Dedicated to Rescuing & Rehoming Bull Terriers
We are an all volunteer 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.
Meet Our Dedicated Team
President: Carolyn Kimbrell
My love for animals started at a very young age. We always had a pet dog, cat, fish, lizards etcetera. My love for the Bull Terrier specifically started when I met my husband in 1993. He had a Bull Terrier. I had never met such an amazing dog. I would take him to the vet and people would ask me if he was a pot-bellied pig.
I started working with the Bull Terrier Rescue of Tampa Bay in 2002. I started the Bull Terrier Rescue Club of Southwest FL in 2012. It is my passion and love for this breed that enables me to continue to rescue and rehome rehabilitated healthy dogs.
Treasurer: Joan Spangler
My husband and I acquired our first bull terrier named Tory from a personal breeder. The 6-week-old pup bit my toe and that was it for me. A couple of months later we added a rescued bully named Maggie, truly a feisty little bully. I became a member of the San Francisco Bull Terrier Rescue Club in 1977 and when we decided to retire to Florida in 2005, I joined the Tampa Bay Bull Terrier Club (TBC). I served as its Treasurer for some time. Because the emphasis of the TBC no longer was on rescue, Carolyn Kimbrell and I, together with Robert, Joyce and Kim Kimbrell, created the Bull Terrier Rescue Club of SW Florida in 2012. I took on its Treasurer duties and opened our account with Wells Fargo with $100. Since then, our Club has rescued many needy bull terriers and thanks to a loyal membership, and the yeoman services of our President, Carolyn Kimbrell, we are successful. Clark and I currently own a rescued bully called Junior who is now almost 3 years old. I picked him up from Tallahassee with 4 other siblings just before hurricane Ian. Even though we are up in age (80+), we simply could not have a home without a bully. We have made very sure that Junior will have sufficient funding and a loving home when we can no longer care for him.
Secretary: Lorijane Martin
I found myself looking forward to the dog show after the annual holiday parade on TV. I had to see the Bull Terriers. I thought they were fascinating with their egg shaped head and so cute!
I was first introduced to the
breed when I owned my company, Opportunity Barks. I was asked to care for a pair of minis, brother and sister, named Daisy & Diesel, or the Double D’s as I called them. After one week of caring for them, I knew I had to have one of my own. In 2024, we adopted Roscoe, a badly injured dog clinging to life. With Carolyn, and her neighbor, Dr. Craig’s quick intervention, Roscoe’s life was spared. Today, just over a year later, he is the love of our life, the ambassador of our community, and everyone knows his name.
I volunteered to become the Secretary for Bull Terrier Rescue of Southwest Florida because there are so many other horrific stories like Roscoe’s, that have beautiful endings. This is what we do. My goal is to spread the word of this rescue through social media and bring awareness to the breed. I can’t tell you enough how rewarding it is to have a rescue, versus a high price tag pet. Consider adopting or fostering a Bull Terrier today, you won’t regret it.
Robert and Jasper Kimbrell at the 2011 Silverwood Rescue Parade
