Rainbow Bridge Memorial

Dearly missed by Lorean and John Love

When we let Willow go, we needed a friend for Dave. We contacted the kennel in Idaho & asked that they send us a small female, that was small animal safe. They had just the dog for us, Brat. Brat arrived in western Washington, on a cold, rainy, windy night in November 1999. It was the night, that as the dogs were unloaded from the dog trailer, they were let into a yard in Bothell to stretch their legs a bit & take care of business, before being loaded up to go home with their foster families, or north to the GPI kennel, on Whidbey at the time, or in Brite’s case, going to her new home. Unknown to the owner of the property, a car had driven through the back of his fence. As volunteers let the dogs into the yard, they were going right out the backside (it was very dark) & were running down the highway! The sight of the muzzled dogs running down the highway was a real heart stopper. A squawker was grabbed & unbelievably ALL the dogs were caught unharmed! That was our beginning with Brite.

At home, Brite, changed from Brat, because we wanted a more *positive* name, met Dave & our little terrier mix, Annie. Next thing we knew, the house looked like a murder had taken place. Brite had *happy tail*. Quickly we learned why Brite had been called Brat. We probably should have kept that name. We were told she was almost four years old. Well, when we registered her with the NGA as a pet in our name, we found out, part of the reason she was such a wild child, she wasn’t almost four, she was ALMOST TWO! Her tattoo had been read wrong. That six, well, it was really an eight! For some reason, we knew we would need a crate for Brite as soon as we walked her into our house & ran to the pet store & got the largest crate available about five minutes before the store closed for the night. We never regretted that purchase.

The first night Brite was home, I called my mom & told her what a darling little dog Brite was. *She’s missing half her right ear, she has a chunk out of her tongue, scars on her neck, a big what looks like a burn scar on her chest, she hardly has any hair & she is so skinny. She is SO CUTE!* In the early years, being *cute* was Brite’s saving grace.

Over the years, I’ve told many *Brite* stories. Let’s just say, life was NEVER dull with Brite. She was the third greyhound to join our family & we had no idea, that there were greyhounds like her! She must have been part goat, as once she ate an entire soda pop can, except the rounds on either end. She was a pear picker extraordinaire. She would know the pears were in our tree, when they were still small hard & green. She would launch herself into the tree & usually was successful in her missions. They never upset her stomach. One morning, I saw her creep into the bathroom & then creep out again. She often would TP the house. I went into the living room to see what she was up to. She was laying on the couch with her front legs crossed daintily in front of her. With one of my nice bras, one cup on her head, & the rest dangling stylishly off to one side. She had taken it off my drying rack. She looked oh-so-innocent. It was five-thirty in the morning & no one else was up & I laughed so hard. That was often what is was like to start a day with Brite.

Brite was an ambassadog with Dave for several years. I’m sure that many dogs found homes thanks to Brite. She was one of a kind, but people meeting her would never know how truly special she was. ;0) When Brite was born, they broke the mold.

Brite adored Dave. She was glued to his hip. He was her rock, her security. Yet, often, in her insecurity, she would snap at poor Dave. Sweet Dave, never retaliated, he just ran to his mom. Brite would use Dave for a pillow, but he’d better watch it if he moved! When Dave left us in 2008, Brite was ten years old & became depressed, she’d never been an only dog. (As Dr Sullivan so well put it, Brite needed her minion.) We took her to the kennel, where she picked out Buzz, to honor Dave. Brite’s relationship with Buzz was entirely different than her relationship with Dave. Buzz was not going to be pushed around. Brite tried a couple of times, but Buzz came right back at her, much to her surprise! Buzz would never start anything, yet unlike Dave, he would stand his ground. Brite & Buzz developed a nice easy friendship, she didn’t lay all over Buzz, like she did Dave, but seemed to enjoy his company. They became fast friends.

As the years passed, Brite softened, relaxed & became sweeter & sweeter. When our granddaughter, Hunter, was born in 2000, we had to really watch Brite around Hunter. Brite wasn’t aggressive, but in fear, she could strike out. Hunter learned at a very young age, when people wanted to pet Dave & Brite, to tell people Britey was shy. By the time our grandson, Colson, came along in 2009, Brite would let him crawl under her & love on her. She was very tolerant of the little kids. Our youngest granddaughter, Boo, born in 2011, just adored Brite. She wanted to put her face against Brite’s soft fur, whenever she could. Brite had the softest bunny fur.

Sometimes in the beginning, we wondered what we were thinking when we adopted Brite. The joke was, she could have been a real money maker for GPI. She was so little & cute, anyone else that adopted her, would have returned her, she would have been adopted again, & returned again. But, what we learned, is that sometimes the most difficult to love, are the ones that need the love the most. & in the end, they are the ones that are buried the deepest in our hearts. Our house is too quiet without our Briteness. Twelve & a half years, were just not enough.

To honor Brite, as our family tradition goes, we took Buzz to the kennel to pick out a new *sister*. AMF Special Kay, is now a Love. Buzz & Kay get along greyt. Kay is not quite three, she is still puppy enough to sometimes make me think of Brite in her early years. Those crazy days remembered, now make me smile.

Britey is with her beloved, Davey. Her heart is now a candy heart. She is the sweetest of all sweethearts. Rest in peace, Britey. You are so very loved & missed.

Brite Eyes Love – February 22, 1998 – April 22, 2012
Remembering her with love & missing her, Lorean, John, Hunter, Cole, Boo & Buzz