American Basset.com

Tucker was born on July 3rd 1998 on a farm in Olean N.Y. At the time we were looking for our first basset puppy and found out about him through a news paper ad. We packed up the family and drove the hour drive to meet him at his home. He weighed in at about 8 pounds and was the remaining pup from a previous litter. A new litter of pups had been born since then and we observed Tucker in a pen having a difficult time making his way through to the food bowl with all the other hungry mouths in with him.

We decided that he would come home with us and never have to struggle for food again. Eating is one of his favorite hobbies now. A day doesn't go by without him resting his chin on my knee at meal time looking for a free sample or two. He waits patiently, without making a sound, for a treat from the table. This is one of the highlights of my day as well as his.

He has always stolen everyone's hearts, especially ours, with his silly antics, funny noises and loving disposition. As I walk him through the neighborhood now, people wave to him and say "Hiya Tucker" even though I don't know their names, nor do they know mine, everyone knows Tucker.

You may be asking yourself, how did Tucker get his name? Let me explain. While we were at the breeders house discussing basset puppies in general with the owner, her son said to us that no one looked at him or wanted him because he was always tired and sleeping. They thought he was sick. My son Randy mentioned that maybe he's just tuckered out, thus the name Tucker was decided. It turns out that a trip to the Vet the following Monday revealed a severe case of worms that was passed onto him by his Mother was draining the life out of him. our Vet prescribed medication and Tucker sprung to life.

~ May 27,2004 ~
Tucker is diagnosed with Canine Lymphoma.
After a battery of tests and surgery to biopsy one of Tucker's lymph nodes the results come back. He is terminally ill with no chance of recovering. There are treatments available for Canine Lymphoma although they are expensive and not necessarily a cure, the drugs can put the disease into remission for a limited time.
We made the tough decision to treat him with Prednisone instead of chemotherapy and keep his quality and love for life intact. He is doing well on the Prednisone and has already out lived the Vet's initial diagnosis. For that we are thankful. We treasure everyday that Tucker can remain with us.

~ November 7,2004 ~
The day we have been dreading has arrived. Tucker health deteriorated over the weekend. Watching him barely able to lift his head or make his way through the house was very difficult. My poor baby is telling me he needs to move on to a better place. We spent our last weekend telling how much we love him and how much he will be missed. He was refusing all of his favorite foods and didn't have it in him to walk the neighborhood, his favorite activity, so we had no choice but to hold him in our arms and tell him how much he is loved.

We said goodbye very peacefully Monday morning while we held him in our arms. As he slipped away tears streamed down both of our cheeks. Tucker's love will live on in our memories and our hearts. He was one of a kind, nothing could ever fill the hole that was left in our hearts when he left. Tucker, we always think about you and love you with all of our hearts.

We adopted our lovely Lucy on June 16, 2000 from The Droopy Basset Hound Rescue of Western Pennsylvania. The picture you see at the right is the same picture we saw when we fell in love with her many years ago.

Anyone that has owned bassets will tell you that bassets need constant companionship either from you or another animal. We found this out with Tucker and set out to get him a friend for when he was home alone.

Lucy came to us shy, timid and unsure of her new surroundings. Over time, with love, patience and consistency she has developed into a trusting companion for both Tucker and our family. There is nothing more rewarding than opening your heart and adopting one of these lost souls. The rewards you receive are in your heart to be cherished forever.

She never fails to amuse us now with her bossy attitude.

Let me give you a few examples of Lucy's attitude.

After a business trip outside for potty Lucy demands a biscuit by woofing it up and shaking her fanny and tail, for asking to go out and doing her job outside. This is something we gladly do for her. When she was placed in a few home prior to ours she was returned to rescue due to accidents in the house. We discovered with our Vet's help that Lucy had a urinary tract infection (UTI). This made it difficult for her to hold her bladder. We always rewarded Lucy for going outside from the time she arrived. It is now a ritual that Lucy enjoys exercising daily.

She also has her very own spot on the couch and is rather put out when it is occupied by someone else. If you get up to get a drink or snack don't plan on sitting there again. She will promptly jump up on the couch and curl up for a nap.

Lucy's health has been good other than a couple of problems that have occurred over the years. Bassets are prone to fatty cysts called sebaceous cysts. She had one of these on her chest and it was removed surgically during another procedure to correct a hematoma on her ear. A hematoma is a broken blood vessel. In her case it made a pocket of blood that grew quite large in a short period of time. Our Vet removed the fluid that had built up in her ear and stitched through the ear to promote the ear to heal back together again.