This Three-Legged Portland Pupfluencer Is Raising Money for Cancer Patients and Animal Rescues
Beth (right) with her cancer-fundraising plushie
Image: Lindsay Van Bramer
Named after the American surfer who survived a shark attack, three-legged French bulldog Bethanee Hamilton is a rescue pup and cancer survivor with more than 230K Instagram followers to her name. The pupfluencer’s mission, in between bouts of TLC drag and red wine mishaps, is to promote the adoption of older and disabled pets.
Beth was found abandoned on the side of the road about six years ago, but was soon taken in and rehabilitated by Pacific Northwest Bulldog Rescue. A month after her back leg was removed due to a cancerous mast cell tumor, she found a home with Portland designer Lindsay Van Bramer. The two have been joined at the hip ever since.
Beth’s rise to fame began during a Portland windstorm, Van Bramer says. After adopting Beth, Van Bramer documented her leg surgery recovery on Instagram. The followers came by the thousands when the Black Jaguar-White Tiger Foundation reposted a slow-motion video of Beth donning a lion's mane in the blustery winds of September 2017.
Now, Beth has found worldwide stardom. Those who scroll through her IG (@pardonthyfrench) will find a collection of photos and videos of the Frenchie barrel rolling in fields of daisies, showing off stylish hats, wigs and gold chains, and hanging out with her little brother, Doc Holiday, a French bulldog rescue with a cleft palate. Above all, though, Beth is known for her outspokenness. “She’s always been really vocal,” Van Bramer says. Singles, take note: she has lots to say about dating in particular.
These days, when Beth’s not curled up for a nap, she and Van Bramer travel around the country for meet-and-greet fundraisers to raise money for pet and animal rescues. Beth also makes frequent appearances with other Portland dog influencers, including @freyandherdane (a boxer-bulldog and Great Dane duo) and @scoutgoldenretriever (who passed away last year). Before the pandemic, Van Bramer says, the group would sit down together for an occasional brunch.
In honor of Children’s Cancer Awareness Month this September, donors to the Portland Children’s Cancer Association can purchase a plushie version of Beth to support music, mentorship, and nature programming for its patients. “Animals bring such joy to people’s lives, so the thing that we thought would be fun was the plushie,” Van Bramer says. “We thought it would be a symbol of hope for the kids.”
Plenty of studies have shown the positive effects of animals on human health––something that Beth, like other petfluencers, has proven. It’s why pet pages on social media are so popular, Van Bramer says. “Our page is solely just to make people happy and make them laugh and to get away from the craziness of the world.”
