The Brittany Foundation, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming dogs in need, will be celebrating its 30th anniversary on Sept. 28 with a fun celebration including raffles, games and tours of the facility in Agua Dulce.
The organization sits on a 10-acre ranch in Agua Dulce and is a sanctuary for all four-legged canine friends including ones with special needs such as those that are blind, paralyzed, and have other forms of life-limiting issues, said founder and CEO Nancy Anderson.
Approximately 5,000 dogs of all breeds, sizes and disabilities have been rescued and given a second chance at life at the foundation since its founding in 1994.
The organization will be celebrating its 30-year milestone with a party and fundraiser open to the public to shed light to their work and the countless furry friends that have been rescued over the years.
The “30th Anniversary Party and Fundraiser” will take place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 36220 Anthony Road in Agua Dulce, Sept. 28. Tickets cost $30 per person and children under the age of 12 enter for free.
Admission includes food, drinks, raffle tickets, and a special 30th anniversary T-shirt to commemorate the day. Anderson also plans to share updates about the organization’s future.
The Brittany Foundation’s goal is to rescue dogs from unfortunate fates and find them their forever homes. Those who aren’t adopted to new families live out the rest of their lives at the organization with lots of care and love from the employees, including Anderson herself, she said.
The dogs are rescued from kill shelters in the Los Angeles County and city whose time is running out. They are also rescued from individuals who surrender their pets due to unforeseen circumstances, such as losing their homes due to financial issues or entering hospice care. They are also taken in if they are strays, and on occasion rescued from puppy mills.
“We do what we can based on our size and resources,” Anderson said. “It’s been a life challenge but also a major life reward,” she added, looking back at 30 years of the foundation.
After working for government and private agencies, Anderson moved to California and discovered the ongoing issue of animal abuse such as dog fighting and animal testing.
She saved her first pit bull dogs from the dogfighting industry, a breed that often carries negative stereotypes, and their work gradually expanded, welcoming all kinds of other dogs, she said.
“We [now] kind of specialize in taking in some of the harder-to-place dogs because we know we’ve got a place for them to stay if they don’t get adopted,” she said. “We try to help those people because we know they’re not giving up their dog through any fault of their own.”
Anderson is excited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her foundation and show newcomers the work that she has dedicated herself to so they can possibly receive additional support to continue to further their mission.
Aside from regular necessities such as food, water, beds, and toys, the Britanny Foundation invests in medical care for its dogs, many of them seniors and special needs.
“Care is our biggest concern,” she said. “We’re still here, we’re still rescuing and I’m hoping people will see what we’ve done over the years … we would like the Brittany Foundation to continue, and we hope we continue to get people to support us and spread the word.”
For more information on the Brittany Foundation and to purchase tickets for the 30th anniversary celebration, visit www.brittanyfoundationonline.org.