Summer 2021 - Issue 2, Volume 14 The Brittany Advocate President's Corner By Sue Spaid Inside: I want everyone to meet Rosie, the newest addition to the Spaid Pack. She came to us in March and integrated into our family very quickly. President's Corner • 1 The Spaid Pack also includes two male dogs, Kramer and Skeeter. Coordinator/Volunteer They are both smitten with their little sister. My husband names all of the Quarter • 2 our dogs after TV show characters. Rosie is named after the bar owner Remi's Adventures • 3 in M.A.S.H. Reader Stories • 4 Rosie’s story is like so many other dogs. Her previous family couldn’t give her the care, exercise and stimulation she needed. Her family Mother's Day Photos • 8 knew they needed to ask for help with a rescue. Debbie Tuthill, our Health Corner • 9 awesome coordinator in TN, took Rosie in. Debbie knew I was looking Photo Gallery • 10 for a little girl to join our pack. When I saw Rosie’s photo, I knew she was meant to be part of our pack. News from Canada • 11 I tell coordinators all the time that our work is as much of a people Fundraising Update • 12 business as it is a dog business. There are many heart-wrenching Get Involved • 13 stories about folks with health issues, moving into assisted living, and Adoptions • 14 losing their jobs or homes. They need help finding a loving place for their pups. The service NBRAN provides is invaluable to a person in Rainbow Bridge • 16 this situation and full of worry. We can help soften the heartbreak and Doggy Kitchen • 17 make the process easier when they are giving up a beloved pet. Families in this situation know that groups, like NBRAN, will care for and and find a loving home for their pet. As I get older, I think about what will happen to my pups if I can’t care for them. This is why I adopt from NBRAN. I know if I fall on hard times, NBRAN will be there to take my pups, ensure they are well cared for, and find new loving homes. Moving forward, we need to talk about this important point with adopters. Our updated adoption contract says NBRAN will take back a dog back at any time. We want our adopters and supporters to know - when you adopt with us, you become part of the NBRAN Pack. Coordinator of the Quarter D e b b i e T u t h i l l , T e n n e s s e e The NBRAN Board of Directors selected Debbie Tuthill as the Coordinator of the Quarter. Debbie started her NBRAN journey as a volunteer and assisted the now retired Tennessee coordinator. She helped with adoption application processing, vet checks, phone interviews, home visits, and transports. Debbie was asked to be the TN co-coordinator and she graciously accepted the role. Debbie’s responsibilities increased over time and now she is the TN state coordinator full-time. Debbie is a valuable resource in the Southern Region. She works collaboratively with the other state coordinators to rescue many Brittanys and find them forever homes. Debbie has successfully worked with local trainers and behaviorists to rehabilitate Brittanys with severe emotional or behavioral needs. Her hard work and dedication has enabled her to handle all aspects of Brittany rescue, from the administrative tasks to transports, and get the dogs to where they need to go. We want to thank Debbie for all she does, and we look forward to more successful rescues! Volunteers of the Quarter L i s a & J e f f B l y s t o n e The NBRAN Board Directors selected Lisa & Jeff Blystone as the Volunteers of the Quarter. For the last 4 years, Lisa & Jeff have been fosters for NBRAN. They often take in some of the harder dogs. Right now, they are currently fostering Rudy, who is a very under socialized boy. Lisa & Jeff are giving Rudy the love and patience he needs to be ready for adoption. In the past, they have fostered a bonded senior pair (Bonnie & Clyde) and have driven miles to pick up a group of puppies, no longer wanted by their owner. Lisa & Jeff have rescued dogs from free ads in their area and are always willing to drive their foster dogs to forever homes. One recent trip almost took them to the Canadian border! Lisa & Jeff wanted to meet the adopter and personally bring the dog to the welcoming arms of the new family. NBRAN wants to recognize this dedication to our beloved dogs. Congratulations to Lisa & Jeff for being selected the Volunteers of the Quarter! Page 2 The Brittany Advocate | www.nbran.org Remi's California Adventures B y C a t h y R . i n S a n F r a n c i s c o , C A Remi is a wonderful and quirky gem of a dog. She is growing and learning new things every day. When Remi arrived at her California forever home, after being part of the Keystone 10 rescue, she was afraid of everything – a branch moving next to her, other dogs, loud noises or groups of people. We have worked with her & she has blossomed into a social butterfly. Remi gets excited and pulls to meet dogs on our walks, even saying hello through fences, and has play dates with other neighborhood dogs. Remi is wonderful in the house and has been easily trained. From day one, she knew where to sit and sleep on her blanket – which gives her sofa privileges. I love that she smothers me with morning kisses everyday. She knows where I keep her treats and will sit waiting in front of the fridge or cupboard. At mealtime, Remi comes running and dances to the tune I tap on her food bowl and then inhales her food. Recently, my grandson Connor and I took Remi to a pet store for a bath. She was not a happy camper. We had to drag her into the store with her tail tucked between her legs. She did not like the bath. With double restraints in the tub, Conner had to still hold on to her the whole time. After the bath, she was fine, greeted people, and got treats at check out. I plan to get a trainer to help Remi walk better on a leash, to learn “come,” and other socialization issues. Remi loves to play and run around her yard. Every night, she goes to her toy basket and picks out toys to play with. Her favorite toy is a stuffed yellow ducky – that she shakes like mad but won’t chew on it. Truly a gentle Brit mouth! Remi is the third Brittany to play with this ducky. Her favorite game is to play around the coffee table. She leans part way under the coffee table with her rear in the air. Then she jumps around growling as I move my feet around under the other side of the table. We are excited for Remi to meet my younger grandchildren over Memorial Day weekend. We were curious about Remi, so we recently did a DNA test for her. It turns out she is about 50% Brittany, 25% English Setter, 12.5% Pointer & 12.5% Coonhound. These DNA results should be the same for the other Keystone 10 pups. We noticed only one difference Remi has from my other Brittanys is her feathered tail like an English Setter. I want to thank the NBRAN volunteers who helped Remi find a forever home with me in California. A big heartfelt thank you to Dave & Mary Voeltz, who were Remi’s wonderful foster parents. They even fostered my other beloved Brit, Ella Mae! Page 3 The Brittany Advocate | www.nbran.org Bitsy Turns 7! F r o m E r i c a n d K a t h r i n e M . We adopted Bitsy about 6 years ago from NBRAN. She is doing great and just turned 7 years old! We had a fun filled weekend of swimming, hiking, and playing to celebrate her special day. Ajax Turns 12! F r o m D e b o r a h C . We adopted Ajax from NBRAN in 2009 as a little dog. He just turned 12 years old! He is a great dog – actually—he is perfect! He just loves playing in the leaves. My daughter Leah, painted Ajax a few years ago when she was just 12 years old. She is so talented and we just love Ajax! Scotty Updates F r o m B e t h S . Scotty continues to flourish and loves his life. He is such a loving boy and has become my hiking buddy. It is amazing what love can do with the right home for our beloved pups. Page 4 The Brittany Advocate | www.nbran.org Mr. Watson B y K a t h y a n d J a c k T . Finally, Mr. Watson made his way to us from Dion, his foster mom, in Michigan after 13 drivers. For his last and final leg of the journey, we picked him up in St. Louis, MO at a fast-food parking lot. Mr. Watson was lively and happy, despite the hard and long journey. The NBRAN volunteers made the trip comfy for him. Mr. Watson hopped right into the back seat of our car. We buckled him up before we drove off to our home in Missouri.