Camden was found wandering the streets of Camden, SC in July 2004. Carolina Basset Hound Rescue sprung him from the shelter there and he came to us as a foster. He had a cancer in his mouth that the vet removed, but felt sure it would grow back quickly. The surgery required to prevent this was too costly and too much to put him through so he was going to be euthanized. Camden stole my heart the moment I saw him. So my husband and I asked if we could adopt him and we would make that decision when the time came. The cancer in his mouth did not grow back, but we did have all of his teeth removed because they were rotten and hurting him. He still ate his kibble and enjoyed a good bone though. When they took x-rays, they found a 22-calibur bullet in his underside and a BB in his hind end. Neither bothered him. We thought we would only have him a few months, but he ended up with us for 16 wonderful, loving months. 



He was VERY laid back and didn't move too quickly. Yet he could be so funny. He'd get a wild hair and pick up one of his toys or a bone and throw it around a couple of times. If you looked at him, he'd stop immediately. He would go outside to do his business and immediately come back in. He was afraid of the grass so he would pee on the sidewalk. He would then step in the pee, walk down the sidewalk and look around for a second, then head back and see the pee-line across the sidewalk. He had a heck of a time getting back because he didn't want to step in the pee (even though he already did) and he didn't want to go in the grass. It was so funny to watch him and he did it EVERY time. Sometimes he didn't have to go....he'd just scatch at the door to go out and check on the weather, just like the old fella that he was. He liked to sleep in the big bed with us, but my husband complained that he "crowded". I ended up sleeping on the couch with him a lot. He was my snuggle buddy. He could get up on the couch by himself, but would stand there and wait for a butt-boost anyway to save himself the effort. We spoiled the heck out of him and loved every minute of it. He was happy to have a good, loving home, but he was more of a blessing to us than we ever could have been to him. He was diagnosed with lymphoma before Thanksgiving, but hung in there through Christmas before we had to send him to the bridge on 12/28/05. He wagged his tail til the very end and got a final pat from a stranger at the vet's office (he loved everyone). He went very peacefully and we wrapped him in his favority fuzzy blanket and placed him in the white coffin my husband had built for him. He is buried out back and in the spring, I'm going to plant a tree by him in his honor. I will never forget this special, funny little guy.