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To order a Duffy book, click on one of the covers to the left.

The Duffy Dog of the Week award criteria is, uh, how do I say this? Uh, well, let’s just say it’s “flexible.”

We’ve had hounds heroically overcoming adversity–hounds that did some extraordinary selfless things and hounds that were just special for one reason or another.

This week’s DDOTW is a bit of a princess. This diva sips caramel frappucinos with extra whip cream from Starbucks. She’s also been known to turn her nose up or even growl at other dogs who are welcome into her home.

She’s also—and I need to be cautious here—ahh, pleasantly plum—no wait, “full-figured.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Tia.

Big Time Diva

Tia was left in a Humane Society in Missouri because she couldn’t produce puppies. Missouri is known as the puppy mill capital of the world. So someone who doesn’t deserved to be called a son-of-a-bitch dropped her off.

When sisters Jan and Joyce went to the shelter to get a dog for Joyce they found Tia in the all male section and they took her home, not knowing anything about the breed.

(This is where basset slaves knowingly chuckle.)

“Tia was stubborn, stole food of the counter tops and slung drool all over the house. And of course, we fell in love with her,” Jan Marchelwski says.

So what gets her to the Duffy Dog of the Week honor?

Her ability to inspire.

“Basset hounds are like potato chips. You can’t stop with just on,” Jan says. “After meeting Tia my sister and I got involved with basset rescue.”

Yeah, I guess you can say that.

You see, Joyce became one of those “foster parents,” and Jan became a “foster aunt,” the kind souls that take in homeless hounds that have no place to go until they can get adopted.

There was the first foster, Charity. Then there was Beaucephaus, Scooby and Fred.

That’s four fosters.

Nice people, right? Hang on.

Joyce and Jan didn’t stop there. There have been 49 other foster dogs since then.

Forty-freakin-nine.

Why? Because they fell in love with Tia.

Is that enough to win Duffy Dog of the Week?

Let’s just say there were 53 votes in favor and none against.

Ladies and gentlemen, raise your Frappucinos!