River HomeLink fourth grader’s essay wins top prize
Feb. 8, 2024
River HomeLink fourth grader Brynn Boldemann reads her winning essay to her writing class
It has been nearly two years since Biggie first entered Brynn Boldemann’s life. The bulldog, a rescue from Texas-based Three Little Pitties, immediately made himself at home.
“As soon as he got into our car he tried to scramble into the back so he could sit on my lap,” Brynn recalled. “That’s when we figured out he needs to be in a crate inside the car.”
Biggie is “basically an 80-pound potato with legs,” according to the River HomeLink fourth grader. Or, in the words of Brynn’s mom, Meghan, “A feral chaos machine.”
That’s how Brynn described the rescued bulldog in an essay she submitted as part of a contest sponsored by Petco Love, a nonprofit that supports pet rescue operations across the country. She wrote the essay in September and then basically forgot about it. That is, until the family received a phone call asking them to come to an event on Feb. 1 at the Fourth Plain Petco location.
“They told us that we’d won, they just didn’t tell us how much,” Brynn said. “They took a bunch of photos of me and Biggie, I got to do an interview and then they opened up the check.”
That’s when the 10-year-old learned that she hadn’t just won a prize, she had won the prize. Her essay earned Three Little Pitties a $100,000 grant. Brynn herself received a $1,000 Petco gift card, custom Skecher shoes with little graffiti dogs on them and a year’s supply of Yummers Pet Supply Co. products.
“They said I won because of how my essay described Biggie,” Brynn said. “How much I love him and how much he loves me.”
In her essay –- which you can read in its entirety below –- Brynn shared that Biggie was very sick when he arrived and required several surgeries. One was to remove numerous bladder stones, and another to remove tumors on his neck.
“Three Little Pitties was super great,” Brynn said. “We didn’t even know about all of that before he got here, but they paid for the surgeries.”
The rescue helps around 2,500 dogs each year that would otherwise face euthanization. The grant funding will help with medical care costs for the animals while they await a new forever home.
On Monday, Brynn read her essay in front of classmates at River HomeLink and then answered questions. She talked about how Biggie has learned to obey commands and communicate when he needs attention by “chewing on our feet.”
Brynn Boldemann poses with her mom, Meghan
“He’s basically a bulldog genius,” she said.
The family will use the Petco gift card to offset the cost of Biggie’s prescription food, which costs almost $100 a bag. But Brynn and her mom say he’s worth the trouble.
“He cheers me up when I’m sad and always gets me to laugh, like, every day,” Brynn said. “He’s helped me learn to be really patient. And… he’s kind of just funny to look at.”
In addition to winning the prize, Brynn said she’s also been asked to interview for People Magazine’s upcoming pet issue, so keep an eye out for that.
“My name is Brynn and I am almost 10 years old. Biggie is one of my rescue dogs and also my BFF! He came from Texas to us on a big rescue truck! When he got here he was really sick and skinny. He needed two surgeries and lots of treats. I was worried he was so sick he was going to die. He didn’t know I was going to love him no matter what. Luckily with a lot of hard work we healed him. Biggie is now basically an 801b potato on legs. For real!
For the past two years I have helped train him, and heal his sicknesses, and teach him how to be gentle and cuddle. I have taught him sit, stay, GENTLE, Off, and more. I would say he is a 6 out of 10 in listening! That’s really amazing for a Bulldog who had never lived with a family before. So he’s basically a genius.
When he came to live at my house my mom called him a “feral chaos machine”. He just made me laugh when he jumped on tables and drooled. I knew right away he loved me most because he actually listened to me! Biggie can be naughty and silly, but he always knows when I can use some cuddles and laughs. Sometimes he steals my lunch or unwinds a whole roll of toilet paper just for fun! We spend a lot of time reading together and he lets me use him as a pillow. He likes to put his paws on my head when we are cuddling on the couch – like he is petting me. We go for walks everyday, and he helps me with my math homework. He’s not very good at homework. He likes to eat it instead. He learned to chew on my feet to tell me when he is bored or wants the fireplace turned on to roast his tush! Like I said earlier -He’s a bulldog genius.
My friends think Biggie is like a cartoon character. He is really gentle with all kids and makes sure he is always around us. Sometimes he will lay on you if he knows you need a friend. You just have to tell him he’s heavy if he climbs on your lap. He is basically like Velcro my mom says. We trip over him a lot because he likes to sleep on your feet.
We have had Biggie in our family for two years now. He has taught me how to be really patient. Like really really really patient. I learned how to teach dogs obedience skills and tricks because of him! He’s one of my best friends. I can’t even remember what the house was like before Biggie arrived. I love him to the moon.”
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