filling an obsession

I met my first Basset when I was two, and it was love at first sight. I have wanted one all of my life. We met Casey in May of 2005 and I knew she was the girl for me! We traveled four hours to pick her up then another four hours to take her home, as soon as she waltzed in the door she rolled onto her back and demanded belly rubs. It was official, I was all hers! 

I could not believe that such a sweetheart could be on the neediest dog page for so long. She has made our family complete and we love her more each day. I can't remember ever not having her to come home to. I'm fairly sure she is as happy with us as we are with her, she is at this moment snoring from the kitchen! She has become rather spoiled and fat, I know she needs to lose weight but I can't help giving her treats. She gives me those eyes and I have no choice! I think she has me brainwashed! 

When I get home from work we lay on the floor together and "talk", she is quite the talker. She tells me what kind of day she has had. She has quite the personality, she is a real prima donna one moment and a lovebug the next. And I was told that Bassets were not picky eaters, let me tell you that Miss Casey prefers chicken dog food over anything else. She will give me a look as if to say "what in the world is this stuff?" and will ignore it until I give her something she likes. 

She got it in her head one day that all of my daughters stuffed bears were hers, we had to go and get her one of her own to play with so she would leave them alone. She is a big old puppy dog and when she is being playful she likes it when I pretend to go after the bear. She will toss her head and her bear around and gallop all over the house. She sleeps with her eyes open and freaks my kids out. She is so much fun! I can never have a bad day because she will do something to make me smile. It has been a match made in heaven. Thank you so much BROOD for bringing her into our life and helping me fulfill my life long Basset obsession. 

I would write more but she has decided to get up from her pre-nap warm up snooze and stare at me demanding a good belly scratch... you want some chicken for dinner Casey? You got it babe!

May, 2009 - This is an update on Casey's story. I am sad to say that we recently had to have her put down. She was an old girlfriend, she had diabetes and arthritis. We managed with insulin and her medications however over the last year or so we noticed that she was slowly weakening. She would have her silly days of barking for treats and belly rubs, then her bad days of just laying around and not eating. 

Finally she lost control of her hind legs and bladder. We tried to help her out as best we could, my son and I wheelbarrowed her outside to help her go potty when she seemed like she needed to. It was a sad sight. We took her in to the vet's, they agreed that we were at the point where there was nothing else that could be done for her. My husband and I stayed with her the whole time, she was loved through to the end and went peacefully and with dignity. 

Thank you to BROOD for bringing this wonderful dog into our lives. We have treasured every moment and will always have the memory of her in our heart. I have this mental image of her in heaven, with my Grandmother who passed away when I was 13 and it makes me smile to think that she is being taken care of. 

The O'Day family of Edgewood, MD