Jamie Brianna’s Legacy Fund has been created to honour my beloved daughter, Jamie Brianna Spielman, who died suddenly in November of 2017. In January of 2019 I adopted a dog named Hemingway; he was 12+ years old with multiple medical issues. Sadly, after only three months with me, he was ready to go to the Rainbow Bridge and I dutifully and tearfully let him go. I believe Jamie sent Hemingway to me and the two of them decided to kick my butt into gear. I’ve had the idea of creating an animal sanctuary for many years, but have struggled with how to make the dream a reality. Jamie and I share a passion for helping animals and people and I thank them both for inspiring me to pursue this passion. When I was little I thought I wanted to be a vet, that’s the only way I knew of to help animals. As I grew up, I realized I‘m not so good with blood and guts, so I gave up on the vet idea, but never lost my passion for animals. I became a vegetarian when I was in my 20’s and I raised Jamie as a vegetarian, a choice she carried on into adulthood, and she was raising her son as a vegetarian. There are a few things that stand out in my memory of Jamie and her passion for helping animals: I remember her telling me once about seeing a dead cat on the side of the road. She wrapped the cat in her sweatshirt and took it to a vet so it wouldn’t just remain on the road to be destroyed by traffic or wildlife. Then there was the time she was living in South Dakota and found a stray cat in the snow. She took the cat in and named her Ash. When Jamie had ”extra” food stamps, she would buy food for the homeless people with dogs who were hanging out near the grocery store. Probably the last time she ever did this, she saw one guy and a dog when she went into the store, and when she came out there were others who had joined him. She felt really bad because she had only bought enough for one. When my Jamie passed away, I knew I had to find a way to honour her and our shared passion. I had a few ideas rolling around in my brain and have now settled on this one: creating a fund to help people keep their beloved pet(s), rather than being forced to make the heartbreaking decision to surrender their pet to a shelter due to lack of funds for medical care, pet deposit for housing, basic behavioural training, etc. There are many ways to save animals‘ lives, a shelter intervention program is one. It not only keeps animals out of the shelter to begin with, it keeps them with the family who loves them. I think Jamie would approve because she would have been absolutely crushed if ever forced to make that heartbreaking decision; her babies were family, as it always should be. Jamie Brianna Spielman, I love you and miss you every second of every day, and I’m so proud to be your Momma.
