A YELP FOR HELP HOUNDING THOSE WHO LOVE BASSETS.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

ACTON - Dawn Smith has a lifelong commitment to floppy-eared canines.

So Smith, along with friend Tami Clements, naturally was moved to establish a basset hound sanctuary in Acton called Daphneyland, where she coexists with about 40 yelping, playful, short-legged fans.

``I'm a fourth-generation basset owner,'' she says. ``I understand the breed, its quirks and personality traits.''

Bassets of all ages and back stories come to Daphneyland. Volunteers have picked them up from as far away as the Colorado River to the ocean to the Mexican border and Bakersfield, where sources farther north meet them halfway. The ranch's hillside location gives the stout, low-riding dogs a leg up on spectacular views. Well-furnished kennels and an abundance of toys and belly rubbers provide a happy existence until new homes can be found.

The rescue operation is funded by donations and a few fundraisers, including the upcoming Hound and Country Hoedown, set for Saturday, and ``waddle pledges'' from participants in the Montrose Christmas parade who raise money as they walk along the parade route. An average monthly vet bill is about $5,000; Smith said they hope to raise $20,000 with this year's hoedown.

As volunteer Sitina Johnson cuddled Hunter, a puppy that generously shared his kisses, a dozen more dogs waddled in a mob at her feet. Clementine, a dog that relies on a wheeled apparatus for back legs, did a face plant in the shade while two other dogs vied for Johnson's attention by standing atop a picnic table. Every dog has a name and a story, the details of each Smith and her helpers eagerly shared.

``That's Spencer,'' Smith said, pointing to an older dog sprawled in a cut-down cushy Adirondack chair. ``When he came to us, he had no hair, and he was purple. He gets allergy shots every 20 days and gets his own home-cooked meals. He's a challenge placement, but he's our bubble boy.''

Potential owners get a lesson from Smith before they are allowed to adopt. She says basset ``parenting'' isn't something to be taken casually, and she looks for special characteristics in those hoping to take home a dog.

``They need to have a lot of patience, a sense of humor and be responsible,'' she said. ``Bassets are the most stubborn dogs alive. Since they don't think of themselves as dogs, they demand couch time, and don't even think of going on vacation without them.''

Bassets, with their aerodynamic imbalance of long ears and short legs, also come with some special grooming requirements. Smith said the dog's ears offer a breeding ground for yeast infections and their oily skin gives them an aroma that she affectionately referred to as ``Frito feet.''

Their droopy-lidded eyes are prone to infections, which is why they are best kept indoors, even though their instincts - they were bred to hunt badgers in the 1500s - tell them to dig outside. On a positive note, basset hounds are loving companions and, in a practical sense, second only to bloodhounds in scent tracking.

Although Daphneyland is licensed to house 75 dogs, Smith says the compound is most comfortable with no more than 40 dogs. A lot depends on having enough volunteers to go around as well.

``We have to be able to give enough belly rubs,'' she said.

Named after a favorite dog of the rescue's volunteers, Daphneyland is the only basset rescue organization in the country with its own facilities.

More than 300 bassets are expected to converge on Daphneyland for the hoedown Saturday, which is scheduled to feature activities such as raffles, a silent auction and games like a basset 30-yard dash, where owners have to run with their dogs across a ring.

The Sidney B. Memorial Meatball Golf Tournament, another highlight of the event, involves participants taking a bowl of meatballs and a clean pooper scooper to one of the ranch fields. Their goal: to use the scoopers as clubs to hit the meatballs into rabbit holes before their dogs get the rolling treats.

``It's pretty funny, because normally bassets don't run and the meatballs don't exactly roll straight,'' Smith said.

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

IF YOU GO

Hound & Country Hoedown, a fundraiser for Basset Rescue Connection, will be held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 30 at Daphneyland Basset Rescue Ranch, 6221 Shannon Valley Road, Acton. For information, call [phone] or visit www.bassethoundranch.org.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Sitina Johnson, left, and Dawn Smith watch the many basset hounds at the Daphneyland Rescue Ranch in Acton.

(2) Clementine, whose mobility requires her to use a wheeled cart, is one of the basset hounds given sanctuary and adoption by Daphneyland in Acton.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer

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IF YOU GO (see text)