Fostering is one of the most rewarding and difficult aspects of rescue. To foster is to love and let go. And sometimes there’s that dog that makes the letting go part that much harder.

Chica was one such dog for Lynn Tucker. Chica came to Lynn as an ABR foster not once, but twice. She was originally found as a stray. The report is that she survived by eating bugs, worms, and the fruits on the ground under crabapple trees. The family who adopted her from the shelter found that she would not eat kibble from a bowl. Instead, she searched the ground for what she knew. They started scattering kibble on the ground, eventually narrowing the circle until Choca accepted the bowl. The family surrendered her to ABR because they lived on a busy street without a fence.

Lynn fostered Chica and found her a happy home where she spent a few great years hiking and sailing. Lynn kept in touch with Chica’s new family and took care of her several times while they traveled. When the family had twins, Chica found herself lacking attention and spending too much time in the kennel. She wore down her front teeth on the crate. Lynn welcomed her back into foster care with open arms.

Lynn found Chica’s third family—a fabulous home with Abra Hovgaard and Holly Hanson. Abra, Holly, and Lynn met in Bozeman, Montana, halfway between Seattle and Iowa, for a three-day meet and greet. They needed to be sure this was Chica's next best chapter.

And it was truly her dream come true. Chica and her new doggie sister Koya became fast friends. Life was crate- and fence- free. Chica didn't take to being fenced in. She roamed so far on hikes that her first family used GPS trackers and still thought they had lost her a few times as she was gone for so many hours. Abra and Holly's rural unfenced yard and playmates were all she needed, and she no longer roamed. She hiked and camped and skied and watched the lazy river roll by from the deck in the evenings.

Chica took some time to open up in her new home, but when she did, she was all about love and affection. She danced and gave kisses when her people came home. Life for Chica was about ear rubs, lying in mud puddles to cool off, and flirting with the Golden Retriever across the street. Life for Chica was finally exactly how it was meant to be.

“She was one of my heart dogs. But she needed more than me,” Lynn writes. “Our stories of letting go are always for the best life. I cried the whole day driving back from Montana to Washington after meeting her family. But I knew from their first contact with me they were meant for her. Chica jumped into the car with her new family and didn't even look back at me to ask ‘what's happening?’ Knowing her need to be free, I knew I couldn't keep her in a city environment anymore. She needed her space. And Abra and Holly were able to provide Chica her heart's desire.”

Chica left for the Rainbow Bridge in 2019 having lived her best life.

This is why we foster. This is why we love and let go.

Vaccines are an important piece of pet care to help prevent illness or decrease the severity of the disease.

When Should Vaccines Be Given?

• If you are bringing home a new puppy, the first round of vaccinations should be at 8 weeks of age with planned boosters to ensure full protection. It is important to complete the full vaccination series outlined by your vet.
• It is recommended that adult dogs have their yearly vaccinations at their well-check visit.

What Are the Types of Canine Vaccinations?

Core vaccinations (required for all puppies and dogs):

• Rabies
• DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, & parvovirus)

Non-core vaccinations (based on lifestyle and geographic location):

• Leptospirosis
• Bordetella
• Canine Parainfluenza
• Lyme
• Rattlesnake

How Do I Know Which Vaccines My Dog Requires?

• Check your local or state regulations, as many require, at minimum, up-to-date rabies vaccination for all dogs and cats.
• Most boarding, day care or grooming facilities will require proof of rabies, distemper and Bordetella vaccination as well.
• Talk with your vet about what other vaccines they suggest. Recommendations may be based on age, geographic location and overall health of your dog.

What if we don’t know the vaccination status of our new dog? Are there vaccine alternatives?

Titers are blood tests that measure specific antibody levels to protect against disease. If you are working with a dog whose vaccination status is unknown or you have an older dog who may be at risk for vaccine reactions, your vet can help you decide whether a titer test is a good option.

Are there side effects to vaccines?

Canine vaccines are overall very safe, but there are some common side effects. Remember, you are stimulating the immune system, but there is no risk that the pet will develop the disease from the vaccine itself.

Possible side effects include:

• Discomfort/swelling at the injection site
• Mild fever
• Decreased appetite and activity

If you have any concerns about your dog’s reaction, contact your vet. Your vet will tell you what responses are normal and when there is cause for concern. They generally provide each vaccine in a different area of the body so that if there is a swelling response, they will know which vaccine caused the reaction.

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/vaccinations

SOPHIE- 8/2/2022

LADY - 7/18/2022

KEA - 8/5/2022

FRANKIE- 7/29/20 & KATIE- 6/19/2022

MAX- 5/28/2022

KYA - 7/18/2022

Your shopping counts!

ABR's Amazon Smile donation this quarter is $1,716.56! 

That makes a lifetime total of $26,667.45! 

That is a lot of help for Brittanys in need.

Thank you for choosing ABR as your charity!

If you don't use Amazon Smile already, learn how you can donate to ABR just by shopping on Amazon. There's no additional cost to you and it's super easy!

ABOUT AMERICAN BRITTANY RESCUE

American Brittany Rescue, Inc. is an organization that was formed in 1991 as a cooperative effort of Brittany owners, breeders, trainers, and fanciers who ABR believes have a responsibility not only for their own dogs and the dogs they produce, but for the breed as a whole.

THE AMERICAN BRITTANY RESCUE MISSION

ABR's mission is to provide the leadership and expertise via a network of trained volunteers to take in stray, abandoned, surrendered and/or impounded purebred Brittanys, provide them with foster care, health and temperament screening, an opportunity for any necessary rehabilitation and to assure their health and placement into new homes. In order to fulfill this mission, ABR's volunteers remain flexible and adaptable to current and future business environments and they remain dedicated to the organization.  

ABR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Terry Mixdorf, President

Terrie Johnson, Vice President

Joe Herslip, Secretary

Jeanette Seely, Interim Treasurer

Sandra Oelschlegel, Chair

Diana Doiron

Deb Grove

Nancy Hensley

Michelle Falkinburg

Melissa Tapply DiLello

AMERICAN BRITTANY RESCUE E-NEWSLETTER TEAM

Brittany Boler

Christine Brennan

Jeannine Connors

Judie Cutting

Kristin Davis

Autumn Fenton

Linda Joyce

Melissa Tapply DiLello

Debra White