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Hansel Dankof

hansel dankof

Hansel Dankof was a German Long-Haired Dachshund discovered abandoned in the summer of 1993 on Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio, in somewhat emaciated condition. His benefactor, a young man whose name is unknown, named him ‘Ansel,’ due to the former’s love of Ansel Adams photography. ‘Ansel ‘ was then turned over to a San Antonio-based paralegal named Lisa Jackson, who owned Dachshunds and was involved informally in the Dachshund rescue movement in south Texas. Lisa Jackson turned ‘Ansel ‘ over to Mark Dankof, a Lutheran pastor then residing in the Texas Hill Country between Kerrville and Medina on 18 acres of rented rural property off Texas Highway 16. The pastor adopted ‘Ansel’ for several good reasons, including the fact that his fiance’s English Springer Spaniel–Miniature Schnauzer mix, Zeta, needed a good companion in the convalescence that followed a Gran Mal seizure. There was another facet to the story: ‘Ansel ‘ was the spitting image of the pastor’s first Long Haired Dachshund, Dutchess, obtained in the summer of 1960 in Sacramento, California. ‘Ansel ‘ became forever known thereafter as ‘Hansel.’ The initial H was added to ‘Ansel’ to Germanicize the name. Because of this fact, a nickname ensued that would also stick. The nickname was, ‘Mister H.’ It fit Hansel’s quiet dignity and unique combination of princely demeanor and extroverted love for people and animals alike. Hansel followed his family from Kerrville to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the rural beauty of the Hill Country of Texas was replaced by the urban atmosphere of the Northeastern United States for 8 years. He managed to accompany them on trips to New York, New Haven, Baltimore, Delaware, and Washington, D. C. As was the case in Texas, he was beloved by all, and made dozens of friends over the years, human, canine, and feline alike. Hansel’s companion, Zeta, preceded his passage, on January 16th, 2006 in suburban Philadelphia. Hansel returned to his native Texas with his family, departing Philadelphia on March 20th, 2006, the first day of spring that year. He enjoyed the return drive of 1800 miles through the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and the I-35 corridor between Dallas and San Antonio. God would grant him 1 more year of life before passing away at the Emergency Pet Center of San Antonio (410 and Broadway), on April 26, 2007, the apparent result of the metastasizing of a tumor which began to affect the left eye and the left nostril over time. He will be rejoined by family members on the Rainbow Bridge, along with Zeta, at a time of God’s sovereign choosing. Thanks are in order for the loving care Hansel received from his doctors over many years. These fine people include Dr. William Hoegemeyer of Kerrville, Texas; Dr. Jane Kirchhoffer of the Rau Animal Clinic in Glenside, Pennsylvania; Dr. Michelle Bammel of the Austin Highway Animal Clinic in San Antonio, Texas; and Dr. Young and Staff at the Emergency Pet Clinic in San Antonio. The photo of Hansel was taken in these last 6 months of his life in front of his home in Northeast San Antonio, by Mark Dankof.

Funeral Home:
All Paws Great and Small Crematory
5611 E. Houston St.
San Antonio, TX
US 78220

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