He is homeless because his owner died, not because he was voluntarily given up. The kennel owner showed us his documents and was very open about his situation, which is sad. He is not a dog I would call a "problem dog". Usually purebred Basset Hounds are rehomed very quickly, especially younger dogs. As the place where he is staying is not a rescue no one looks there for dogs needing homes.
In my experience there are a lot of rescues where very little is known about the dog and they expect you to just accept that. They ask more questions about you as a potential owner than they tolerate you asking of them.
Searching for the right dog to adopt requires patience but I do believe it can also just be a matter of luck and timing.