We are so in love with our Saint, Hansen, and so grateful to the Saint Bernard rescue of Florida that I wanted to share our story and say “thanks!” on the website… here it is:
Tragedy struck us on August 22, 2005, when our beautiful eight-and-a-half year old mastiff, Oscar, died unexpectedly after suffering gastric torsion and bloat. Oscar weighed-in at a fierce 175 pounds and, throughout his life, was the deciding factor in where we lived, what we drove, and where we could go. We often joked that we had purchased two homes and two cars just to accommodate our enormous dog.
And then, suddenly, Ossie was gone. We were lost.
We were a “big dog” family without our big dog. The house was too empty, the yard too vast, the truck unnecessary and our hearts were broken. We ached for our missing family member who used to fill all this empty space. What were we supposed to do? Move into an apartment and trade in the Suburban for a sports car? Or maybe we could offer our “big dog” accommodations to another big dog who needed them…
That’s when we contacted the Saint Bernard Rescue of Florida and how we met Hansen. Hansen was matched to our family in September of 2005, and my heart swells with joy just thinking about him! Hansen is the kindest, most gentle soul I have ever met; calm and trustworthy with our two-year-old son, tolerant of our three fat house cats and gentle with our geriatric black Labrador Retriever. He’s a good sport too, and has tolerated trick-or-treating while being dressed up as a fireman for Halloween and donned red Christmas bows while posing for the family holiday photo! In spite of the tragedy that brought us together, I know Hansen was just meant to be with us. He is loved so very much; our family would not be complete without him!
We felt we had something to offer a rescue dog: a good home and a loving family. But the truth is, we are the ones who have received so much more– Our Hansen, a sweetheart through and through, who has brought us so much joy and companionship through his wonderful, loving, playful spirit. My deepest thanks to Sandra Morrison of the Saint Bernard Rescue of Florida who introduced me to one of the greatest loves of my life! Oh, how I adore this fluffy dog!
With love from Hansen and the Brummer family,
