On Sunday, May 7th, Brewmaster’s Taproom in Renton is hosting a beer and BBQ party to benefit Rez Dog Rescue, a Yakima-based animal welfare organization. Below, we share all the details about the event, but first I’d like to share with you the serendipitous story of our dog Lucy.
Last summer Kim and I were on vacation in Montana. We were driving on a lonely stretch of blacktop in the middle of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, about 45 minutes deep into the middle of nowhere like it only exists in places like Montana. I’m talking about open range land, with cattle grazing on the side of the road, about 25 miles from the nearest town. Nowhere.
Suddenly we came upon a
dog frantically running around the road, slowing down what little traffic there was, jumping up on car doors as they slowed to pass her, desperately trying get someone to stop. She was completely freaked out. Other cars slowed down and navigated around her, but did not stop. We couldn’t just leave her out there.
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
She looked thin; you could see her ribs. She had no collar. After a few minutes of trying to calm her down and make friends with her, she finally submitted and I was able to pick her up and carry her to the car, which was completely packed with luggage and camping gear. We figured she’d have to sit at Kim’s feet, or on her lap, but nope, Lucy had other plans. She climbed into the back and found a place for herself, nudging in between sleeping bags, beer coolers, backpacks and a guitar case.
We did our due diligence to make sure we weren’t stealing someone’s pet. We drove straight to the first off-rez veterinarian’s office we could find, where we checked her for a microchip. The vet knew we wouldn’t find one. No chip. We called the nearest shelter and told them the story. “Bless you,” they said. We gave them our phone number in case someone called looking for her, though they assured us that, given where we’d found her, there would be no call. Same thing with the local Sheriff’s office.
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
People around the rez were puzzled by our concerns about “stealing” someone’s dog. Eventually it sunk in. We didn’t steal her. We saved her.
We quickly learned something that all those confused Montanans already knew about the dog that would soon be called Lucy. Nobody was missing her. Nobody was looking for her. Now that I know Lucy, and know what a sweet and loving dog she is, it breaks my heart to say those things. How could someone just toss her aside like a cigarette butt?
She was a wild child. Quite a handful for the first few days. The vet estimates that Lucy is about two years old. We have no idea what kind of life she lived before she found us on that lonely highway in Montana, but we quickly figured out a few things about her previous life. She hadn’t spent a lot of time inside. She had never experienced stairs or hardwood floors, and it seemed she was not familiar with a collar or a leash. You get the idea.
Today Lucy is sweet and gentle, fierce with a tennis ball, well behaved and well trained, she gets along well with other dogs, loves kids, and she is loved very much. She’s kind of perfect.
I originally thought that Lucy got lucky when we found her out there alone on the rez, but the truth is, we’re the lucky ones. We had plans to get a dog, but weren’t quite ready yet, and then the perfect dog just appeared on the road in front of us. We found her on that highway between thundershowers. I like to say that it was raining cats and dogs, and we took one home. Pure serendipity.
Rez dogs are the best dogs! Rez dogs rule!
So with that, I want to share some information about an upcoming event at the Brewmaster’s Taproom in Renton. The event is a benefit for Rez Dog Rescue. Obviously, it’s a cause very near to my heart.
Renton, WA taproom is serving up BBQ for Rez Dog Rescue
Mouthwatering BBQ during Seattle Beer Week for a Yakima area dog rescue organization!
Renton, WA – The Brewmaster’s Taproom, located in the Benson Heights area of Renton will be hosting a BBQ during Seattle Beer Week to raise much needed funds for Rez Dog Rescue out of Yakima, WA on Sunday, May 7th. The plates are $17 each and include brisket, pork belly, all the fixin’s and even a pint of Seattle Beer Week beer brewed by Bale Breaker Brewing. We will be donating 100% of the proceeds from the event to Rez Dog Rescue. Tickets can be purchased at the taproom or online: http://www.brownpapertickets. com/event/2938763 where you can also donate to them directly.
Everything in the brewing community is full circle for them and they’re a very giving group of people! There’s an amazing hop farm family out in Yakima, the Perraults, which we were introduced to by Steve Luke, owner and head brewer from Cloudburst Brewing. The Perrault’s patriarch has dedicated his time to taking in and rehabilitating dogs that come off the Yakima Indian Reservation. We’ve decided to honor them by having a fundraiser for the organization they work with, Rez Dog Rescue!
Rez Dog Rescue is a non-profit pet rescue organization that focuses its rescue missions predominantly within the borders of the Yakima Nation Indian Reservation, as there is a great need. However, Rez Dog Rescue will go anywhere within Yakima County when there is a pet in need. Rez Dog Rescue’s overall mission is dedicated to rescuing abused, injured and unwanted dogs and cats in an effort to give them a second chance in life and find them loving forever homes.
The Brewmaster’s Taproom offers draft beer from some of its partner breweries, with 20 craft beers on tap, alongside draft cider and root beer. They feature beers from small, new breweries that are just starting out, as well as beers from more recognizable breweries, including unique brews often available only at the breweries’ taprooms. They also offer an amazing selection of beers in cans and bottles, including an impressive selection of rare, hard to find beers.
Rall recounts when she first found out about the Perrault Family Farm and later about Rez Dog Rescue, “Steve had just returned from the Perrault’s farm with tons of fresh hops. While enjoying the aroma, Steve was gushing – that’s the only way to describe it – about all the farm dogs the Perrault’s had and how ‘Grandpa Perrault’ was taking care of all of them. It wasn’t until later we found out about Rez Dog and that he was helping them specifically. The brewing industry is very dog friendly and we’re very excited to be supporting a region that does not get as much attention as it truly needs!”
The Brewmaster’s Taproom is located at 2000 Benson Road South, Renton, WA 98055
For more information on Rez Dog Rescue you can contact Randy Sperle at (509) 945-1635 or email him at adoptarezdog@gmail.com you can also visit their website at http://rezdogrescue.weebly. com/
Cheers to our sponsors, like…
