The Howling Rescue

My story about my friend Basha started nearly six years ago after I had traveled home after of my father died to help mom. I met an incredible dog . Not being a dog lover especially large dogs it was hard to believe the relationship we built. But like all things life goes on and I returned back to Florida to my family leaving my new friend and companion with mom. Yet I knew I wanted to find another friend to live with my family so off to the shelter I went having no idea what I might find or how I would replace the friend I left in Michigan. After the paperwork I was left to walk through cage after cage of dogs of all sizes hoping they would leave with me. But none really appealed to me until I heard very loud howling coming from a cage. I followed the sound of that one dog till I saw what I had been looking for.

Inside that cage was enthusiastic long eared hound dog and a shy brindle dog in the corner. The brindle came meekly up the cage but never barked just looked up with big brown piecing eyes as if to say ,"It's ME." I got the attendant and we took the brindle outside to get to know each other. She went from the frightened puppy to a toddler free to run and play. I feel in love. As we played she scratched me and attendant leased her and took her to her cage. He explained she's going to be a big dog not suited for my family which included two adult handicapped daughters. They said I couldn't adopt her. After pleading my case that she was what I wanted a supervisor intervened and said I could adopt her but it was too late to fill out the paperwork so I would have to return tomorrow to get her.

I came home excited and told my husband he would have to come and met her before bringing her home. The next day seemed to be a long ways off but it finally came. We entered the shelter but she was gone as was the loud hound dog. The cage was empty. I searched up and down the aisles but she was gone.

Then I heard a familiar sound! The howling of the long eared hound dog. Again I followed the sound to a different section of the shelter to be told these were the dogs being put down.... I said I was told I could adopt the brindle today. They went to the supervisor and the brindle was released to me for adoption. We took her home that day and what a happened next confirmed she was met to be with my family. The girls were excited to see her and she to see them, but then one of the girls went into a seizure! She ran like a champ to my daughter and started licking her face. The seizure stopped almost instantly. From that day on she responded to the girls seizures in some way. Licking their face, sitting next to them, sitting on them until the seizure stopped.

We aren't religious family but we knew someone had sent her to us. So before naming her I went through baby names and found her name. Basha, which is Hebrew for messenger or angel of God. She has a marking on her chest that looks like a white dove or angel with its wings spread.

Yet her story continues with so many aspects. She is big, but gentle. One of the first things she did after joining or family was watching over everything including stray cats. In Florida it's not unusual to have bad thunder storms daily in the summer. When the storms would start she would go to the lanai screen door and start to whimper. Outside the door would be stray baby kittens in the rain. She continued to whimper until we went out in the rain and gathered them up, one by one, put them in a laundry basket with a dry towel. Once they were safe she would just watch over them. This became such common thing we would just gather the kittens up when it stormed and they would play in the house with Basha watching over them till the storm passed. This went on for years so they were not the same kittens each time.

Then there was Luna. Luna had been abandoned by her mother and my granddaughter found her in our lawn. My granddaughter thought she was dead. She was so tiny and her eyes weren't open yet. Our vet told us how to care for her. She started to grow into a active little kitten. But soon the mysteries begin. Basha the mother took over. Luna had a tiny basket with a lid yet she kept escaping even when we put heavy books on top of the basket. One day we found why. She would cry and Basha would take her big nose and move the books to free Luna. As Luna grew and traveled the house it was hard to find her so our granddaughter came up with a solution. We got a helium balloon and tied it loosely around her to keep track of her. Well again Basha intervened again. We would see the balloon thinking we knew where Luna was but she was missing. Again we set out to solve the mystery of how she got the balloon off. Basha would nudge her to go under furniture and the balloon would release her to roam as she pleased. Luna and her are still buddies yet today.

Now you would think Basha had enough to take care of by now , the stray kittens, Luna, the girls, but no. She also became friends with our cockatiel, Emerald. When Emerald is not on her cage stand, Basha goes over to the cage to "talk" to Emerald. Emerald will chatter and Basha will sit by her. Then often a big tongue comes out to lick the top feathers of Emerald and Emerald will reach her beak out of the cage to peck gently on Basha nose. Whether both are kisses, who knows but it is a way of communicating love.

Basha still thinks she a lap dog. At times she needs a hug so she will climb into a chair with us and lay down to give us a kiss. She thinks she's a lap dog yet she has now grown to be around 70 lbs.

Basha is all diva. She has Easter outfits, Mrs. Clause dresses, lighted reindeer ears, Halloween outfits, raincoats, sweaters, and even boots. At holidays she has an Easter basket, presents under the tree to open at Christmas, and Halloween of course, special treats. Holiday dinners, she has her own plate of food.

She has her certification for being a therapy dog. She has her personalized vest for outings or when we are on vacation. She even has came to the recuse of strangers who are having health issues. In one case she was laying by chair at a resort when she jerks on her leash. An elderly lady was having a seizure and they had called for an ambulance. I ask the husband if Basha might help his wife. He said yes. The lady's eyes were glazed and she wasn't responding. Basha started licking her arm and in seconds she started talking and her eyes begin focusing. She hugged Basha as did her husband. My back was to the lady so if Basha hadn't alerted me I wouldn't of known she was in trouble. The lady was seen by the ems but they didn't transport her and Basha return to lunch with us.

Basha's story is a love story that continues today. We found out after adopting her that she is a Catahoula brindle mix. Catahoula breed of dogs are the state dog of Louisiana brought here when Ponce de Leon came here. I would like to share some pictures of Basha. Below are pictures of the family including Luna, Emerald, the girls, my husband, and myself.