Lost and Thankfully Found: Dash, A Champion Dachshund

We've got a very special post today. Last weekend, in several of our on-line dachshund and dog groups, there were multiple messages and photos about a lost dachshund named 'Dash.' The support from the dog community to find him was enormous, and it was such a relief to hear a few days later that he had been found. We had to find out more about this special handsome boy, so we contacted Marilyn, his human, to see if she would share his tale, and she graciously agreed. So without further ado, meet Dash, UKC CH RBIS TAC's Dash Of Teeny Weenie Perfection. This is his story:

On Friday Nov. 7th we traveled from our home in Cairo, West Virginia, to Chesterfield, Virginia, to participate at the Mid Atlantic UKC dog show. Dash was awarded Best of Breed and a Scent Hound Group 2 placement, thus giving him his final win that was needed to make him a Champion with UKC.
Having friends in the area, we drove to Hopewell VA. after the show to spend the remaining part of the weekend with them. On Sunday, instead of heading straight home we decided that since it was such a beautiful day, we'd ride the motorcycles to Surry Va. and take the ferry across the Jamestown. It was a beautiful trip until right after lunch when we got the call that puts fear in any dog lover! Dash had been left at my friends house inside with their Dachshund mix and with their teenage daughter to look after the dogs. Either the storm door didn't get latched, or crafty Dash managed to push it open anyway. The phone call stated that Dash was missing and she didn't know how long he had been gone or where he was.
The ride back to Hopewell seemed to take forever although I know we were moving as quickly as safely possible to get back. We started searching for Dash right away. I placed my own clothing out in the yard hoping that his scent hound nose would lead him back to me. The area he was lost in was city streets and traffic and not something that Dash is familiar with at all. I placed a call to friends in California and Michigan asking that they announce on all groups that Dash was missing. I spoke with his breeder to get his microchip number and contacted police as well. At one point we were given hope by the police and sent to a specific area that they said a female officer spotted Dash and that he ran from her. We searched there but to no avail.
On our way back to my friends house I got a call saying that my mother had been in an accident and was being life flighted to an Ohio hospital. It doesn't get much worse than that! Immediately after getting back to my friends house, the police call and say they have found a dog hit by a car in the area that they'd had us looking in. The officer didn't know his dog breeds and asked us to come and look at the dog. I sent my husband knowing that if it were Dash I didn't want to see him like that. Unfortunately for the Yorkie that was hit it was too late, but lucky for us it wasn't Dash! At 9 p.m. we gave up for the night.
On Monday morning I got up and started calling vet hospitals, clinics, animal shelters, animal control, the police, and put an ad in 4 newspapers. We went and had flyers made with his photo on them to post around as well. Then the phone rang and THAT call came in! One of the local vet hospitals that I had called that morning called and said that a person had called them and they thought she had Dash. I was given her phone number and talked to her immediately. A good Samaritan named Sherry Hardin had been driving through Hopewell apparently not long after Dash had gotten loose and she spotted him walking down the middle of the street.
Thankfully he went to her and she placed him in her car. She took him around the neighborhood trying to find his home and contacted police but no one knew anything of a missing Dachshund, we were still on our way back from Jamestown at that point.
Sunday night Sherry took Dash in her house and even let him sleep in her bed with her. Monday morning having to go to work, Sherry dropped Dash off at her mother's house in Hopewell and I was able to pick him up there. He looked just like he did when I had last seen him and was very eager to see us. Monday afternoon we made the return trip home to West Virginia and Dash is back to his normal life keeping pups in line and playing with his girls.
To Sherry and her mother, I can never thank them enough for what they did for Dash and I. I was so certain that I would never see my boy again. Thanks to all the folks who posted missing bulletins about Dash and to those that cross posted them far and wide. Thanks to the VA. folk who called me offering to come and help us look for our lost boy. Thanks to everyone and most especially thanks to Sherry and her mother! They kept my boy safe and brought my little prince back to me, and for that I am forever grateful!!!
If anyone would like to see more photos of Dash you can do so on our website http://www.pendachs.com/ and just click on Dash's page.

Thanks so much again to Marilyn for sharing Dash's tale. Congrats on his new title, and we hope your mom is doing well.

See more beautiful photos of Dash at PenDachs.

Veterans Day and Dachshunds

It's Veterans Day in the United States, and we honor our 24.9 million military veterans. Above, ACME news photo from Joey and Maggie's personal collection: STARS AND STRIPES UBER ALLES: CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee, January 30th, 1942 - This war has gone to the dogs, and Hampton Fritz, local dachshund, hastens to profess his loyalty. He's prized American-born property of W.H. Butler, local theater manager.

Woof! Don't miss some amazing stories of dachshunds and the military from the archives:

Dachshunds in Pop Culture: Fritz and the "Jane" Cartoon Series

Dachshunds in History: The Saga of Sgt. Wally D. Hund

Dachshunds Reunited with their Dads in the News

Dachshunds and Veterans Day

Dachshunds Teleconferencing with their Dads in Iraq in the News

Dachshunds in History: Mimi, A Most Unpopular Dog During WW2

Memorial Day Dachshund: Meet Gus

Dachshund News Roundup! - story on Vietnam War Veteran Jim Quick and his dachshund

Dachshund News Roundup! - story on Iraq War Veteran Scott MacKenzie and his new rescue boy

Dachshunds in History: Hark! Hark! The Dogs Do Bark!

Dachshunds in History: Dogs of War

Slightly Related: Dachshunds in Pop Culture: Susanne Erichsen

Slightly Related: Dachshunds in Pop Culture: Richard Barthelmess

Slightly Related: Dachshund Hush Puppies

Dachshunds and Veterans Day

Mondays

The week can only get better!

It's no wonder us dachshunds don't like kids sometimes. Above postcard, Weltpostverein Series, circa 1910.

Related: Vintage Dachshund "Humor"

The Vintage Dachshund: Pontchartrain Park

(click image to enlarge)

Thanks to imperturbe over at flickr for this nice vintage photo....we love the retro lifestyle. It's an historical image: a publicity shot of the owners of a new house in the Pontchartrain Park subdivision in New Orleans, playing with their dachshund.

From wikipedia: Pontchartrain Park was developed after World War II. It was one of the first subdivisions developed by and for middle class African Americans during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation in Louisiana. Pontchartrain Park includes a golf course; it has been home to such prominent New Orleanians as mayors Dutch Morial and Marc Morial and district attorney Eddie Jordan. Adjacent to the Pontchartrain Park golf course is the campus of Southern University at New Orleans.
Pontchartrain Park flooded badly in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, taking on water first from over topping of a section of floodwall of the Industrial Canal from storm surge channeled in to the city from the MRGO Canal, then from the major breaches in the London Avenue Canal.

See more of imperturbe's historical photos over at flickr. There's also a nice set of 174 photos from October's Howl-O-Weenie Atlanta!

Open Season 2

Hey animation fans, you can catch the adventures of 'Mr. Weenie' in Open Season 2 for free over at filmikz.net. Just watch out for an adult-oriented pop-up that we encountered if you're watching with the kids. It's a little over an hour in length, and will be released on DVD in the US in January, 2009.

Plot Details: Boog and Elliot are back for more crazy adventures. Mr. Weenie is lured out of the woods by dog biscuits placed in the wild by his owner who is still looking for him, a year after he disappeared. However Mr. Weenie is kidnapped by a group of pampered pets, determined to return him to his owners. Boog and Elliot and their friends launch a full-scale rescue mission and soon find themselves in enemy territory: the world of the pets. Led by a toy poodle named Fifi, the pets do not plan to let Mr. Weenie go without a fight.

Related: Dachshunds in Pop Culture: Mr. Weenie

Dachshunds in the White House

At his first press conference yesterday, the President-elect, Barack Obama, dealt with the biggest issue to date: The Dog. Seems like every dog discussion board wants their breed chosen, and every shelter and rescue organization is eagerly stepping forward to to provide the perfect canine as The First Dog for The First Family.
But let's face it folks, we hate to be the bearer of bad news, the "merchants of doom and gloom," but a dachshund probably isn't going to make it to the White House this time around, as a dachshund isn't commonly "hypo-allergenic," a necessary requirement because of Malia's allergies. We're hoping at least that a perfect "hypo-allergenic" dog or puppy can be found through a great rescue organization.

This of course begs the question: Has there ever been a dachshund in the White House? Has a dachshund ever been First Dog? We can answer this with a resounding YES!....a dachshund HAS been First Dog!

John F. Kennedy: John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy, often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.

This photo shows a young JFK, on a tour of Europe just before the outbreak of war, where he bought "a dachshund of great beauty" in Germany. The dog became a mascot on the journey. Source. We aren't aware that JFK had dachshunds while President however.

Dwight D. Eisenhower: Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the thirty-fourth President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general in the United States Army.

While there is a rumour floating around the internet that Eisenhower had dachshunds before becoming President, we unfortunately don't fully trust the source. The disclaimer at this website reveals: Not all of the information on this page is entirely accurate, and not all the photos are in exactly their original state, but we believe, nonetheless, that it makes for an entertaining read.

Theodore Roosevelt: Teddy Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States, serving from 1901 - 1909. A leader of the Republican Party and of the Progressive Party, he was a Governor of New York and a professional historian, naturalist, explorer, hunter, author, and soldier.

This is a photo of Teddy Roosevelt relaxing and reading with what is often attributed to be his pet "dachshund" on his lap; photo taken in 1905. The "dachshund" in this photo appears to be 'Skip,' a mongrel black and tan terrier of unknown breeding. We see some dachshund genes there though, and he sure is happy to be on his master's lap. You can read more about Skip and see more photos in a nice article at Terrierman.

Which brings us to Grover Cleveland: Stephen Grover Cleveland was both the twenty-second and twenty-fourth President of the United States. Cleveland is the only President to serve two non-consecutive terms (1885–1889 and 1893–1897) and thus is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents. He was the winner of the popular vote for President three times—in 1884, 1888, and 1892—and was the only Democrat elected to the Presidency in the era of Republican political domination that lasted from 1860 to 1912. Cleveland's admirers praise him for his honesty, independence, integrity, and commitment to the principles of classical liberalism.

Joey and Maggie, your investigative journalist hosts of The Long and Short of it All, did some research on dachshunds in the White House at a local University, and we found this interesting piece of news about Grover Cleveland from the Chicago Daily Tribune, February 12th, 1894, here's an excerpt:

PETS IN THE WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS: Besides the two babies, Esther and Ruth, there are innumerable pets at the White House. Scattered through the broad demesne belonging to the Chief Magistrate are myriads of hares running wild in the grounds and furnishing rare sport for the foxhounds and dachshounds (sic) belonging to Mrs. Cleveland. In the limpid pools of the rose and orchid houses attached to the conservatories are hundreds of imported fish, the principal being the many-tailed Japanese variety of goldfish and the famous paradise fish from Siam.
Game chickens of the shawineck breed are conspicuous whenever a visit is paid to the stables attached to the White House, and Coachman Willis is justly proud of the success which has attended his efforts in raising these pretty fowls. In quadrupeds there is almost every known specimen at the little pagoda-shaped sentry box on the east side of the mansion, where the White House babies in charge of their nurses can be seen every fair day. Gamboling about toddling Ruth, or hiding under the carriage containing infantile Esther, can be seen a cocker spaniel, beautifully marked in white and brown, or a collie, which, though a new arrival, seems perfectly at home amid his new surroundings. Hector, the well-known black French poodle of Mrs Cleveland, is at Buzzard's Bay for the winter, as a companion for the St. Bernard, famous as a medal winner. A bow-legged, squat-figured Dachshund, with long flapping ears, is a great pet with the occupants of the White House, being a recent importation from Germany. Until a few days ago, a voracious tulip-bulb fiend in the shape of a raccoon could be seen climbing up and down the trees facing the Treasury Department, but he made one foray too much, and the story is that a gardener's spade cut his earthly career short.
Mrs. Cleveland's ponies, a handsome pair of animals, which their mistress usually drives to a low and easy going phaeton, complete the list of pet animals contiguous to the White House, birds being tabooed inside the mansion.

So, dear dachshund readers, that's the long and short of it all, and all we can state at this time is that the last time a pure-bred dachshund was in the White House was under the leadership of Grover Cleveland, over 100 years ago. That's about 8 - 10 generations ago for us dachshunds....way too long! If anyone has any more information on a Dachshund First Dog, by all means please send it in!

Reminder: 'Tasty Time With ZeFronk' Debuts This Saturday

Gather up the preschoolers and the doxies and don't miss the new animated series Tasty Time with ZeFronk, which debuts Saturday, November 8th, on Playhouse Disney. It looks as though several different 5-minute episodes will air all morning. 'ZeFronk,' a French Dachshund, hosts a cooking show from his doghouse, whipping up healthy snacks for kids with the help of his assistant, a bird named Sue. Our culinary hero is driven to distraction by his sneaky neighbor cat, Dom, who will stop at nothing to get a bite of one of ZeFronk's tasty snacks.
Read an interview with Chef ZeFronk at The Examiner, and enjoy teasers and all sorts of activities at Playhouse Disney.

Related: New Dachshund Cartoon: Tasty Time with ZeFronk

Dachshunds in Pop Culture: Patti Page

Who? Surely you've heard her golden voice. Clara Ann Fowler (born November 8, 1927), known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, and one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music.
She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records to date. Patti Page has released over 80 albums and 157 singles - an astounding 110 of which reached the Billboard charts. Her 13 gold records include such standards as I Went To Your Wedding, Mr. & Mississippi, Doggie In The Window, and Tennessee Waltz (almost 8,000,000 sold) which is the second biggest-selling single ever, after White Christmas. A musical pioneer, she was the first to record with the now-standard overdubbing process, singing both lead and background vocals. She was also the first artist to become a crossover sensation ...and she is the only musical performer in history to have her own weekly series on all three networks.

While we don't think that Ms. Page was ever owned by her very own dachshund, her accomplishments certainly require that she has a special place in dachshund history. The above promotional photo was taken in January of 1953; she is "holding a dachshund in a pet shop, trying out her new song, How Much Is That Doggie in the Window."

But wait, there's more. According to The Humane Society of the United States, Ms. Page is re-recording her classic tune with a new name and lyrics: "(Look at that) Doggie in the Shelter." She says: "When I recorded that song more than 50 years ago, 'Doggie in the Window' seemed like a sweet and harmless message, and everyone thought of the corner pet store as a place to see adorable puppies. The puppies in pet stores are still adorable, but now most of them come from puppy mills. So I've changed my tune. I want this song with new lyrics, 'Doggie in the Shelter,' to become an anthem for homeless pets, and to help people recognize the great work done by animal shelters." Find out more at The Humane Society of the United States.

Keep up with Miss Patti Page at her official site. And we're sending a huge thanks out to 'Clancy' for sending the links as an inspiration to this post, thanks so much. We love Patti Page. We relax to her sultry vocals almost every week. Old Cape Cod is our favorite, what's yours?




Enjoy the original How Much is That Doggie in the Window?

Those Special Dachshunds: Meet Tristan!

Oh boy, do we love these heart-warming dachshund stories! Meet beautiful smooth black and tan dappled 'Tristan,' who hails from Eastern Washington. His human, Yvette, writes:

Hello Joey and Maggie!

We have a dog rescue in Eastern WA - and own 4 of our own Dachshunds!
We adopted Copper, a red Mini type Doxie, about 5yrs. ago now, he was with us just 4.5 years, we lost him to Cushing's syndrome in June of '08. We'd already adopted 2 others in '06, being smitten with the breed, despite Copper arriving in our home quite unexpectedly. Carlie and Conan (siblings, we think) came from a Humane Society in Prineville, OR.
After Copper passed, we adopted a 3rd (and last, so we though) Dachshund. Coda now 7mos. old and, like the others before, he was adopted/rescued from a shelter in the Wenachee, WA, area.

Which brings us to Tristan, a recent arrival to our home - Tristan has three calcified discs and as a result is partially paralyzed. He was picked up as a stray alongside a busy highway in Grant Co., WA (Moses Lake area). When the shelter contacted us, we agreed to take Tristan, we are an all-breed rescue who does specialize in rehoming Dachshunds. However, upon meeting Tristan, I KNEW he was "the one" for us - he reminds me so much of Copper, how he insists on doing things his way and barks until he gets his way!
He came here while he waited for a new home of his own but as he stayed, we realized he already IS home, and he is our dog, no longer up for adoption!
Our website is http://www.apawup.petfinder.com/.
The gorgeous leather collar he is sporting comes from a dear friend of ours, Lisa Ruiz, her website is http://www.collarmania.com/

Yvette, we love to hear these stories of "foster failures," when a dog touches your heart so much, that you KNOW where that dog belongs. Thanks so much for all the hard work that you do for animals, dogs and dachshunds; your adoptable pet list is quite varied....love 'Daisy' the goat! Tristan and the rest of your crew are lucky to have found you.

UPDATE January 19th, 2009: Tristan is walking again!

Those Special Dachshunds: Meet Gregg!

Larry and Karen Smith's pet dachshund, Gregg, is truly a miracle, having undergone extensive surgery after being struck by a car.

We went down state to visit our Grandma, Grandpa, and our country dachshund cousin 'Rudy' last weekend, and our good friend 'Gregg' was in the local newspaper! This is his story by Jim Zuber from the Enquirer-Democrat out of Carlinville, Illinois (the paper is not online, so we can't provide a link!)

All pet owners view their pets as a joy and blessing, but in the case of Larry and Karen Smith of Carlinville, their pet dachshund, Gregg, is truly a miracle.

"We got him in May 2003 from Adopt-A-Pet in Benld," Larry Smith said. "He got his name from the television show Dharma and Gregg." We thought about changing it, but our granddaughter, Colleen Madden, told us, "No, they said his name is Gregg, and that's what it's going to be."

On July 3 of that year, Gregg was struck by a car in Gillespie, where the Smiths resided at the time. As a result of the accident, the dog suffered a broken left hip and right leg. Devastated, the Smiths contacted Lorraine Jackson at Adopt-A-Pet, who recommended they contact Carlinville veterinarian Steve Sandino.

"We met him at his office, and he told us he would check Gregg out and have us come back the next day," Karen Smith said.

After taking X-rays of Gregg's injuries, Sandino told the Smiths there were no internal injuries and suggested taking the dog to Dr. Mark Anderson, a veterinary specialist in St. Louis.

"We were told it was going to be expensive," L. Smith said. "We debated the possibility of having him put to sleep. Then, one night, he was in his cage in the other room, and he started barking. We opened the door to see what was wrong, and he drug himself over to us. We stood there with tears in our eyes. We knew then that we would take him to St. Louis. We went to see Dr. Anderson, and he told us, "I can fix this dog; he will walk again."

Gregg underwent approximately $3,000 worth of surgery which included putting in a plastic left hip and a rod in his right back leg. K. Smith worked with Gregg to help the dog learn to walk again after surgery. The couple also took their pet out on their pontoon boat at Carlinville Lake, where the dachshund could swim in the lake. Today, Gregg shows no signs that indicate he was ever injured.

"This dog would not be alive it wasn't for Dr. Sandino," K. Smith said. "He runs fast, and he can jump. He and our cat, Casper, chase each other and play all the time. But, he doesn't go out without a leash. He's also very good with kids. Our grandson, Jake Schwartz, is here four days a week, and they get along great. When I buy a ball for Jake, I've got to buy one for Gregg. He thinks he has to have one, too. He's a good little dog and a joy to have around, and the most important thing we've learned from all this is 'Don't give up on your animals.'"

Can we get a woof?

Those Special Dachshunds: Meet Dash!

Meet incredibly handsome black and tan longhair 'Dash,' who hails from Kansas City, Missouri. His human, Sarah D. writes:

Dear Joey and Maggie,
First off, I am addicted to your blog! I blog-stalk it every day to see new dachshund news. I love all of the pictures! I am a new mommy to Dash - a year old long-haired who was just too much for his old family who already had two smooth dachshunds who were brothers. Dash has lived with me since May and he rules my house! He is my first dog and I can tell you that I will only have dachshunds from here on out. Please continue your wonderful work – I LOVE IT!

Thanks so much for the extremely kind words Sarah, and welcome to the dark side....the wonderful world of dachshunds! Sounds like Dash has found his perfect forever home.

E.B. White's Passions

Last week we featured the new E.B. White dachshund bookend available from Levenger, and here's the inspiration. This drawing is in fact E.B. White's handiwork, he sketched it for the family Christmas Card in 1950. Read all about how that bookend came to be at Well-Read Life.

Related: The Ultimate Gift for Dachshund Lovers

"We did it? Barack Obama won? Yay!"

Thanks to Brian Hathcock for sending the link to the photo of his beautiful smooth chocolate and tan puppy 'Olive.' From the photo's notes: Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States of America. Olive and I couldn't be happier. Let's hope the change we've voted for comes to life. See more pics of Olive over at flickr.

Thanks to Who's Your Dachshund for letting us know that they have started a petition to get a dachshund in the White House! Leave a comment and be registered to win a DVD of the fabulous Wiener Takes All!

Related: Congratulations Bark Obama, President-elect of the United States of America

The George Clooney Dachshund Connection

Huh? If you're a regular reader of the fantastic must-read monthly newsletter over at Dachshund Delights, you already know, but if you aren't, (and you should be!) don't miss the tawdry tale of George Clooney's recent encounter with a young dachshund pup on the set of a new movie. Short of a spoiler, that's all we'll say.



Much like Mr. Clooney himself, you'll find the hilarious tale at Dachshund Delights is MAGNIFICO.


Slightly Related: The Kevin Costner Dachshund Connection

Slightly Related: The Johnny Depp Dachshund Connection (video has been removed from youtube, but still a good tale)

Congratulations Bark Obama, President-elect of The United States of America

Well, we're hoping it's the dawn of a new age. Your Long and Short of it All hosts voted today, Maggie "The Maverick" voted for her hero John McCain, and Joey "Joebama" voted for his hero Barack Obama. Maggie is a bit grouchy, but has accepted the defeat of her candidate, and says "I urge all Americans in congratulating Mr. Obama, and I hope we can work through our differences to make this a stronger nation for tomorrow's dachshund puppies." Joey says "I've waited my whole life for a Democratic President. It's a dream come true. Dog Bless America."

Michelle Obama has stated that she will adopt a rescue a dog after the election, please keep us dachshunds in mind. We can make a few phone calls and hook you up in a second. It's time for a dachshund in the White House.

It was nice to hear Obama say these words during his victory speech: "Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House.”

A photo of Joey the Dachshund as 'Joe-bama' by purephase. See even more pics and lots of fun stuff at Rosetta Stone for the painfully alone.

Celebrity Dachshund Watch: Josh Duhamel and Fergie, Part 3

Thanks so much to Gatinha and Alison, who wrote in with reports of 'Zoe' (bottom) and 'Dylan' (top), Josh and Fergie's dachshunds. Apparently Dylan is also known as 'Meatloaf!' Catch some videos of the dynamic duo over at PC.com, and watch Zoe dive in the pool after her ball! (Click oh Josh Duhamel: Episodes 1 & 2). Also check the nine pics of Fergie, Zoe, and Dylan at Fergie Portugal.

Fergie and Zoe via Fergie Portugal

Related: Celebrity Dachshund Watch: Josh Duhamel and Fergie, Continued

Related: Celebrity Dachshund Watch: Josh Duhamel and Fergie

Celebrity Dachshund Watch: Josh Duhamel and Fergie, Continued

Love birds Stacy Ferguson and Josh Duhamel take a walk through a canyon with their little wiener dog on Monday morning in Los Angeles.

Huh? We first reported on Josh and Fergie last December, but they seem to keep a pretty low profile with their dachshunds. We had heard they had 2 dachshunds: "purebred Zoe and mutt Dylan." If Zoe, who was pictured in December is the "purebred," could this be 'Dylan?' Sure looks like a smooth chocoloate and tan to us; maybe he's a new addition to the pack. See 14 pics over at Just Jared. If anyone has any more info, please send it in!

Related: Celebrity Dachshund Watch: Josh Duhamel and Fergie

Dachshunds Rescued From Hoarder are Reunited

In a sad, yet somehow heart-warming story, 26 dachshunds were rescued from a Mission Viejo, California home, and then reunited with their new adopted humans. The above photo shows the rescued dogs with their new families. Excerpt from the OC Register: Karen Stone, 47, has been debilitated since 1991, and for several years has been unable to care for the dogs. Her husband and son tried to come to the rescue. Every night her husband cleaned and disinfected the back yard. Her son cleaned their bedding, fed and exercised them.
It wasn't enough. Since August Stone has turned over 26 miniature dachshunds to the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center. Deputies found more than 70 dogs in kennels in the home and back yard. Nearly all of the dogs' vocal cords had been cut.
"What is unusual is that she started as an unauthorized business and somewhere down the line she went into denial about the number and the healthcare care that was being neglected," said Sharon Cody, president of the Dedicated Animal Welfare Group that spent more than $10,000 in medical bills to make the dachshunds adoptable. "She will be monitored for compliance."
A week ago almost all the dachshunds and their new families reunited at Cody's home.

Read all about this sad story of hoarding and the happy reunion with 23 nice photos at the OC Register. For us at least, it's as though the reunion provides some sort of closure to an otherwise very sad tale.

Dachshunds in Sports: Detroit Lions' Nick Harris

Huh? Nick Harris (born July 23, 1978 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an American football punter currently playing for the Detroit Lions. He played college football at the University of California, Berkeley where he set the NCAA record for career punting yardage. And oh yeah, he's a dachshund lover. Above, his children Drew Harris, age 1, and Halle Harris, age 2, pose with their 5-yr-old miniature dachshund 'Limo' for the 2009 Detroit Lions Pet Calendar, with all proceeds to benefit Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter. You can see more pics of Harris' and his family, and buy the calendar at the Dearborn Animal Shelter.

Find out more about Nick Harris in a nice little Q&A at mlive.com.

Q: Any pets?
A: A wiener dog, a little dachshund, named Limo. She's long and black like a limousine.

Dachshunds in History: Dogs of War

Dog lovers have been keeping up with the big story of 'Ratchet,' the Iraqi dog rescued from a pile of burning trash in May, it sure was a pleasure to read that his human, Sgt. Gwen Beberg, was finally able to bring him to her Minnesota home a week ago after weeks of struggles with the military, who prohibit such actions.
But, dear dachshund readers, adopting dogs from foreign lands during times of war and bringing them back to the United States is nothing new. The above press photo was taken in New York on March 19th, 1946: WAR VETS ARRIVE IN US: Among the more than 100 dogs which arrived yesterday aboard the Liberty Ship Thomas Nelson Page were this Dachshund (left) going to Mrs. Philip Humn of Bloomfield, N.J., and a St. Bernard (right), the property of Mrs. Peter Fillides, of Detroit, Mich. The dogs are pets of soldiers who acquired them during their stays overseas.

Read all about Ratchet and his human at CNN.