April and June

We said “yes” to April & June two years ago in November of 2022 as part of a group of breeder releases.  While most breeder releases are initially shy and fearful of humans, April and June were different. While the other dogs slowly started to come out of their shells, showed curiosity in the world around them, and began to trust their foster homes bit by bit, April and June did not. Whatever happened to them in their short lives had made them untrusting of humans to the point where they couldn’t be handled or shown any affection without fear. 

Most breeder releases are human-shy because they aren't socialized as puppies and have little to no human interaction or only negative human interaction as they age. 

Dogs that are human-shy can have it present in different ways and at different levels. One dog may be very nervous about humans but still crave kindness and their touch.  Other dogs, like April and June, may be so scared of humans that they may lose control of their bodily functions if handled without their consent.

While April and June have made major strides in their foster home, they are still challenging hounds as they require the humans in their lives to consider how they will respond to all human interactions.

In addition to their emotional issues, they also needed significant veterinary care, including spays, mammary tumor removals, bloodwork, dentals, and vaccines and preventatives and training/behavior consultations. To date we have spent $5,600 for their vetting expenses and their monthly expenses total around $300.

While April and June were not what we were expecting, we have done everything possible to get them healthy and make them happy while we look for a family that is open to a beautiful pair of dogs that need a little something extra. They are challenging hounds trying to be brave in a world that makes no sense to them and learning to trust that they are finally safe and free. 

We are incredibly grateful that we have foster homes that are willing to open their homes to dogs like April and June, supporters that will send them pill pockets or bags of food during their extended stay, and donors that assist us in affording their veterinary care so they have the opportunity for a second chance at a real life.

Expansion and Diversity

The last few years have offered MNBR additional opportunities to help more than just our namesake, the basset hound. Willing foster homes, generous supporters, and transport networks allowed MNBR to save even more lives and create more families during a time when so many dogs were in need.  

In 2024, MNBR welcomed bassets (99), basset mixes (26), beagles (5), beagle mixes (3) and  dachshunds (8) into the MNBR family. Our dogs come from private homes (50), breeders (45), shelters/pounds/found as strays (22), or they are born into our care (24). 

When local needs were met and space and funds were available, we were able to rescue dogs from private families, shelters, and breeders in 7 other states including Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, & Wisconsin. Thankfully, our followers and foster homes are incredibly supportive, and 2024 is going to be yet another incredibly successful year for intakes and adoptions for MNBR. Those are lives saved and families made, all thanks to people like you.

Heartworm

Heartworms are foot-long worms that live in the heart, lungs and blood vessels of infected dogs, causing severe lung disease, heart failure, and damage to other organs in the body. Adult heartworms produce microscopic baby worms called microfilaria that circulate in the bloodstream. Mosquitos bite an infected animal picking up the microfilaria and then deposit them in another animal when they bite again. It takes approximately six months for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms and start producing their own microfilaria.

The American Heartworm Society recommends you have your pet tested annually and give them a heartworm preventative year round. Dogs that test positive for heartworm must undergo months of treatment, restricted activity, and close monitoring. The scary part is that most dogs show no symptoms in the early stages of infection, so without testing it’s difficult to know if your dog is infected. Later stage signs may include a mild persistent cough, reluctance to exercise, fatigue after moderate activity, decreased appetite, and weight loss. While heartworm disease is more common in the southern United States where mosquitos are more active year-round, cases in Minnesota, especially in the Twin Cities where rescues are pulling from southern shelters, have been steadily growing. 

Heartworm testing and preventatives are inexpensive compared to the cost of treatment, and many preventatives provide other benefits like protection from other types of worms like hookworms, roundworms, or whipworms. Treatment is long, difficult, and unpleasant for both you and your dog and the infection can still have lasting effects even if they recover. 

While MNBR has never shied away from dogs with heartworm disease, in 2024, with an increase in dogs came an increase in heartworm cases. Treatment for this disease is a long, drawn out process that is expensive and takes a great physical toll on the dog. With the assistance of our experienced veterinarians and dedicated foster homes, we were able to successfully treat treat TWELVE dogs (Buttercup, Wesley, Hershey, Sophie, Sheila, Bandit, Don, Diesel, Lilly, Lighting, Lucy Gray, & Leo) and are currently treating FOUR more (Otis, Marjorie, Sadie, Hunter). 

Lightning joined Minnesota Basset Rescue from Texas when his owner was no longer able to provide him with the care he needed. He had some of the worst ear infections our vet had ever seen, was heartworm positive, couldn’t be handled without pain, and was 13 years old. To add icing to the cake, he later developed a tooth infection. Under the dedicated care of our vet team and his tireless foster home we dealt with each issue slowly and carefully, checking his heart and bloodwork multiple times to make sure he was healthy enough for all the treatments he needed. Lightning is a fighter and after months of hard work his ears improved, his teeth were fixed, and his heartworms were gone! We get regular updates from his adoptive family who say he still lives to hit the dog park.

Sheila also came from Texas, but she was not only heartworm positive, she was also pregnant. Again, we needed to consult with our veterinarians on the best way to approach her pregnancy, then treatment, to ensure she and her puppies were safe and healthy. Sheila successfully delivered 9 beautiful puppies, completed her heartworm treatment, and was safely spayed so she’d never need to have another litter again. We also get regular updates about her from her forever family, where she provides love and comfort to her shyer sister who is also an MNBR alum.

Each heartworm treatment costs a minimum of $1,000 in addition to their other basic veterinary needs. One inexpensive pill a month would have saved thousands of dollars and hours of pain and restriction. Protect your pet and test them annually. 

COVID and Inflation

In 2024 our intakes consisted primarily of private relinquishments and breeder releases (dogs of any age from a commercial breeding facility).

During COVID many people chose to purchase or adopt a new companion when they found they were spending more time at home. Breeders ramped up production of puppies to keep up with the explosive new demand. As the demand waned, breeders found themselves with surplus puppies and unneeded adult dogs. Thanks to our connections we have been able to safely move these dogs into foster homes where they can be spayed/neutered and learn how to dog from their doggy foster siblings including learning vital skills that they’ll need to live in a home with humans. 

There has also been an increase in private rehomings of dogs since COVID. Many families who adopted or purchased a dog during COVID are going back to work making them feel they no longer have time for a dog, and others are feeling the effects of inflation and struggling to afford the rising costs of dog ownership. These factors have caused a significant increase in intakes across all rescue organizations, and along with the related increase in veterinary costs, many rescues are struggling with space and funding, including MNBR.

Breeder Releases

One of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of rescue is rehabilitating dogs released from breeding facilities. These dogs have never been socialized or exposed to the normal things a family dog experiences every day and come to us with fear and distrust. With time and patience we help them become comfortable with humans and basic activities such as going through doorways, playing with toys, riding in cars, walking on a leash, and navigating stairs. 

Of the 141 dogs we have taken in so far this year, 45 of them came directly from breeders, with several more of them likely originating from breeders but coming through different channels. Their first weeks in rescue were filled with challenges and new experiences. With the support and guidance of both the humans and other dogs in their foster homes, they slowly learned how to be dogs. 

Due to the conditions in these facilities and the lack of record keeping, each adult dog we rescue needs a substantial amount of vet care including all basic vaccinations, deworming, preventatives, blood tests, spay/neuters surgeries, and dentals along with treatments for ear and skin infections. Puppies require all of their vaccines from the ground, multiple dewormings and ear infection treatments, and eventual spays/neuters once they are six months old. These dogs are often our most expensive cases, with adults costing over $1,500-$2,000 in vet care each.  

In May of 2024 we successfully completed our largest intake of dogs in a single day when we rescued 17 dogs (technically 24 dogs, but we didn’t know Tulip was pregnant!) from a commercial breeder. The dogs, ranging in age from only weeks old to 6 years old, were covered in their own filth, wounded from fighting with one another over food, and terrified of what was happening to them. With time and care and patience, all of them were slowly vetted and rehabilitated over several weeks, healing their wounds inside and out, and all 24 found loving, forever families. The veterinary care for those 24 dogs cost $19,000, but the joy in seeing these dogs live and thrive is priceless.