




Angel Pin Program

This is a Berner Angel Pin.
It's the nicest bit of Berner stuff that you never want to get.
Angels come in several forms.
Our sometimes angelic Berners who live with us now and
Our very special Berner Angels at the Rainbow Bridge.
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Karen Connors started the Angel Pin Project ~ sending Angel Pins and cards to people whose Berners have gone to the Bridge. Karen Connor's first Berner, Britney Mae of Kokanell, died at age 6 years from malignant histiocytosis on July 1, 1999. Karen was devastated, but she found a way to give Britt a legacy so that she would be remembered. Karen found a small dog angel pin and had a friend paint it so it looked like a Berner. She began mailing Berner Angel Pins in Britt's name to anyone that she knew who had a Berner die. When she started sending out these pins, she sent about 5 pins each month, but soon it grew so that now each year over 300 Berner Angel Pins are mailed all over the world to Berner Lovers in memory of their special Berner Angel at the Rainbow Bridge.
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There have been many individuals who have been helping Karen with her Angel Pin project throughout this past 17 years plus. Each and every one of them are ALL Angels.
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Now Noelle Zumoff lovingly paints the angel pins to turn them into Berner Angels.
Carol Gantz has respectfully created, printed and donated all the beautiful Rainbow Bridge Cards that are sent out with each pin. A generous anonymous donor has recently taken over the printing and donation of the cards for the angel pins with the same care.
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Renee Jacquier writes a heartfelt note and mails out the cards and Angel pins.
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​When the package arrives with the Berner Angel Pin, it is a bittersweet time and most people cry tears of sorrow and tears of joy for the lives of the Berners they lost and the pin that represents the love they still have for their Berners at the Bridge. At any Berner gathering or specialty, you will spot many people proudly wearing their special Berner Angel Pins.
A lot of time and love goes into creating and sending each pin and a fund was created to help cover the costs associated with these cherished pins. The Berner Angel Pin Fund has been maintained by Joye Neff for many years. Joye has now moved the Angel Pin Program to the Bernese Mountain Dog Charitable Foundation where she still manages the Berner Angel Pin Program. All donations to the angel pins are tax deductible.​​