The Rainbow Bridge

We picked up Duke (formally) known as Droopy in October 2014 as he came on a doggie bus. Duke arrived from Alabama; he was 1 years old. We were so excited we had just lost our other Bassett Hound named Sherlock. Duke was so loveable and full of energy. The eleven years we had with him were a joy in our lives. We were better for having him, he loved people and other dogs. Everywhere we went, they loved him. WE moved to Florida in 2020, and he loved to lay on the grass to sunbathe, receive belly rubs and to chase ducks and rabbits. This past September of 2025, Duke became ill and developed Cancer. We did all we could to save him but on December 2019, 2025, we had to let him go. Duke crossed the rainbow bridge. We are beyond devastated and heartbroken. The loss is very overwhelming; he was a part of our everyday lives. We will never forget Duke, we know that he is now with his doggie friends that left before him in heaven playing and being shown around, pain free and happy. Mommy will always love and miss you!!

We would like to thank TSBHR for bringing Duke into our lives, perhaps one day we will see you again Duke. We will always love and miss you Dukester, Dukie!!
The Vargas Family- Duke Vargas 9/21/2013 to 12/19/2025

We picked up Joon at a Wawa in December 2022 when she rode up on the doggie bus from Alabama to Baltimore. We were so excited as the volunteers brought her off the van: watching her short (but long for a basset!) legs trot along in the cold parking lot was a sign of many good walks yet to come.

We knew very little about Joon’s life before she was ours, but we can certainly say her life after arriving was full of comfort. As she worked her way out of her shell and we learned about her many quirks, we were surprised at how quickly she learned to expect soft things in all aspects of her life. She demanded a place on the couch and would get on top of any blanket on the ground; even a moving blanket, towel post-shower, or canvas dropcloth during house projects would do. Her short legs were never an obstacle: she used her head to lift herself onto couches, countersurfed to steal freshly baked bread, and kept up (mostly!) with other dogs at the dog park. We often said she was the most active basset we had met – just until the moment she would decide to sit down mid-walk and bake in the sun (especially on our neighbor’s stoop).

Joon loved life in Baltimore (especially when her nose led her to snacks on the sidewalk), but life wasn’t without its challenges. Joon came to us with significant anxieties about the world, and helping her see the world as a safer place became a daily goal of ours. Watching her slowly make friends with our mailman or accept treats from firemen was so rewarding. We were so proud of her progress and only hoped we’d have more time with her to watch her bloom over the years.

Joon was our weird little girl in the best of ways: she was classically obstinate, a professional napper, and a voracious eater. She loved to chase rabbits, but her one brain cell and short legs prohibited her from ever actually catching one. She went crazy for belly rubs and happily grumbled when you cleaned her ears. She jumped up at your face at playtime and her play bows were as wide and low as they come.

Joon was ours for almost three years before she died of lymphoma. She never knew any discomfort, even at the end, and we will miss her dearly.

We picked our pup up in Brooklyn in the first week of August 2014 and he came home on my lap in the cab to Astoria queens afterwards. he had a fear of men with cigarette smoke, mustaches and long poles, lie a brush or crutches. he was also scared of the train and once was terrified of a possum. he also drank from the toilet, hid his head under our low table, wouldn’t come into the kitchen and drank beer and coffee but was the softest most gentle soul I have ever met…he loved people and eventually all men. he loved bread so much and would often lie on the street taking in sunshine after our daily walks. he was a massive celebrity with everyone cos he turned pure white and was so cute. we also got a big tabby gray cat and he was very gentle with him as the cat was a bit of a moody little thing. he loved snuggles on newly washed sheets, loved the neighbors Christmas parties and would partake in table stealing of the cheese. he was a big hit with the ladies and would often go on his back to get tummy rubs and he was a fighter…he lived on the best part of 3 legs and pulled himself up steps till about 3 months ago. 2 days ago the two legs stopped working and he still wanted to get up but his daddy knew it was his time to go and we all went to the vet together where he was put gently to sleep. what is keeping me going is that he is now in doggy heaven with Dexter his brother who was adopted as the same time as stanley in another home in New Jersey. he would have been about 5 years old too so I am posting a photo of when we first got him

We met Aidan on February 5, 2014, as part of a caravan of rescued dogs coming from the South. His first part of the trip was a plane ride with Pilots for Paws with the last leg of his journey from Louisiana to Pennsylvania via transport trailer. He was originally found on Craigs List in Louisiana by a friend of Tri-State. He had a rough start having mange that required bi-weekly dips and daily meds. We originally thought he was a basset hound puppy but his ears stopped growing and his legs kept growing and it became clear he was not a basset, especially when our bassets could walk underneath him. But we loved him just the same.

Aidan was a playful, energetic, puppy and loved playing and most of the time destroying his squeaker toys. His toys were his great treasure and he would proudly bring them to you. He loved playing with our bassets, Ruby and Grace. They often would engage in the “Howlelujah Chorus”. He was a gentle soul and loved our grandchildren dearly. He enjoyed many trips to Ocean City, NJ and his special beach friend, Edna. He loved popcorn but his favorite treat was Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

He lived a happy, long life and celebrated his 12th birthday July 7th. He had many nicknames: Buddy, Cajun Aidan (for his Louisiana roots), and Aidan Mathus (one of the handsome men on the ABC drama Revenge). We will miss this sweet boy so much but know he is running pain free and waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge.

Thank you to Tri-State Basset Hound Rescue for placing him with us and the many years of happiness and memories he gave us.

On New Year’s 2015, we met Spud when we picked him from his foster mom, Linda Manton. He was terrified, a bit sickly but beautiful. It took a couple of months to gain his trust, but once we did, he was the sweetest most loving guy anyone could ask for. He was quirky, funny and so, so lovable. But he was still terrified of anyone who wasn’t me or my husband. We never forced anything on him – he called the shots.

His health improved proved as we completed de-worming and he was treated for ehrlichiosis. He started gaining weight and filled out nicely. But still hid from people who came to visit. He loved us – no doubt about that. We loved him – no doubt there either.

COVID struck in 2020 and we were locked in our homes so trying to socialize him was out of the question. But he was happy.

In 2022, we moved to Florida. This was a very sociable community and we always had people coming in and out. Well, after awhile, he went from running into the bedroom when we had company, to cautiously coming out nad people watching. Pretty soon, he was going up to our friends looking for affection – which he was given in droves. These years were probably the best in his life.

One of Arnie’s health issues was his predisposition to grow fatty tumors – he had a dozen of them and quite a few had to be removed. He handled his surgeries like a pro. However this year he had two very large growths that the doctor said couldn’t be removed because of his age and health. He was somewhere betweem 13 and 15 and was suffering from some enlarged organs – we agreed and did everything we could to keep him comfortable. Last week, he took a turn and lost control of his legs and his bowels. We knew it was time.

On June 20, Lap of Love came to our home. Arnie was held by us, on his couch in his home and crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge. I wish I could tell you how heartbroken we are – he was the best part of our lives. The loss is overwhelming but we take comfort in knowing we gave him the best possible life anyone could. We will love him forever. And we will be forever grateful to Tri State Rescue for allowing us to love our best friend.

We adopted our beloved Albert from Tri-State Basset in 2015. He was a basset beagle mix and a very shy dog at first. Over time he came to trust us, and became a most loving and lovable dog. Even though he had a residual anxiety throughout his life, he was not aggressive. He was just a really sweet guy. We loved him so much and were devastated when he developed cancer. We had to let our boy go two weeks ago, and the void in our lives is enormous. We will always love you and miss you, Albert. Perhaps, in some way, someday, we will see you again.

We rescued Rocco in October 2017. We just purchased our first home with a huge fenced in yard. I grew up with basset hounds and knew when i owned my own home i wanted to get one. We picked rocco up in new jersey (we live outside of philly). He had just turned 1 in july and he was still very much a puppy. We bought him everything you can imagine that was basset hound friendly. The first night i slept on the floor with him he would pace the whole night. He did this for a few nights until he became more comfortable with us. Eventually he slept in his big cozy bed each night for 8 years. He was already house trained and he was the biggest snuggler. Rocco and myself would snuggle for hours on the couch. We had our son in July 2022 and when we brought him home Rocco would always lay right next to him. Rocco was 8 years old when he passed January 2025. He died suddenly from a tumor we had no idea about and stopped breathing on his own. We will miss him terribly and our house right now is missing a huge piece.

Celia came from Tri State Bassets and was originally name Carol- not a good fit at all. She was my beloved Celia or C as everyone called her. She was my rock, my sounding board and my best friend. When Covid hit it was just the two of us for what seemed forever- I never did go back to work and spent the next few years enjoying my time with her. She was considered the neighborhood busybody- not everyone knew me but they all knew Celia and what she was up to. The night before I had to put her down all my neighbors came to say going to the sweet girl they had come to know and love.
It’s been one and a half years now since she’s been gone and I miss her every minute of every day – I only hope she and Ollie and Max and Penny, Brute, Oscar and Reggie are all keeping her company.
Susan H Halvorsen

Barnaby came to us on September 24, 2017 from Tri State as Hudson, a shy, skittish little boy. He quickly become part of the pack, and grew as attached to us as we became of him. Of the many bassets that were adopted from Tri State, he holds a special place in my heart. He was a beautiful boy in many ways, “both physically and in his demeanor,” as his pet sitter has remarked and he will be remembered always by all whose hearts he touched.

He was a gentle sole, yet strong. He endured much in his life, more than any basset should, from bloat, glaucoma, colon torsion, megaesophagus and blindness in his final year, but he never gave up: he adjusted and adapted and continued to show us his love, and we all are grateful for that. His eye doctor called him the Miracle Dog. Unfortunately, for us both this past Thanksgiving morning there was one final miracle he couldn’t pull off. On November 28 he passed at 16 years and 3 months. We all will miss terribly his sweet presence in our home. We all love you, Barnaby. Rest well.

Our sweet Buddy boy crossed the rainbow bridge yesterday. He blessed us with nine years of unwavering love. When he joined our family, we had a four year old and a one year old. Those two kids grew up with him, and he was delighted to meet our third child four years ago! He was like one of the kids – full of curiosity, excitement, and love. We miss him terribly, but we are so thankful to TSBHR for giving us the beautiful gift of his companionship and we will cherish the memories of our time with him forever. 6/1/2015 – 10/22/24.