meet ruthie

While I can show you my portfolio of designs, I can prove to you I've spent years working in the marketing and design industry, and I can give picture-proof I've been inside a show ring... none of that matters if you don't understand the heart and the why behind Bark and Brand. So, here's a bit of my story so you can get to know me as Ruthie, the Beagler.

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When I was about 9 years old, I set my mind on owning a girl beagle whom I would name Lilli. Yes, specifically spelled L-I-L-L-I. I don’t clearly remember where I’d first got the idea, but I imagine I heard my Aunt Sarah talk about her beagle, Carrie, she’d owned when she was a little girl, or I saw a picture in a magazine in a store. All I knew was that I wanted a beagle, no matter what.

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The majority of my family has owned German Shepherds for as long as I can remember, including my mom and I. I remember our first dog, Tripper. He was a handsome boy and I loved him so much and my heart still aches when I remember the day my Aunt Sarah and Uncle Michael told me (I was with them at the time) that he’d gone to live on a farm somewhere else where he could roam free, play with all the animals, and get all the love he deserved. Golly, even as I write this almost 2 decades later, I still get tears in my eyes. I think this instilled in me a ferocity with which I would love every animal that ever came into my life moving forward - well, dogs, to be exact. I’ve yet to expand my horizons, but truly, what’s better than a Beagle?

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When my mom and I found Lilli, I knew I would do anything to have her. I vaguely remember the little yellow-ish house, the oversized “backyardigan” beagle parents, the musty dog smell in the living room, and her. I wish I could remember the exact moment I saw her, but I’ve only been left with the feeling. That heart-swelling, die-for-you, squeeze-the-pudding-out-of-you, fiercely-love-you-forever feeling. One that hasn’t left for over 15 years now.

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At the time, $250 might as well have been $250K to 9 year old me. I had a bit of money from odd jobs saved up, but it wasn’t nearly enough. So, I went to the most unconventional of places — my Uncle Dan. Now, what you have to understand is, my Uncle Dan is a big, muscly, steel-toe-boot-wearing, drum playing, Dr. Pepper drinking, cat-loving man. Yes, I said cat-loving. There’s never been much room in his heart for any animals outside of his cats, but there was room for me. Thus, there was room for Lilli. Even to this day, I still boast that my Uncle doesn’t like dogs, but he loves Lilli.

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Thankfully, my Uncle Dan was a saving-my-money-for-the-apocalypse kind of guy. We’re talking a closet full of jars of sorted change, freshly pressed $1 bills, $5 bills, probably even bigger bills. So, with a mission in my mind, a dog in my heart, and my moms idea and encouragement to approach him, I asked him if he would loan me the remaining amount of money to purchase Lilli and I would pay him back within a year. Or was it two? Was there interest? At this point, the details are fading, but the story is still there. As you might assume based on why you’re reading this, he said yes.

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I can’t even begin to describe the exuberating joy my little heart felt when we finally picked up Lilli. She was so small, the runt of the litter, and she just fit into my 9 year old hands. We slept in the passenger seat of the car on the way home. The connection was immediate.

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Save for a year abroad in France at 13, a summer away in New York at 16, and 2 years away for college, Lilli and I have spent everyday together for the last 15 years. She has been my companion, my confidant, my best friend, and my first true love — and the driving force behind why Bark and Brand exists.