I missed adopting another basset today.  Louise was at the Sacramento County pound, according to the Pet Harbor Website.  She had the longest ears of any basset I've ever seen.  Mutant ears! She was a five-year-old tri-color girl.  She had a sweet look in her face.  She reminded me of our dear old Patience.  Anyway, I'm glad she got adopted, to a good home, I hope.  I also hope they are prepared for the numerous ear infections she will probably develop with those absurdly long ears of hers.  Maybe that's why she was surrendered.  Speaking from experience, it can get expensive.  Bubba's ears weren't that long, but they were heavy and caused problems throughout his life.  I hope Louise's owner will get a really big snood to keep her ears from dragging the ground and keep them out of her food and water bowls.  

Why do breeders keep doing this to dogs?  Ears like that serve no good purpose, at least not for the dog.  Certainly to vanity and greed of the breeder who produces them and profits from the sale.  But where did this dog end up?  The same place so many of the results of indiscriminate breeding end up, regardless of what breeders claim.  A basset like Louise would never be able to track hares in the field, which bassets were bred to do.  She'd constantly be tripping over her ears.  Heavens to Murgatroyd!  Even rabbits don't have ears that long!