him
"My Little Old Man". </DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">Douglas Dropp
and Millie with<BR>Pw, Charlie(ATB) & Pw. Bennett(ATB)
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