About Us - the Brunz Bunch!

Ha. Just kidding. 

It was actually July 2002, a bright and blistering hot day when Will and I arrived in the Flathead Valley in a Suburban packed with four kids, a disgustingly flatulent Lab, and a cat who howled like a demon sucking out your soul for a hundred miles after each potty stop. We had no radio, no air conditioning, and the check engine light had flicked on every time there was even a slight incline the entire drive from Fort Collins, Colorado. Surely that had nothing to do with the weight we were pulling in the rusty, 16-foot stock trailer that held literally all our possessions, including the folding chairs flapping off the sides. We called it our "Clampett" look.  True icons of style and finesse, we rattled our way to an RV park and spent six weeks living in a 10'x10' shed. It was years later when we realized that we were single-handedly responsible for the tiny house trend. 

In 2003 we purchased a house on three acres in which to raise our family. We knew at the time we would someday have a kennel on the premises, but the timing wasn't right at that point. You must understand, owning a kennel is like owning a dairy. The work never ends. There is always a living creature to be cared for and you are tied pretty tightly down. Basically, you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave...

Our kiddos needed us both around for hockey, soccer, and volleyball games, spelling bees, swim meets, cross country races, wrestling meets, and for puberty survival tips. So, we waited.

In August 2013, we cleaned out the garage, received the necessary permits, hand made four kennels, hand lettered a sign on a sheet of plywood (that to this day keeps blowing down), and said our prayers to Almighty God that He would bring some dogs our way.  We hoped to reach the goal of earning a living with the kennel in about two years. We must have really hit a nerve with our care philosophy and practices, because we reached that goal in six months. The growth has continued to blow our minds. Whenever we think we just can't handle any more, God sends more dogs and more strength to love and care for them. At the end of each day, no matter how exhausted, slobbery, hairy, and dirty we are, we always close our eyes thankful for what we are blessed to do and grateful for the people who trust us to do it. And as of September 2021, we moved to our new building after 1.5 years of self construction!

Heidi, our oldest, received her BA in Molecular Biology from University of Montana Western and married Jim Eavenson (bear hug giver extraordinaire) in 2014. They gave us our third grand baby, Ellie Quinn, and have another on the way. They live in Dillon, Montana.

Dezi, our second and self-proclaimed middle child, took off on a Grand Adventure and came back with Jake Lorenzen (who gives the quietest, best zingers known to mankind) and a wedding ring. She  creates beautiful art with all kinds of paints and mediums, photography, and flowers, but her most beautiful creations thus far are Jack and Alice, our first two grandbabies. They are in Kalispell.

Lexi, #3 and self-declared true middle child,  received her BS in Marine Biology from UM Western in 2017. She is currently raising our fourth grand baby, Walter William, with Logan Alexander on the Oregon Coast. She walks beside the ocean every day and communicates with her mermaid relatives. 

Zayne served our country for four years in the Air Force repairing and maintaining F-16s and C137s. He had all kinds of honors and promotions that he gets embarrassed about when I brag, so I will refrain. He married Katie (sweetest daughter-in-law we've ever had) in 2021 and is currently in Colorado working on getting a commercial pilot's license. 

That's pretty much us! Will geeks out about Nosework and training and competitive bbq and will talk to you about it until your ears bleed. I love to read and write and will talk books with anyone who escapes from Will with their hearing intact.

Thank you so much for reading my ramblings, but even more so, thank you from our hearts for even considering trusting us to care for your precious four-legged family member. It is an honor that we do not take lightly.