Our list includes the following animal sanctuaries, rescues and aid dogs:

Pets Alive:   A family favorite for years.  Located in Middletown, New York, this sanctuary saves and cares for many in need.

Best Friends:  Instrumental in coordinating the rescue efforts of animals after many natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  Val is a Hurricane Katrina survivor.

National Search Dog Foundation Deployed teams to help in the rescue efforts after 9/11.  Helped provide rescue and psychological support and love to the first responders.

Fortunate Pooch and Lab Rescue Our local favorite where Brandy and Val were both adopted from.  Located in Palatine, IL, a suburb outside Chicago.

Happy Holidays to All and Best Wishes for 2012.

Ilene, Brandy and Val

(photo credit: Ron Vesely Photpgraphy)

Through Cyber Monday.  ORDER ONE OF ANY BRANDY AND VAL PRODUCTS and get one FREE!  Profits from sales help animal rescues such as Best Friends and Pets Alive.   Don’t delay.  Order online at Brandy and Val

BRANDY AND VAL:  the original book

BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS

BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY 100% of profits from this book help Fortunate Pooches and Lab Rescue in Palatine, IL, the shelter Brandy and Val were adopted from

MINI-BRANDY and MINI-VAL plush toys

We at Brandy and Val are so pleased that, from what we can see so far, a Katrina Calamity has been averted.  Val, as a Hurricane Katrina survivor, is especially pleased that so many families had plans for their pets and were able to keep them safe and with them.    Hurricane Katrina’s 6th anniversary coincided with Hurricane Irene’s, a reminder that the wrath of Mother Nature’s storms are not one-time events.     Remember the animals — the four-legged members of the family who are so near and dear.

Comments? Suggestions?  We’d love to hear from you. Brandy and Val are two former rescue dogs who star in their children’s board  book series.   Animal shelters throughout the U.S.  benefit with every sale from  Brandy and Val’s books and toys.

Summer is finally here, although, at times, it doesn’t much feel like it.  There’s been lots of rain throughout the country but we try to focus on the sunny, warm days that we can all be outside to play!

Brandy and Val wrapped up their pet therapy school year on a very positive high note.  The kids really responded this year and were much more comfortable and interactive in the pups’ presence.   The strides taken are a cumulative process and  we can’t stress how important we think our work is to the kids.  They have really warmed up to them and we can see how much they appear to enjoy having Brandy and Val around and interacting with them.

Our work on the top of pet therapy was featured in two articles this past spring.  One on the website Acting Balanced which is hosted by a mom with a child who has Autism Spectrum Disorder.  The other appeared in the Calgary Herald.  We are grateful for the opportunity to speak about what we do and spread the word about how pet therapy dogs enhance the lives of others.

Continuing on with that theme, Brandy and Val will be making another appearance at the Center For Independence camp the end of the month.  The campers are comprised mostly of children who have CP (Cerebral Palsy) and MD (muscular dystrophy).  We enjoy bringing added happiness to their day.

As our mission is “to do good where good is needed” we hope you will continue to remember that with the continuing sagging economy, many pets are being neglected and abandoned.  It is through the sales of our toys and books -BRANDY AND VAL, BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS and BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY — that we also help animal sanctuaries throughout the country such as Best Friends and Pets Alive.   In addition, 100% of the sales from BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY go to support Fortunate Pooches and Lab Rescue, the shelter that both Brandy and Val were adopted from.  SOOOOOO, feel good knowing that you are helping and animal in need with every item purchased from us!

As always, thank you for your continued support and enjoy the season!

Ilene Fine, Author

Brandy and Val, Real Dogs with Real Tales

I know they're for me!

Yeah, I can smell the treats in there

We hope you remembered love ones this Christmas past as well as those in need!  Our gift list included Fortunate Pooches and Lab Rescue, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and Pets Alive.  It is through the sales of our books and toys that we can continue to help others.  Thanks for your support.

BRANDY AND VAL, REAL DOGS WITH REAL TALES

December update

Brandy and Val packing away
To get the books shipped for Xmas Day
If your order’s not in, do not delay
Give us a click & we’ll ship it today.

Consider that a portion of sales from Brandy and Val, LLC are donated to help animal rescues throughout the country.  100% of the sales from BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY are donated to Fortunate Pooches and Lab Rescue, the shelter Brandy and Val were adopted from in Palatine, IL. Pet’s Alive in Middletown, NY, and Best Friends in Kenab, UT, are also recipients of funds.   The students in all of Brandy and Val’s pet therapy classes also received gifts this year of Brandy and Val books and toys.

Without everyone’s continued support, we would not have been in a position to make this happen.  Thank you!

We hope everyone has a wonderful, healthy and safe Holiday Season and Best Wishes for 2011.

Ilene Fine, Author,

Brandy and Val, the dogs!

*United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

It’s that time of year when everyone ramps up their charitable giving.  At Brandy and Val, LLC, our mission is “doing good where good is needed” and we practice that mantra year round as there is plenty of work to be done 24/7, 365 days a year!  With donating a portion of sales from our books to animal shelters and through our pet therapy duties, we hope to benefit the lives of animals, children and their families.  There are SO many good charities and causes out there do you ever wonder though, what a $100 donation can do?  Find a cause and MAKE IT HAPPEN for others this holiday season.

REAL SIMPLE magazine, in their December issue, had a really interesting page showcasing a few that I’ll share here:

BEST FRIENDS an animal sanctuary that Brandy and Val supports, can microchip 10 cats

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL can give away 50 children’s books in their effort to promote literacy (another cause Brandy and Val supports through Open Books in Chicago)

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS provides 3 first-aid kits, 24 blankets and 10 surgical scissors to communities in medical need

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY an organization who helped re-build hard hit areas affected by Hurricane Katrina and helps create housing worldwide can purchase 1 toilet, 2 hard hats and 3 hammers with your $100 donation.  (Val is a Katrina dog which is why we mention the Katrina connection)

A few others not in the article include:

CITYMEALS ON WHEELS can provide 20 holiday meals for home-bound elderly ($128 donation)

PETS ALIVE Animal sanctuary (we support them, too!) can sponsor 2 senior dogs in need of additional medical treatment to improve their quality of life

REAL DOGS WITH REAL TALES

Welcome to the Dog Days of Summer!  Brandy and Val are enjoying their ice cream to beat the heat and we hope you are having your own “fun in the sun.”  Our big news is that Brandy and Val, LLC just celebrated its’ first anniversary.  We are very proud of our accomplishments this year in “doing good where good is needed.”  To name a few, the following charities have benefited from the sales of our products: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary; Pets Alive Animal Sanctuary; Prader-Willi Association; Cabrini Connections Tutor-Mentor Connection and, of course, Fortunate Pooches and Lab Rescue, where Brandy and Val were adopted from!  So, a big thanks to all of you who have supported us throughout our first year and who helped make this possible.

Continuing to make news with our fabulously fun books and toys for tots, we appeared this past month in PET PRODUCT NEWS and NATURAL DOG.  If a child you know doesn’t have one of our books or toys yet, order one now as they make great diversions for the kids while on car rides, at the beach or anywhere toddlers become restless, in other words, EVERYWHERE!

We would LOVE for you to comment and suggest stories for our blog, “What We are Barking About” and don’t forget you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter, too. Also, look out for our article in the September edition of Women’s World magazine. I hear it will be on newsstands in mid-August.

In closing out the month, Brandy and Val also want to say thanks to the Center for Independence Camp for allowing us to read to and work with your special children.  We hope that through our pet therapy duties, we can enhance the lives of children in some positive way!  Please contact us at info@BrandyandVal.com if you would like Brandy and Val to visit a school, library or children’s program in the Chicago area.

Enjoy the rest of the summer.  As always, thanks for your support,

Ilene Fine, Author,

Brandy and Val, Brandy and Val’s Favorite Things, Brandy and Val’s Special Story

Of course, nearest and dearest to my heart are the ones that help animals, including my series of Brandy and Val books and toys. Since most of the gifts given out during the Holidays go to kids, these books fit the bill as they help animal sanctuaries throughout the U.S.  with 100% of  profits from Brandy and Val’s Special Story being donated to the rescue Brandy and Val were adopted from, Fortunate Pooches and Lab Rescue.  While we’re on the subject of books, Happy Tails Books aims to donate 20-25% of their net proceeds to animal welfare groups through the sale of books about adopted/rescued dogs.  What’s cool about their books is that they’re breed specific and they’re comprised of stories submitted by the guardians of the pets that were saved.  Help Save A Stray’s Shop offers t-shirts, tote bags, doggie bandannas and more and YOU get to select  where your donation goes from over the two dozen animal shelters they have listed on their site.

In no particular order, here are a few other unique gift ideas and sites that I’ve come across that help support our furry friends: Laughing Dog Art Studio creates pet portraits with a donation made to the animal shelter of your choice; The Dog Lover’s Wine Club of Carivintas Winery support a variety of animal rescues.  Wine selections can be chosen that support dogs, cats and horses!  Silver Bean Coffee sells a special blend that supports one of our favorite animal sanctuaries, Best Friends

I was even surprised to see how many Yahoo Groups there were that held discussions about gifts that give back to charity and My Shopping Connection has a section on gifts that give back to charities.  Brandy and Val made that list!  Finally, most rescue organizations have a myriad of gifts bearing their own logos, books etc. that support their causes and there are several companies such as Giftback.com contribute a back to a variety of charitable organizations with every purchase.

HAPPY SHOPPING!