The best boy in the world! 20lbs of pure gremlin fluff

I first learned of Brit Rose and her rescued pup Ranger through HeARTsSpeak, a nonprofit organization that unites art and advocacy to increase the visibility of shelter animals. Brit is a fellow artist member, a pet photographer from Virginia.

Brit had just celebrated Ranger’s ‘Gotcha Day’ and shared images from the celebratory photo session in the HeARTsSpeak Facebook group. Thank you, Brit, for sharing the full story of Ranger’s rescue with us.

Brit & Ranger

Brit is a full-time photographer at Brittany Rose Petography and volunteers for local shelters taking adoption photos of available dogs. It was during a shelter visit two years ago that Brittany first met Ranger.

The dangers of adoption photography, warns Brittany.

Ranger was terrified in his kennel, and the shelter staff told Brittany not to bother photographing him as no one could get close to him and suggested he was not yet adoptable.

We locked eyes, and it was all over! I opened the kennel door, and he immediately curled up in my lap. I told the staff to get me the adoption paperwork!

Before joining Brittany’s pack, Ranger and seven other dogs were rescued by animal control from a hoarding, puppy-mill situation in Georgia. Ranger and the other dogs were locked in a shed with no clean water or food without human interaction. A rescue group transported the dogs to two Shelters in Virginia, one being the SPCA in Richmond, where Brittany volunteers and used to work before becoming a full-time photographer.

Ranger had mange, ringworm, and was not socialized. He didn’t know how to interact with humans.

It has taken Ranger time to get used to his new surroundings, and they are still working on potty training. Explains Brit,

When he’s nervous, he pees

Otherwise, says Brittany, Ranger has blossomed! His fur has finally grown back, and he plays with his siblings and toys! Ranger has also become more trusting, approaching people other than me. Even though I am his favorite, and he’s constantly in my lap.

Pet Photography is slow since the pandemic, says Brittany. To help cover the medical costs of her rescued family members, Brit also makes and sells pet items such as collars and bows. Being creative and carrying out her daily farm chores helps reduce stress caused by the pandemic.

Yes, in addition to six dogs, Brittany lives on a farm that includes: Four horses, ducks, including a one-eyed duck Brit took in a couple of months ago as a just-hatched duckling. Chickens, three rescue pigs, and peacocks.

‘Oh,’ adds Brittany ‘and our barn kitty.’

She showed up one day, and no one claimed her, and she never left. We got her spayed and all her shots. I’m just super allergic to cats, so she can’t live in the house, but half the garage is all her stuff, from beds to cat towers to couches.

Ranger’s five siblings include:

Summer, an eight-year-old husky, malamute mix with IBD. Although she’s on a special diet and restrictive measures are in place, Summer knows how to open the fridge and freezer and when she’s in a ‘husky mood,’ she helps herself, says Brit.

She’s not supposed to eat frozen chicken

Pepper, a retriever and collie mix, suffering from anxiety. Brit discovered Pepper when working at the SPCA and felt she would be good company for summer.

Lavender, a merle, Aussie mix. Bryan had always wanted an Aussie (with a tail). Brittany had put the search criteria into Adopt-A-Pet and received an alert a short time later. Lavender was a puppy and believed to have potty training issues. Blood tests confirmed Lavender was in renal failure. The specialist predicted she would be lucky to make it to three years of age. Lavender’s will be four this August! Yay, Lavender!

Clover, a special needs golden retriever puppy, could barely walk as a puppy and would turn in circles. At six months of age, tests confirmed she has Corpus Callosum and Cerebellum Anomaly. Despite this condition, Clover enjoys her life.

Finally, Farmer, a terrier, hound-type puppy, discovered wandering in the woods, covered in ticks. Farmer, as his name suggests, is helping Brittany with farm chores.

Farmer quickly learned to give the duck some space after she bopped him on the head for getting too close to the babies.

Thank you, Brittany, for rescuing these beautiful beings,

Photos and video donated by Brittany Rose Petography