Tuesday, July 1, 2014

"A Home for Brewster"

Last week Maggie Marton spent some time over at "Oh My Dog!" considering the question "Why do I blog?" I've recently been giving this question a lot of thought.

As you have probably noticed by now, I'm struggling to keep Bella's blog going. But in considering the question "why do I blog?", I was reconnected to what started this whole silly mess in the first place: Bella. And dogs like her.

I have been so blessed with the contacts and friendships I have made through this blog and so lucky to help a person here and there not feel so alone in dealing with their scared-y dog. I don't have all the answers. Heck, I don't know if I have any answers most of the time. But if one person sitting on her bathroom floor in the middle of the night trying to help her fearful dog cope feels just a little less alone in this world because of this blog? Well, hey, that's a moment I never anticipated experiencing when I started this endeavor.

But not every story about a scared-y dog is going to end positively.

Some people just don't have the wherewithal to deal with the situation they've been handed. Others may have family situations that prevent them from being able to tolerate the potential risks that come with keeping a fearful dog.

And then there are some who realize their personal situation just isn't the optimal life for the fearful pup. The ones who will sacrifice their own broken hearts to give their dog a chance at a better life.

My friend, Lorrie and her husband Tim, are those kind of people.

They adopted their dog Brewster, a handsome hound with an extraordinary fear of thunderstorms, from a local shelter in south Florida. If I recall correctly, they actually meant only to foster him but upon coming to understand the full extent of his fear, they felt they couldn't adopt him out until they had worked this issue through with him and adopted him into their family instead.

This really is one seriously handsome hound.
That was three years ago and they have diligently sought out every treatment path and plan to help Brewster learn how to cope with the thunderstorms that terrorize him.

But they live in south Florida where thunderstorm happen every day during the summer months. There is no escape to the basement for Brewster, no respite from the barrage of daily storms.

He is a great, social and happy dog during the winter but becomes anxious and depressed 6 months of the year because he has now generalized that cloudy days might mean the arrival of these terrifying storms.

But he gets so depressed...
Lorrie and Tim have come to the difficult decision that Brewster's life would be happier spent elsewhere - in a drier climate with the opportunity to escape the constant threat of his worst fears.

Towards that end, they have put together a beautiful website detailing everything they have tried to do to help Brewster overcome his fears and why they believe he would be better served living in a more temperate zone. The video on the home page gives you a glimpse into who these special people are and how much they love this beautiful boy.

Would you please help share their story and spread the word about the "Home for Brewster" webpage? After much research, they are aiming to find a home for Brewster in southern California and will personally transport him to his new owners.

Please take a moment to hop on over to his website to read more about Brewster, his tribulations and his wonderful adoring family who are willing to sacrifice their own broken hearts for Brewster's well-being and happiness.

Thanks.


Loves people and other dogs - he's an ideal pet sans stormy weather.





11 comments:

  1. What a touching story. Veruca is scared of thunderstorms also so we know a little about what Lorrie and Tim are dealing with. Fortunately for Veruca we only get a dozen thunderstorms each year. I hope Brewster can find a home soon.

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  2. I hope he finds his perfect place! I shared his website on our Facebook page.

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  3. My heart breaks for Brewster and his family. I know this decision had to be hard for them. I hope they find a loving home for Brewster where there aren't many thunderstorms. Thanks for joining the blog hop. Sharing.

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  4. What an amazingly dedicated family. I've shared Brewster's story on FB and Twitter.

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  5. Wow. Oh, boy. OK. First of all, thank you so much for the mention, and I'm completely blown away - as always - to your dedication to Bella. She is an incredible girl with an incredible family. I'm so glad you shared Brewster's story. It's utterly heartbreaking to watch a dog experience that level of fear. I can't imagine what it would be like if it happened not only every single day, but that the poor dog actually anticipates the fear. Sending lots of positive thoughts for the little angel to find his forever home soon.

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  6. What a tough decision. Ugh. Prayers that Brewster finds a happy place to live without those naughty, scary storms.

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  7. Every dog and dog family have their own story. We are so pleased, that despite the heart break, that Brewster's family has realized they may not be the home for him and are working so hard to help him find the perfect home. What wonderful people they are to put the dog's needs before their own. We wish them luck.

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  8. Jan K, Wag N Woof PetsJuly 2, 2014 at 6:04 PM

    I so hope they can find the right home for Brewster. It has to be heartbreaking for them to have to let him go, but it shows how very much they love him that they are willing to. Our beloved beagle Kobi came from family who felt they didn't have time for him, and even though it broke their hearts to give him to us, it was the best thing and turned out wonderful for us. I hope there is a family out there who's lives will be enriched by adopting Brewster. I shared on my social media where I think it will get seen the most.

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  9. I'm late to the game - as I am very behind on my blog reading - but I just shared on Twitter. Hoping this sweetheart finds a less stormy locale - I'm sure it must be so hard for his family.

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  10. Thank you all for your unconditionally kind words and please excuse my lateness in responding. The last 6 weeks have been tough. The combination of dealing with the daily storms and searching for Brewster's new home have left us little free time. We are confident we are making the right choice and though it will be heart wrenching, I try to focus on receiving photos of a joyful summer Brewster. You are all lovely to offer supportive words. So many well intentioned people have sent suggestions to address his fear (all of which we tried some time ago) and we've also had a few judgmental people to whom I can only say, "I'm glad they don't have to make this decision." Life's not fair or easy but at this point, I am grateful for clarity. We'll let you know how things turn out. Peace & Paws.

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  11. A local rescue found a distant home for a dog whose foster family tried everything (like Tim and Lorrie) to help her past her fear of thunderstorms. I hope Brewster is able to get a chance to life a happy life without thunder fear.


    Tim and Lorrie are very loving care givers. Brewster is so lucky to have ended up with them to begin with.

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