Marlo Holley
It is with very heavy hearts that we announce that we lost our precious angel, Marlo Holley, adopted from NTBHR as a youngin’, tag #209. She passed quietly, head in my hands on December 29, 2008 after a month of illness and several months of Alzheimer like behavior. She’d begun a round of antibiotics and day two had a gran maul seizure that lasted over 40 minutes by the time we got her to the emergency hospital and was not much better hours later. It was then they determined she had a brain tumor. Once back at home, she exhibited confusion, melancholy but never lost her joy for us or her will and need for love. Another seizure was to follow and it was to be her last. Marlo was the most wonderful personality I’ve ever had in my life! She was not a canine, nor a dog, she was a very loved family member and the center of our worlds the majority of time. As she got older and needed hernia repair, she recovered like the trooper she was. She had the most amazing and loving spirit of any creature I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. She loved her “babies”, hiding her bones and anything else of value she could get her precious paws on. She was a super sleuth at hiding her little treasures in company’s overnight bags, under the dirty clothes pile waiting to be washed, under a pillow or in a corner half heartedly hidden by the bottom of a drape. She loved her belly-rubbing’s more than anything and would quickly go to sleep only to wake up as soon as you quit. She sweetly would sit by you and nudge your hand to put it on her had….from day one she always wanted someone’s hand on her head. Although she suffered from arthritis and aging, she was a trooper to the end. I like to remember her as the wonderfully loving gal I brought home from Flower Mound to my new home and watching her sleep in bed with my daughter how they’d chase each other around the house as if they were really going to get one another! I miss her freely given kisses, her paws that always smelled like Fritos, the bottom of her wet ears when she’d get a drink. I will forever miss her welcoming and loving AHRRROOOOOOO’s when we came home or played with her. She was quite the smart hound, learning in old age to “speak” for her treats and to catch them from any distance so accurately without hardly moving. She was truly a joy in our lives and is missed tremendously. We chose to have her cremated so she’ll always be with us in spirit and I know she is in a much better place feeling no pain and playing gleefully with lots of other bassets and those lesser species as well! Ma’ and Dena love you so much pretty girl, bless you and we’ll see you again when our times come.

Lizzie Rose
Queen Elizabeth was the given name by NTBHR. She was affectionately renamed LIZZIE ROSE when she joined my life on July 21, 2007. We had quite a run - went to our first Basset Shuffle - took first prize for costume, second prize for hat and the best prize - 2nd place for largest feet. . Imagine giving a woman a prize for large feet. I can hear those "Sweet Feet" running in back of me - if I stopped too quickly, Lizzie would run into the back of my legs. Sometimes I would do that on purpose. She was a prize of Bassets . She filled 15 months of my life with warmth, companionship and love. Lizzie didn't bark until I took her to the dog park with the other Basset Beauties, and there, after the run of the hounds, she started to bark. Quite a sight and sound for us all. I soon realized Lizzie didn't hear very well - hardly at all - and wish she had heard all those compliments and all that praise she deserved. I know she knew. I touched her head or hugged her or poked her each time she was near. I wanted her to know she was safe and wanted. Lizzie battled through many ailments, many trips to the Vet - a lot of pain and discomfort, but still remained always at my side. Pancreatitis was too much for Lizzie Rose and our precious run came to an end on October 20, 2008. I don't regret those short 15 months, I don't regret adopting Lizzie. She strengthened my soul. My sweet Lizzie Rose. Belly Rubs to Lizzie, Claudia Ruzanic

Tracker
In memory of Tracker Mitchell 11/96 — 5/8/08 In July of 2000, I signed up to foster a basset hound. By August a sweet 4 year old boy, who was now at his third home (in 4 yrs), came up our driveway. He was a little unsure, but excited to be here. As his previous owners, of two years, drove away he was a bit confused, but soon realized he could easily adjust to this rather plush life. He came to live with my other basset Chloe and me, in Stephenville, TX, where he became a certified college dog. A month later there was a family interested in adopting Tracker, but they needed a picture to see if he was “BASSET” ENOUGH! Then and there it was decided, Tracker would have a permanent home, with the Mitchells! Tracker Mitchell lived with Chloe and me, from August of ’00 until I graduated in December of ’02. He was the greatest college dog ever! He even came to class with me. The college friends and bands we met along the way still talk about him! After 2 ½ years of college he went to a new owner, my mom! Tracker and my mom formed an unbelievable bond! When Chloe and I moved out, he stayed with my parents and became an official “barrel racing basset” (my parents go to barrel races throughout Texas and Oklahoma)! Tracker was always along for the ride, especially since he was always allowed to “go trackin”! As Tracker aged his life only improved, he ate filet mignon, salmon, and pork tenderloin regularly! On Thursday, May 8, 2008 Tracker unexpectedly passed away. While a major part of our lives are lost, he left us in a true basset fashion. He was constantly in trouble for getting in the flower bed, so he decided it would be the best place to take his last nap. We are still struggling with our loss, but know he made it to the Rainbow Bridge. The line in Rainbow Bridge reads, “Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster“, but we know Tracker and he will most likely mosey, get a little side tracked, and have to mark some things on his way. Tracker made every day a little more entertaining and although he is missed, he was a great blessing! We miss you Tracker Boy! Joe, Susie, Melanie, and Chloe Mitchell

Sarah
Sarah was dumped at the Waco shelter by her owners at age 11 in November of 2003. The shelter card was like reading the bio of the perfect pet...., "Not enough time for her---Loves Attention—Housetrained------Will bark when she wants out---Dances when she's happy---Current on shots---Spayed---No bad habits----Walks well on a leash---No health problems----Loves men, women, children---Good with other dogs---Good with cats". We fostered her for NTBHR for a month or two before we decided to keep her for ourselves. She entertained us with her sneaky ability to steal and devour table food without making a sound. Once she carefully removed pigs in blankets from a serving tray, quietly eating several while an NTBHR meeting took place in the next room. At another meeting at our house, she ever so gently picked up a dish of cocktail nuts from the dining table, gingerly carried it to the other side of the room where she proceeded to eat them, without spilling a single nut! She was not a counter-surfer, but a stealth table-surfer extraordinaire! Sarah was the quintessential senior rescue basset, so gentle and kind, mature and sweet. Sarah was a truly a wonderful pet, and willing companion to other foster dogs in our home. She was always a hit wherever we went while promoting NTBHR, whether at a school, senior center, library, or on a home visit. She gave our family and friends nearly 5 years of unconditional love and that wonderful classic basset companionship that we all admire in this breed. The people who dumped her certainly never appreciated her for the stoic senior lady in pearls that she was. We’re so glad she shared the last 5 years of her life with so many NTBHR volunteers, and that she found her forever home with all of us. She will be sadly missed. Mike & Sam Cox

Roscoe and Lizzie
Roscoe and Lizzie came into my life as NTBHR’s 800th and 801st rescues and as my 7th and 8th fosters on February 25, 2008. They were a bonded pair found as strays that ended up in a local shelter. Both had been neglected and very sick. Roscoe had a severe case of heartworms. He was classified as a Stage 4 out of 5 stages. About two weeks after arriving in my home they both came down with URIs. Roscoe was able to get over his first round of infection when he caught it again. It wasn’t until late March that he was able to start his heartworm treatment. Roscoe didn’t survive the treatment. He was to far gone to fight the heartworms. We lost him on April 23rd. Lizzie was the sickest out of the two of them. None of us thought she would survive all that was wrong with her but she did! She pulled through liver issues, weight issues, heartworm treatment and infection after infection! She was a true fighter! Lizzie crossed to the Bridge on June 18th in her sleep. Nobody knows for sure why except maybe she was ready to be with Roscoe again.