Sadie Jean
Sadie Jean came to us at the ripe old age of 9 years old!! Of course we didn’t know it at the time as the rescue we got her from was told that she was only 5, but we are SO glad that we were chosen to be her family!! Shawn had 2nd thoughts about adopting her since Teddi was just 14 months old and Casper was only 6 months old, but she got up on the couch next to him and put her head on his chest and he was forever hooked!! Sadie had been taught to sit up at her previous home and she surprised us all when she sat up for Shawn when he returned from work the next day!! After that, Sadie realized that she could get LOTS of attention by sitting up, and she would sit there for hours if you let her!! She was such a cuddler — always having to be touching you and sleeping across your lap!! You never got cold in winter with Sadie Jean around!! And boy did she love sleeping on the bed!! I had to hurry and beat her in bed so that I could get the pillows; otherwise I had to wrestle them from underneath her!! Sadie was very vocal — she loved barking and letting everyone know that we had arrived!! We would get within a block of where we were going and she’d start aroo-ing!! We couldn’t sneak up on anyone!! J She loved going out and meeting new people and seeing all the dogs at the dog park. She became a licensed therapy dog and would go up and see the people in the Alzheimer’s ward and the Skilled Nursing wing at the Masonic Home. She loved going to work and she loved all the attention they gave her!! She loved wearing bandanas and hats because it made people pay attention to her!! She also loved to walk in parades!! She would make her way to the edge of the parade so that all the kids and people sitting on the curbs could pet her as she walked by!! She was such a ham!! Sadie was the Queen of the Novato 4th of July parade in 2006!! She looked so majestic in her custom made crown!! She was such a great ambassador!! My favorite Sadie story is the time that we took a 6-mile hike through Garin Park with friends on a Saturday. We were all exhausted when we got home and Sadie got up on the couch and went straight to sleep. Later that night, she got up to go “feed the kitties” and she was limping pretty badly!! I gave her baby aspirin and gave her massages trying to loosen up her old muscles!! The next day, she was still limping a lot, so I told Shawn that I was going to leave her at home with him while Teddi, Casper and I kept our play date to hike with other friends that couldn’t make it the day before!! When I got to the leashes, Sadie jumped off the couch and RAN to the front door!! She had been faking it the whole time!! She went on the hike with us and never limped the entire day!! My friends commented on how well she looked, and all I could do was smile and say “you should have seen her a half-hour ago!!” Sadie was getting younger and younger the longer we had her!! Her fur was so soft and shiny, unlike the oily mess it was when we first got her! And she was SO active! It didn’t matter where we went, as long as she could come too!! Unfortunately, on the night of May 2nd, 2007 our Sadie got one of her large drinks of water sometime after I went to work, and she bloated. Shawn found her and called me right away, but she was already going into shock by the time I got home. We stayed with her until she was gone, thanking her for coming into our lives and for being so very special!! Thanks to Sadie, I am now on the board of directors for Golden Gate Basset Rescue!! We had no idea there was a need for basset rescue until we met her!! She was so active and loved going on hikes so much; I also became the organizer for the Eastbay Basset Hound Meetup group which I now call Bay Area Basset Hounds (BABH). We now meet 3 times a month going to the beach and to 2 different dog parks — Union City and Morgan Hill!! None of this would have happened if Sadie hadn’t come into my life and I will be forever in her debt!! I miss you sweet girl!! I think of you often and even though it’s already been 11 months, not a day goes by that I don’t think of you!! Thank you for sending us Madden!! She has helped fill the hole your passing has left in all our lives!! Casper tries to get her to fight with her like you did, but it’s not the same!! She’s not nearly as tough as you were!! J Our Forever Queen Sadie Jean!!! Until we meet again over the Rainbow Bridge ~Gwen & Shawn - Slave to Tatum (atb), Teddi, Casper, Sadie Jean (atb 5/2/07) and Madden~

Sebastian
With heavy hearts Sebastian left us and has gone to the Rainbow Bridge on August 20, 2013. We are very sad and heart broken as Sebastian, aka "Papa", was a big part of our family who brought laughter in our home every day. We called him Papa,but he responded to Sebastian as well, as he had the mannerisms of an old man and he is funny to watch. Sebastian came to us on January 15, 2010 along with another basset named Walter. My husband and Sebastian bonded right away and they took the journey to Kansas together this past January 2013, where we now live. Sebastian was so easy going that he made us know right away he was home and he belonged to us. He led the pack and that's without a doubt. He rallied the gang (Walter, Nikko, and Gary) when it was time for snacks, breakfast and dinner. He had an internal clock so precised that I didn't need an alarm clock as he made sure we were all up at 6am every day. We had our routine each day and night just the way he liked it and he made sure of it :) He is resting now and making his way to the Rainbow Bridge to see his fellow bassets, we have no doubt. We are missing Sebastian so much and I know Walter is too since they have been together since day one. Walter kept smelling Papa's blanket the last couple of days and no one has slept in his bed since. Sebastian was a great dog and our home will never be the same but we know life must go on and that we will all see each other again. My husband misses him dearly, we all do. Time heals all wounds and each day will get easier but Sebastian will never be forgotten in our home. We Love You Papa You Will Always Be in our Hearts and We'll See You Soon. In the meantime have fun at the Rainbow Bridge with your friends!!!

Seymour (aka Hector)
Seymour, aka Seymour Butts, aka Sergeant Spicy Weiner was adopted in July 2008 from Golden Gate Basset Rescue. We guessed he was around a year old, and he quickly gained weight and stole our hearts. He was svelte, funny, and loved to paw at the springy dog stoppers and bark at them. As a pup he would zoom around the living room, up the stairs, jump on our bed, and zoom back down again. He loved to chase the big dogs around the dog park, and would bark at them because his short legs couldn't keep up. He was usually obedient, except that one time we let him and Cassie (another GGBR rescue) off leash at a deserted beach, where they took off and we had to run after them for half a mile! Seymour was exceptionally patient and put up with wearing Halloween costumes. His pirate costume won him a year's worth of pet food! He learned to shake, and play dead, though it was usually a very slow lay down and eventual roll to the side. His bark was deep and commanding, though we never once heard him howl. He loved to steal Rob's socks and bury them in backyard for safe keeping. He chewed on stuffed animals, popped bubble wrap, and removed caps from plastic bottles. He ripped apart a plush octopus and pooped out a few 8" long tentacles! Likes include peanut butter, Costco rotisserie chicken, socks, chicken poo, and cat puke. Disliked baths (but loved getting towel dried), but not much else. He was so easy going and a wonderful dog. I loved his floppy ears and jowls, deep brown eyes, jelly chest, and butt whorls. Our beloved Seymour crossed over the rainbow bridge on 4/20/21. We are so lucky to have had him in our lives for the past 13 yrs. He was such a sweet little man, and we miss him so much.

Sugar
I got Sugar a year and a half ago from GGBR. I got the call that they needed a home for a dog with special needs and that I seemed to be a good fit. Turns out we complemented each other and her needs seemed like nothing to me or her. We had a good life. After 5 weeks of dealing with stage IV lymphoma I lost my pretty girl on Labor Day 2010, at only 4 years old. She fell ill just after the Waddle. We went with chemo to maybe give her some quality time and it initially showed promise, but I could always sense some discomfort and in the end she was not in remission. Still, she always rose to the occasion when it was walk time and would be just as energetic as ever, even up to her last day. That day she was in pain and I could not deny it. I sat on the floor for hours just rubbing her tummy, then brought her up on the bed and just held her for a long time. She yelped a couple of times from pain and then her eyes rolled back in her head. We left immediately for the vet. He talked with us and we all basically agreed there was nothing we could do. I spent an hour on the floor of the examining room just holding her and talking to her, making her as comfortable and loved as I could. When the time came I held her head and that moment where her pain ended and mine began happened. The very attributes that made my home a good fit for her, makes it that much harder for me to bear her loss. She had needs that required someone with a lot of free time, a quiet home with not much traffic and an understanding of how to deal with issues. Now that she's gone, my quiet home has turned silent and my constant companion, best friend and beautiful girl is gone I'm left looking around the corners for her. I'm all alone, except for the memories. Goodbye my pretty girl. I have your baby and I'll hold on to it for you. -- September 6, 2010