I received a call the night of 12-13-96 from a gentleman who was very anxious. He asked if I was Cheryl with the Bloodhounds? When I said yes, this is Cheryl and yes I do have Bloodhounds he went on to explain who he was. It seems as though this man found a Bloodhound while out hunting, and was trying desperately to contact a member of the ABC who could help find the dog a home. It seems as though this dog at some point in his young age (1 to 1 1/2 yrs.) had to have his tail amputated. Thanks to this warm hearted man Rufus had his shots up to date, was on heart worm preventative, and had been altered. This man was in tears when he spoke with me. When he found Rufus he was severly under weight. This gentleman got him back in condition and paid for all his medical care. He has a 12 year old Rottweiler, and the Rott didn't like Rufus. He said if he didn't have his Rott he would keep Rufus, as this was the sweetest and smartest dog he had ever seen.I told this gentleman I would take the dog and do all I could to find him a good home. Thanks go to Phill and Sandy Park (who are no longer breeding Bloodhounds) who kept Rufus till I could get there to pick him up. This gentleman transported Rufus to Virginia to Phill and Sandy's house. I got on the phone right away to Julie Northshield of NorthEast Bloodhound Rescue, asking if she had any homes wanting a nice boy? As it turned out there was a home she had right here in my backyard. I phoned the couple who lives in Williamsburg and met them. GREAT people! They couldn't wait for me to pick up Rufus (as I had strep throat) so up to Phill's they went. A great ending to a sad story. Rufus had a home for Christmas with a couple who dosn't care if he has a tail or not. The following is a note I received from them:
Dear Cheryl,We want to thank you so much for finding Rufus for us. He's already found his place in our family & our hearts. When we picked him up from the kennel, he was really shy & timid and had us prepared to spend a lot of time building trust up. But as soon as we got home, he met Heidi (our Huskie) and started running around the yard playing, barking and then taking time-outs for some good-ole ear rubbing! He's such a gentleman and a loverboy! We love him and want to say thanks for a great Christmas present!
Rufus was the first of two Bloodhounds to be placed within one week through the newly forming Colonial Bloodhound Club breed rescue.
Cheryl Slavnik