Our NEBR rescue Butterscotch was the light of our lives. When she passed suddenly of a rare spinal stroke, I knew there would never be another dog like her. She was the town "mayor", well loved by all and always anxious to share her love of life and her joy.

Christine at NEBR contacted me and wrote that she knew we were not ready to adopt another dog, BUT, there was a dog in foster I really needed to meet. She emailed the dog's photo, and I was a goner.

I went over to meet Cody, who greeted me by climbing up on his Brittany foster sibling to give me a kiss. That was all I needed to see, and my husband and I adopted Cody.

Despite his initial greeting, Cody was a very fearful dog who vomited with fear everytime he was in a new situation. He initially needed a lot of space, and did not seek out much interaction. It was a tremendous adjustment after living with a dog who lived for intimacy and physical contact.

Fast forward to two years later. Cody channels Butterscotch's spirit, and is a joyful and playful boy. He loves to snuggle, and insists on goodnight and good morning play time. He is the only dog I have ever had who I trust 100% off leash when hiking; he never leaves our side.

Cody even got to meet Governor Hassan during NH PetSave week, although he feel asleep during her speech. There will never be another Cody and we are so thankful to NEBR for bringing this amazing little dog into our lives. We could not have adopted a better dog.

Anita Burroughs

Rescue in NH

Meet Remington and Lady....both are 12 year old Brittanys rescued from a breeder in New Hampshire.  New England Brittany Rescue along with NBRAN and ABR helped by rescuing 43 dogs.  The dogs have significant teeth problems but are heartworm- and fully vaccinated.  They have lived their lives in outdoor kennels and are not all socialized.  NEBR is asking for your help with fostering.  Lets give these brittanys a warm bed and comfort for their remaining years.

Anniversary!

Today is the one year anniversary of the day that Sam arrived in our lives. I remember in vivid detail waiting for him to arrive at a coffee shop parking lot after his two day trip from Arkansas. We were so excited to meet him and to take him to our house to give him a new home. It would not have been possible without all of you. A huge thank you for all that you did for Sam and for us and for all that you do everyday, year after year, on behalf on New England Brittany Rescue. Sam is a very special guy who has adjusted very well to us and his new home. We cannot imagine life without him. I imagine that this October weekend, you are also moving dogs to their new homes and soon to be new owners are sitting in coffee shop parking lots anxiously waiting for their dogs to arrive. It is good and important work that you do......so from all of us.....Catherine, Ian and Sam....our very heartfelt thanks for bringing us together one year ago.

Life after Rescue

Willow (top) and Marlo (bottom) were both fosters in my home. 
     Marlo was adopted and returned in the same 3 days and came to stay with us.  He was such a great boy that when he was adopted by his current family it was love at first sight on both fronts!  Marlo and his adoptive mom are inseparable.  He is "just the best dog" and "we love him" are the words that make me smile and know he is in the right spot with the right family.
    Willow was so shy and when she did realize she was safe and we loved her, was the best dog ever. It was so hard to even think of saying goodbye to her....In the sea of brittanys here in the house, she was just one of the girls!  Hopping, jumping, sitting for a treat, etc....She was still uneasy around men but the men in our house...just kept at it and soon she was fine!  When we were contacted by an adoptive family, we tried to tell them she was shy...didn't like men at first....and when they arrived, she hid and it took 2 hours for her to take a treat....but Jeff and Kathy saw the potential in Willow and took her home.  Her foster dad Jeff writes...."Willow is my shadow....she has bonded with me and we are so very happy"....I must confess....tears are in my eyes as I am writing this.
    Two very special dogs touched my heart and have moved on to find their forever homes with folks that will love them just as much as I did while they were here. 

Meet our trio….

We consider ourselves blessed to have three cute, adorable and wonderful pups. Each very special in their own way and all so different.

Lexis, the orange and white Britt on the right was our first rescue. We adopted after we lost our 15 year old Brittany Blend, Justice. She’s an Arkansas gal who we adopted in December of 2009 at the age of 3 ½. We are still trying to figure out how she is able to stay up right on all fours, seeing as how she is always wiggling. She is so easy going and always happy, but she’s a runner. So, Christmas came early for her this year, we recently had a beautiful fence installed, we told her it was just for her, and she acts like it is too. She is now free to run and run and run. I’m not sure who is happier, her or myself. It’s an awesome sight.

Next came Maggie, the liver and white Britt on the left. We got so much pleasure out of adopting Lexis we went for number two. Maggie came to us in October of 2010 at the age of 8. She’s a Jersey girl. Her elderly owner died and it was four days before they were discovered. I can’t even imagine, her life was turned upside down. She’s my favorite (but we won’t tell the other two that). I think it’s because we have so much in common, bad hair days, until she gets her summer cut, totally food motivated and loves to nap. But we know that we have to keep up with our exercise routine, so we are out walking every day. And at 10 ½ she can still keep up with the young ones.

And then there is Raeven. We are still trying to figure out how this happened (Maggie and Lexis are also a little perplexed, really a puppy?). And we are still saying, “what were we thinking”? We lost our German Shepherd, Guinness in September and wanted another. We couldn’t bring ourselves to spend a heap of money with a breeder when there are so many dogs out there just yearning for a loving forever home. So in March we adopted our purebred mutt, we have no idea what she is. Everyone we meet has their own idea, but nothing conclusive. She’s a Tennessean, she and her brother were on their way to the shelter when a co-worker stepped in and fostered until they were adopted. We were given a newspaper article from a Nashville newspaper shortly after adopting regarding the kill rate in shelters in TN being 78 percent. Hard to comprehend, but forever grateful that there are so many rescue groups going above and beyond to find these gorgeous pups their forever homes. She is so funny, and such personality. She literally makes us laugh out loud. She loves to hug and at 50 lbs. and 7 months, thinks she’s a lap dog. I tell her she’s a bit of bully, she does not like to share the toys, which were there long before her.

People think we are crazy having three pups but we wouldn’t have it any other way. They bring constant smiles to our faces and love to our hearts.

Thanks again for all that you do.

Cyndi and Scot

Dear Christine and Diane,

Thank you for all your support in our adoption process. We are very happy to have Rhoda with us. She is everything you described and is settling in very well. At first she was pretty timid but she is coming along great and has had no accidents in the house. She had trouble with stairs at first but she is making progress every day mostly because she always wants to be where we are. She sleeps upstairs in our bedroom in her crate and has found a few other favorite spots in the house.

Rhoda is thrilled to explore in the back yard when we are out there. She has even established a pattern for investigations that starts with checking out the perimeter and eventually has her running full steam in diagonals across the grass. I don't think exercise will be an issue! She has enjoyed walking around the neighborhood with me and is pretty good on the leash although I get the impression she hasn't spent much time on a leash. We've been our about 4 times (between 1.5 to 2 miles each) because it's been raining most of the week. Beginning June 6th Rhoda and I are attending basic training together for 8 weeks every Thursday.

Rhoda is now a legal resident of Longmeadow and visited our vet on Thursday. He didn't seem to worried about her weight (she is now 36 pounds) and gave her the first of 2 Lyme Disease shots. He agreed that 1.5 cups of food each day is the right amount. I have been giving her a Milk Bone when we return from our walk. It turns out she likes Greenies too. On Tuesday she is going to the groomer for a summer cut and teeth cleaning. We asked around and a number of people recommended a groomer in Agawam.

Rhoda has visited with the dogs next door, dogs on our walks, and will have a Whippet visit during our cookout tomorrow. I'm pleased with her social skills. We took her to the pet store and she was terrific.

It feels like Rhoda is unfolding like a flower and as we've seen this much improvement in one week I know that she will feel totally at home in a few months. I've attached a few photos.

Again, thank you for the work you did with Rhoda and with so many of the other dogs. NEBR folks are special people.

Andrea

This is a photo of our newest little girl... Abby. She's full of energy, loves walks, jumping, and frolicing. We decided to give her a thrown, and how she loves it - She has a complete view of the backyard - Focus. What an excellent addition! Thank you NEBR.

Daffodil joined me on April 10, 2010. It had been a long trip for her - she was rescued as a stray in Tennessee and ended up in a shelter, rescued from the shelter by a NEBR volunteer, transported to her foster family in RI, and then I picked her up and took her home to Woburn. Hopefully she enjoys traveling, because since then we have moved alllll the way across the country to San Diego, and Daffodil rode shotgun (with a seat belt of course!) the whole 3,000 miles.

I remember when Christine told me they had a dog coming up from Tennesse who might be perfect for me - but they named her "Daffodil", and Christine wanted to change it. I said no! If I adopt her I'll just change it back. Daffodils are my favorite flowers and it seemed meant to be.

Sure enough, Daffodil is wonderful. She loves doing absolutely anything as long as she gets to be included. Her favorites include hiking, chasing dogs who are chasing balls at the park (but she has zero interest in chasing balls herself), going to the beach, and chasing squirrels. Since our move out West she has adapted quite nicely to the lack of squirrels and picked up chasing lizards. Her favorite part of going to the beach is getting a few inches into the water, laying on her belly, and doing the army crawl to really make sure the sand gets everywhere. She's pretty sure getting dirty is just the best, second only to belly rubs. She makes me laugh and her nickname is Goofball.

I'm so thankful for the wonderful people at NEBR who put Daffodil and I together. It is a fantastic organization that truly looks out for both the dogs and the adopters.

Best,

Jen

 

This lovable little pup is Holly or Holly Bear, as I call her (inspired by her foster mom).

Holly came into my life last January and we have been inseparable ever since.  I knew there was something special about her from the moment we met.  Holly was small (even for a Britt) yet snouty with an orange/white wiry coat and big amber eyes full of love.  Her personality is one of a kind.  She is an affectionate goofball who is highly intelligent and more curious than George despite having had a case of pin worms and an invasive re-spay surgery.

Holly is now around one and half, completely healthy and doing better than ever.  Initially, Holly was nervous and even intimidated by strangers. With lots of love and attention we have developed a strong bond, she now trusts her mom’s judgment and warms up quickly to both people and other dogs. She has recently graduated from Basic Obedience Class and spends time at Doggie Day Care while her mom is at work.  We plan to continue obedience training.  Although Holly is doing wonderfully, she is easily distracted and still has some learning to do.

Holly enjoys peanut butter, squeaky toys, meeting new friends, long walks or runs and sleeping in with her mommy on weekends.  She is a truly happy girl and she has the smile to prove it, literally. Her energy is contagious and she has brought so much joy into my life that words can’t even begin to explain it.

“You don’t rescue a dog. They rescue you.”

Thank you NEBR. Holly is the perfect match for me.  

 

Things are going amazing with Bruce, the dog formerly known as Shane. He has added so much to our life that I get a little teary eyed thinking about it. I discovered I find true enjoyment in training Bruce and researching training methods. He can sit, lay down, jump, spin, roll over, "hop through" a hoola hoop, stay (even when we run away from him, which is pretty irresistible) plus a few more tricks. He loves car rides, and we even brought him down to Cambridge, Mass, to give him some serious exposure to the sights and sounds of city life.

I have an acquaintance who raised a puppy to be a seeing eye dog. She is extremely impressed with Bruce and suggested that we go on to train him to be a therapy dog to visit nursing homes and hospitals. He is extremely social with people of all ages ( kids he loves a little too much and we are working on this) and dogs of all sizes. He is quite the social butterfly. Two weeks ago we brought Bruce to visit a dog, Deacon, who needed some positive doggy experience. Deacon had not only become completely blind in the past year, he had been attacked by an unknown animal and was now very fearful. After a few hours together and a hike in the woods suddenly the two dogs were playing. Blind and fearful Deacon was in long unused play bow! Once Bruce figured out "keep away" with the toys wasn't working the two dogs played for about two hours straight.

Chris has brought Bruce out on about an hour hike every morning since Bruce got his puppy shots. Rain, sleet, or blizzard they hike in the park near our house. Chris stayed in great shape this winter thanks to Bruce.

We have had one big scare since getting Bruce at the very beginning of April. He had just had a growth spurt and could now reach the kitchen counter, which I did not realize. I stepped outside for just a moment and I came back to see an extremely happy Bruce and a very empty bag of what had been raw, un-risen, pizza dough. We rushed to the emergency clinic and made it just as the first painful, yeasty burps began. He spent the night and was fine when we got him the next day.

I have included pictures (too many, I am sure) spanning from months ago to present. At the end you will find photos of the fenced area Bruce has when he hangs outside. He has a covered section that is an old carport and a section in the sun with bushes and dirt. He has a children's wading pool in the shade on hot days for him to splash in, a couple of beds, and a crate, although he hasn't been using that. This area is used just for hanging out for short periods of time rather than an area to run. He gets that time on his morning hikes and evening walks now that the days are longer. We don't use it very often because our life style is to bring him with us on our outings, and if we aren't outside adventuring, then he is inside with me since I am home during the day.

Sorry for the extremely long winded email, but I always jump at the chance to gush about Bruce. I hope you all at the brittany rescue can enjoy knowing that a pup that you rescued and adopted out has found his way into an extremely loving life and home! We are so happy to have worked with you all. Chris and I need to wait until we have a bigger house, but we definitely want to be doggy foster parents in the future and give back some of the good fortune we have had.

Thank you,

-Shannon

We adopted Fenway (aka Speedy, although his papers have this reversed, we prefer Fenway) in June 2011, It is the greatest feeling when people see or ask about Fenway whether on the street, at the vet, Kennel, or just talking with friends how well received the concept of pet adoption is! First and foremost because he is such a good looking pet they have the perception only full bred/ good ;looking dogs come from a rescue. Fenway from day one has been a "velcro doggy" and as I look at him sitting on top of my feet while I write this, I realize this will never change!  His energy at 4 +/- years is like it was the day we picked him up, with no signs of slowing up! He is always the first thing my wife and I see waking up in the morning with his stubby tail wagging, jumping, and ready to go play. If anyone we know has or ever will consider a dog, NEBR will be the first answer and we always suggest adoption. To think that someone gave up Fenway because of excessive barking, which by the way he had not barked probably the first six months we had him, is unbelievable when his barking is clearly excitement and wanting attention and playtime! After having many other breeds growing up and with my family, I would say Brittanys are by far the best experience. My wife says he is almost like a human! The kids continue to give him daily minute long hugs. He is perfect size for a dog and still being small enough for a lap sitter and not too big to kick off the bed when he wants to get comfortable. We cannot thank you enough and although we have not participated in any events we enjoy reading the newsletters and seeing other stories! Feel free to put anyone in touch with me if they have any questions and I would highly recommend the painless process and many years of companionship and enjoyment.

Thx,

Jeff Goodnough

Meet Marley Paiva.....Bonnie Paiva (our rescue treasurer) writes.....

The pillow that Marley is lying on was in my laundry basket fresh off the line. I left the basket near the stairs and went away to do something. When I came back, the pillow was gone. Marley dragged it out of the basket, into the living room, and hauled it onto his chair. Nothing is too fine for a Britt! J I had to take the picture. People don’t believe that dogs are that smart (unless they already have a BRITT!).

This is Heidi whom we adopted on November 8th, 2011.
Beautiful, Intelligent and Full of Life. Since her arrival she has
captured our hearts and minds, and made us much more physically fit.
It's as though she tells us to play with her every second of
everyday. In October 2011 we decided to look into adoption through
the New England Brittany Rescue. We knew the life and intelligence of
these breeds was very special. We came across an eight month old
Brittany named Heidi who had a great background and a love of all dogs
and even cats (not birds though, as they're trained to be hunting
dogs). She was originally from Arkansas where Brittany bird hunting
training was common. We were not exactly sure as of why someone would
give up on her, one possibility is her fear of gunshot noises. But
she has found a better place with us. We immediately fell in love
with her and filed out the adoption papers. Since November 8th 2011,
life could not of been better. Playing tug-of-war, chase, ball fetch,
and frisbee have been daily activities, and when the weather is nice
we take a nice long walk to the park where she meets all types of dogs
and new friends. Not many people know what kind of dog she is. There
are not many around here. She also has a love of swimming and, of
course, chasing birds. One of the greatest events in our lives is
adopting Heidi to give her a better life, and we know she says
everyday to us "Thank You for adopting me".

 

 

 

 

Robin, adopted on 03/17/11, was renamed Katie even as we drove her home from her wonderful foster parent in Connecticut.   It just seemed to suit her better—and more Irish in honor of her adoption date! Her mom was a full Brittany but her dad will forever be a mystery. From Mom, Katie inherited her goofy grin, limitless energy, affectionate temperament, and freckles on her feet. We fell in love with her 3-month-old little face and set up her new home even before we visited her. Potty training was a snap because Foster Mom had already trained the entire litter to go to their potty pad when she announced Potty Time! (How did she do that!?) For those thinking of adopting through the NEBR, have no doubts:  you’ll receive a spot-on behavioral description of your potential adoptee, thorough medical records, a document describing everything you would want to know about the dog, a collar and leash, and even a toy. We had some struggles with obedience under distractions because Katie is such a social butterfly, as she is described by all the humans at our favorite dog park. She is also highly distractible; all the humans laugh at her evident joy as she bounces around chasing butterflies, falling leaves, and other things only she can see. We highly recommend K-9 University in Douglas MA, where Katie reluctantly learned to control her distractions, enabling us to take her off-leash to wonderful open spaces where she runs with abandon, but still comes back to us when we call her. At 2 years 3 months, Katie is a cherished and spoiled—but well disciplined—member of our family. She is even growing on our 14-pound rescue cat, Annie. Thank you, NEBR, for giving us our Katie. We can’t imagine our lives without her in it!

Corey, Wende and Annie-the-cat

Kimsey

Well, you SAID Kimsey was at least part Brittany when we adopted her in 2011. HA! More some kind of spitz, I’d say; and she has the “All MINE!” life philosophy of a Shiba Inu.

 

I’m from Missouri, and you have to show me! She’s from Missouri too, having traveled from there in a car caravan to her present home in Schenectady, NY.

She’s awfully cute, Brittany or not, even when she’s snarling. Which she doesn’t do very often. This photo was taken by our dog-sitter as she was becoming acquainted with a new dog, and she was a little uncertain until they decided to be friends.

Kimsey came to us probably not more than 1 year old, having just had a litter of 7 pups, 5 of whom survived. She won’t have any more.

She likes her older foster brother Leroy, also a mutt who may be part whippet. She LOVES squeaky and rattly toys! Every day she spends some time barking and tugging at her mommy’s arm (that would by my wife, Meme) to get her to play.

Really, she doesn’t have a serious bone in her body except when she watches Meme give violin and viola lessons. Then she snuggles up with student or student’s parents/siblings and concentrates on getting tummy rubs.

 

Bill

 

Gritz-our Brittany Katrina Rescue

In 2005, a few days after Thanksgiving, we had to put down our 12 year old female Brittany. As many of you know, it is heartbreaking experience. Running, which has always been a great joy for me, was now filled with memories and reminders of my loss. I knew what the solution was. Get another dog! Stop feeling bad or disloyal. It is homage to your pet. Your life is not complete until a dog is back in it.

I came across a NEBR listing for a male Brittany. My partner and I took off from Ct to New Hampshire, where he was being fostered. We were filled with doubt until I sat down and he came right up to me and sat at my feet. I found myself patting his head without realizing I was doing so. That was Gritz’s way. Before you knew it you were under his spell.

Most creatures endure hardships. It is part of life. Gritz not only endured a devastating hurricane, but a month after he was with us we had to rush him to the Animal Medical Center. For a week after he was operated on we waited for results. We were hoping that it was not cancer. Fate was once again on his side. The operation on his leg indicated an old injury, but no cancer. The leg however, did not heal in the time they told us it would. Once again he had to be operated on and this time it was successful. Gritz was back running with me again!

We had seven wonderful years with him. He has set the bar very high for future pets. Cancer did finally get him. It was very quick. Good for him. Not so good for us. He was a marvelous boy. We miss him, but our new dog of two months softens the blow and eases the pain. I now see a little bit of Gritz each time I look at my new Brittany, Buck.

Roger Grace

Barbie's story

This is Barbie.  Barbie was a foster dog who came to us scared and untrusting.  She would duck and run if you would try to pat her.  She arrived in April and by July became a permanent part of our family.  She is trained to the invisible fence, she comes when she is called, loves her treats, and will climb up in your lap and give kisses!  With patience, love, and understanding, Barbie has blossomed into a fabulous dog!