By Tiffany Merlo Phelps
mail@floridanewsline.com
Jane Cottrell always wanted to be a dog owner, specifically a pug owner, but her work as a nanny prevented her from getting one. Originally from England, Cottrell, 65, came to the United States when she was 29 years old to work as a nanny for California Senator John V. Tunney in Los Angeles. She spent 10 years in that position and found that it was quite a fun adventure, taking summer trips to the Kennedy compound with the family. Jane also graduated from UCLA in 1998, summa cum laude with a bachelor’s in anthropology. She later attended what was then the Culinary Institute of California and earned her Pro Chef 1 certificate in hopes of using her newfound cooking skills in her job. She did. Next Cottrell moved to New York City and took another nanny position for two lawyers, who ultimately divorced. Cottrell promised the eight-year-old boy she nannied that she would stay until he graduated high school. She did. Meanwhile, Cottrell had met her future husband, photographer Chris Cottrell, in New York City after a friend suggested that they meet. Cottrell, who lived in Ponte Vedra Beach, was in the city for work, and the two instantly hit it off. Ironically, Chris is also from England, and the two shared a love of running. A month after the high school graduation of the boy she nannied, the Cottrells got married, and the boy was in the wedding party. The Cottrells then settled in Ponte Vedra Beach. Enter Bodie, the couple’s first pug rescue, a three-year-old from Pug Rescue of Florida/Georgia. Three years later, the couple rescued Spanky, who was 10 years old and blind. Little did they know that Spanky would inspire so much more. While they were told that Spanky did not play much or run around because of his blindness, they found that once they got him comfortable in their home, he acted as though he could see, running through the house and later along the beach. Jane’s business, “Blind But Not,” was created in 2015 as a way to thank and support pug rescues. Jane got the idea to knit items to sell and donate the funds to various rescues. There was just one problem: she needed to learn how to knit. So, she did. Jane started with dog scarves and then added dog blankets, stuffed “BoBo” bones, place mats and iPad covers as well as custom orders. She has raised $62,000 for pug rescues all around the country so far with a goal of reaching $100,000.
Q: How did you learn how to knit?
A: I taught myself how to knit from a YouTube video. I started with dog scarves for a long time. Then, I decided to start a little business on Etsy and added dog blankets which were a huge hit. All the money from the scarves goes to various pug rescue organizations. I give a percentage of everything else that I sell on Etsy to the rescues.
Q: What attracted you to pugs?
A: Pugs are one of the oldest breeds and were bred specifically to be companions. As a result, they are remarkably sweet, but full of personality at the same time. I always loved pugs. I find them to be so cute to look at.
Q: What’s the story behind Banksy’s name, the pug you got after Bodie and Spanky passed away?
A: Banksy was six when we adopted him. His name is a combination of Bodie and Spanky’s names, and Banksy, the famous artist, is from Bristol, the same town where Chris was born in the UK.
Q: Tell us about your family.
A: I have two stepchildren, Ellie, 33, who lives in England and works in recruiting and Chappy, 30, who is in the wine business in California. My husband, Chris, is a photographer and takes all the photos that you see on my website.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
A: We like to go hiking. Our big hobby now is Banksy and agility training. It is somewhat unusual for a pug, but he has a lot of energy. It is like an obstacle course, and we work with a trainer. Banksy is really getting the hang of it, and he is such a superstar.
[Author’s note: Visit blindbutnot.com to learn more about Blind But Not.]
Photo courtesy Chris Cottrell
Jane Cottrell
