Cabella has come so far since being rescued in January 2019. She was one of 38 dogs, including five Brittanys, who were rescued in a puppy mill raid in upstate New York in the middle of a cold and snowy winter. Bella spent her first three years of life being abused, misused, and malnourished. She came to rescue essentially as a feral dog. After several weeks in a shelter where she received veterinarian care, healthy meals, and a bed to sleep on for the first time, she moved into ABR foster care with Robin Flood and Bob Simons. They taught Bella to be a dog. They taught her that human touch and love is good.

On April 26, 2019, Bella joined her forever family with Danielle and Dennis Vickery. When they picked her up she was so thin and was scared of everything. She would walk behind her people. She wouldn’t look at them and didn't want to be near them. She would run around the house. She wouldn’t bark.

Bella just celebrated her four-year “Gotcha Day” anniversary, and she is now a happy girl thriving in her new life. She has learned how much she is loved. She still doesn’t bark but she makes adorable sounds to communicate with her family, such as, “Hey, where’s my food?” or “Hey, where did you go?” She follows them around the house and relaxes with them on her special chair or bed.

Amazingly, this once-broken girl became her family's therapy dog this past year. Her dad Dennis had a stroke last April at age 51. When Danielle had to go back to work, Bella was in charge, staying home and helping her dad through his recovery.

"Bella has such a big heart for love, even after everything she has been through. She is truly OUR therapy dog," her mom Danielle writes. "We just love this little girl so much, and we thank God every day for bringing her into our lives. He knew we all needed each other. She has brought so much happiness to us, and we look forward to the future years with our Bella."

FEATURING YOUR BRITTANY

SOAKING UP THE SUN

Don't forget to include your dog's name!

EMAIL PHOTOS TO: social.networks@americanbrittanyrescue.org

If it seems like ticks gain more ground and carry more disease with every passing year, it’s not your imagination. Across the United States, the incidence of tick-borne illnesses has grown dramatically over the past two decades, posing an increased threat to both humans and dogs. Major factors contributing to ticks ever-expanding geographic reach? Climate change, changes in land-use patterns (including re- and deforestation), and different migratory paths for animals, birds, and rodents.

In the canine world, Lyme disease is the best known and most commonly transmitted tick-borne disease. The bacteria that causes it, Borrelia burgdorferi, is carried by the black-legged tick (also called the deer tick). Lyme is now present in all fifty states, with the highest concentration in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and the upper Midwest.

In addition to Lyme, there are several tick-borne illnesses that can also result in serious health consequences for your Britt: Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Babesiosis, Bartonellosis, and Hepatozoonosis (a severe and possibly fatal disease which results from a dog ingesting an infected Gulf Coast tick).

It can take as little as a week and up to a year for a dog to begin exhibiting signs of infection from Lyme or other tick-borne diseases. Lameness, joint pain/stiffness, fever, lethargy, anorexia (lack of appetite), and enlarged lymph nodes are some common early warning signs. Additional symptoms may include increased thirst and/or urination, vomiting, or diarrhea. Unlike humans, dogs don’t develop the classic “bullseye rash” that is present in 60-80% of human Lyme disease infections.

If you notice your Britt developing these symptoms, call your vet immediately so he or she can order blood work and consider whether or not to prescribe antibiotics.

As always, prevention and early treatment are key:

• Check your Britt for ticks. Certainly you want to do this after a romp in a wooded or grassy area, but with the prevalence of ticks today you really should check daily during warm-weather months and year-round in warm climates. “Brush your fingers through his fur, applying enough pressure to feel any small bumps. If you feel a bump, pull the fur apart to identify it. An embedded tick will vary in size, from a pinhead to a grape. Ticks are usually black or dark brown. Depending on the size and location of the tick, its legs may also be visible. Tick-borne disease can be transmitted within 3 - 6 hours of a tick bite” according to the AKC Canine Health Foundation.
• Here’s a good tutorial on how to remove ticks. But, if you’re concerned about doing it, consult your veterinarian for the next steps. Incomplete removal of a tick may result in disease transmission.
• Tick preventative medication. There are several medications on the market-- Bravecto and Nexgard are two-- to help prevent disease transmission. None, however, are considered 100% effective. A medication’s efficacy can depend on geography, so consult your veterinarian on the best preventative for your particular area.
• An annual “snap” test. Also called a 4Dx test, this test detects antibodies for six kinds of vector-borne illness, including heartworm, Lyme, Ehrlichia and Anaplasmosis. The results are back in minutes, and if your dog tests “positive” for antibodies your vet will determine if more investigation or a medication is required.

Dealing with ticks has never been a walk in the park, but these days they’re more problematic than ever. Keeping a sharp eye out for these small villains and watching for any signs of tick-borne infection will help keep both you and your Britt safe and healthy all year round.

For more information: Lyme Disease in Dogs: Symptoms, Tests, Treatment, and Prevention

We adopted Roxy in December 2017. She was 10 1/2 years old with the energy of a 6 year old. We said goodbye to Roxy on March 20, 2023 just two months shy of her 16th birthday. She was our first female Brittany and truly darling. Our first ABR adoption was Brit who was 11 years old when we adopted him, and he lived to just short of 15. Thank you to the ABR for bringing such two wonderful Brittanys into our lives. 



-Lynn Gavett

Taylor, April 10, 2023

Max, April 17, 2023

Parker, April 20, 2023

Rosemary, 2023

Our Spring “Bulbs for Brittanys” sale with Three Rivers Wreath & Plant Co. raised $1,599.70 for our Grayson’s Fund, which helps ABR-adopted Brittanys receive orthopedic surgery. Thank you to everyone who supported our fundraiser!

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

Michelle Falkinburg, Vice President

Joe Herslip, Secretary

Terrie Johnson, Treasurer

Sandra Oelschlegel, Chair

Deb Grove

Melissa Tapply DiLello

Wendy Boyce

Becca Whitley

AMERICAN BRITTANY RESCUE E-NEWSLETTER TEAM

Brittany Boler

Jeannine Connors

Judie Cutting

Kristin Davis

Rebecca Sweet

Melissa Tapply DiLello

Debra White