Bessie

I found our Bassett online. Her sad, sorrowful face caught my eye, but I don't mean the sadness of the Bassett Hound breed; I mean the sadness of a soul that had been abused and abandoned and abused some more.

We rescued her. I have spoken of her plight before and won't rehash it, but I would like to say that we have had her now for two years. She is comfortable again with men and she likes nothing better than to curl up next to Husband and sleep beside him. This is a huge deal because she would cower at his feet when we first adopted her. She has learned to trust again.

Well, Basset is a gentle soul. A true beauty and pure bred. Never have I owned a pure bred dog, but Bessie needed to be pampered and I could tell that immediately. You wouldn't know her today if you saw her picture before. She had no light in her eyes back then...no urgency.

Saturday afternoon, we had thunderstorms with big booming claps. Basset is afraid of thunderstorms...so are Number One Daughter and Youngest. Just after the storms started, Basset had to get on our bed because Husband was reclining on it and I was typing nearby. Yes, Bassett thinks that she is a lap dog, especially when thunderstorms are here.

She knew long before we did that the thunder was rolling this way and we knew this because she began to tremble from aft to stern. She quakes and shivers the whole time, usually.

The kids came running upstairs when the thunder began. Whimpering and crying, they joined us on the bed and we did our best to soothe them. Then, an intermission from the thunder and the kids bounded back down the stairs. Basset jumped off of our bed and followed them to the top of the stairs and began to dance urgently. She began to vocalize too. "Ur...woof. Woof." But the kids left her at the top of the stairs. Bassett ran back into our room to tell on the kids, "Woof! Woof!" she said urgently.

Then back to the stairs and barking her head off. Loudly. Urgently. Then I told Husband, "She's calling to the kids. There's more thunder coming and she wants them back up here." I called the kids and she cried and whimpered as they bounded back up stairs. Meanwhile, Youngest is calling happily, "What is it? What is it, Mom?"

Basset welcomed them and herded them back into our room and soon after, the thunder began again in earnest. The kids hid "under the tent." And Basset joined them. She shivered the whole time and the kids tried to comfort her.

Each time that they took off down stairs, Basset would call them back, so I made them stay near. She had enough to worry her. Basset charmed me on Saturday afternoon. She is deathly afraid of thunderstorms, but she set that aside to bring the kids back to her. She wanted to comfort and protect them.

Basset isn't the brightest animal in the world, but she is very loving and loyal. These traits are very important-more so when you have small children. In two years, Bessie has come a long way. She knows that she can set aside her fears in our home. What a great gift for the kids, too. They empathize with her. Youngest sat beside Bessie under the covers telling her it would be alright and she did the same for him. They rescued each other in their fright. They taught each other the meaning of courage and caring.

Her face isn't as sad any more. She didn't play when for the first year and a half, but now, when she is chasing the kids from room to room, or when I tell her, "I'm going to get you!" She smiles. Her gums roll back and there it is: a smile. And my heart melts. She is happy again. Every living being and creature deserves to be happy.

After the storm was over, Basset lied down on the floor and sighed. The kids were getting ready for bed and books. She wanders into their rooms to make sure that they are tucked in and then she lies down near our bed-asleep, but on-guard. Basset's home is safe for another day. Thank you, Good Girl.