Meet The Never Bean Better Team!!
Click "Read more" on each of our dogs to learn about them individually!
Bean
Neversink’s Never Bean Better His name was Bean from day one. In a sea of golden blonde puppies, one little red guy stood out in the litter. He is the son of Ruby, daughter of Maverick and her handsome beau Roy. This litter was whelped by Bean’s humans Jim and Michelle Drager. When it came time to give him a registered name, his human Jim came up with the clever Never Bean Better name that has now become the moniker over all things Bean. Who would ever guess that a puppy with the name Never Bean Better would grow up to be a renowned therapy dog? There may be something right in that saying, “be careful what you name your dog,” In this case, there is no more fitting name for this canine whose ultimate purpose was to care for others. Bean started his career as a very young dog. He completed his basic obedience class with the Berks County Dog Training Club at the age of six months. He then continued his obedience training with Awesome Dogs that gave him the opportunity to learn in unique places such as attending Reading Royals hockey games, hanging out at Cabela’s and the Berkshire Mall and even spending time on the ski slopes at Bear Creek. He loved all the attention and was fearless while working the room. Following his obedience training, he did the necessary training to earn the Canine Good Citizen title recognition and then went on to become a therapy dog. He was certified through Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Inc. and joined the Berks County Therapy Dog group. Bean did his very first therapy dog visits at Penn State Heath St. Joseph in 2011. Bean’s ease in being the center of attention and his infamous woo woo, gained attention when he made his acting debut in Animal Planet’s television series The Haunted. When the humans made the move across country to Montana, Bean and his pack had some fun and Bean ran for President. He ran under the Canine Party and kissed babies and woo’d Americans across the country during his presidential campaign tour making stops along the way so fans could get some “Bean Wuv.” He was quickly acquainted in his new turf and became a therapy dog at North Valley Hospital in Whitefish, MT. Bean loved to make rounds and he was the ambassador of the Teddy Bear project where a stuffed comfort toy was given out to every child who made a hospital stay. Bean was a part of some very special moments there and even shared in the hospital’s parades. Bean continued his therapy work across the country doing special projects that included some of the most difficult therapy dog work in areas of behavioral health, domestic violence, and grief and suicide loss support. Bean provided a furry coat to cry on in the aftermath of natural disasters and manmade ones giving those in need a dose of Bean wuv. He became a pioneer among virtual therapy dogs with the launch of Never Bean Better and engaged with tens of thousands of social media followers on six continents long before virtual was a regular way of life. Bean was a media magnet. He was quoted in the Wall Street Journal, and then became a source for writers covering all things canine. He didn’t let his fame go to his pet-able head. Bean used his recognition to help support both humans and canines in need. He served as a spokesdog for canine causes and was present at numerous nonprofit walks and events, including galas. His efforts have served to help raise awareness around canine causes such as cancer and worked on campaigns to help rescue organizations. He walked for babies, and did runs for the horses, participated in tales for tots, and barked for parks and playgrounds. In 2017, Bean was honored with a National Calendar Day – Never Bean Better Day on August 22. That is Bean’s actual birthday. The day is a perpetual reminder to take time to live in the moment like dogs do. Bean’s special message was always delivered with a wagging tail and a big woo woo! Bean shared joy and comfort as an active therapy dog until his passing in October 2022.
Bean's Littermates
Click "Read more" to read about all of the littermates
N'Ice (Bean's Sister) HRCH UH Neversink's Northern Ice Jewel CCA WCX MH Rambler (Bean's Brother) SR Neversink's Ramblin' Man CD RAE JH OA OAJ NF DS CGC TKI RATI RATO SCN SIN Scooter (Bean's Sister) Neversink Scooter Of The Elk SH MH Sookie Stackhouse (Bean's Sister) Neversink Grouse Run True Blood JH Stormy (Bean's Brother) Neversink's Perfect Storm Wren (Bean's Sister) Neversink's Flew Into My Life AX OAJ OF Maggie (Bean's Sister) Baby Boy Red (Bean's Brother, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge at age one day)
The O'Pake Team Contributors
NBB x O'Pake Team Members Kris Nolt- Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Michelle Conway- Executive Director of Student & Client Services Max Horn- Graduate Assistant of Student Services- Project lead Sarah Heckman- Graduate Assistant of Client Services- Project lead Ana Perez- Graduate Assistant of Digital Media- Project lead/Book design team Winifred Gutierrez- Graduate Assistant of Operations- Project lead/Book editor Jennifer Weasner- Graduate Assistant of Marketing- Project lead/Book design team Emily Sano- Fellow of Digital Media & Management- Book design team Kevaughn Ferguson- Fellow of Marketing- social media/book research team Aleksandra Kolesnikova- Fellow of Communications- social media/book research team Yesenia Maldonado- Fellow of Communications- social media/book research team Gwendolyn Kuckla- Fellow of Digital Media- Book design team Madison Pertl- Intern of Communications- book design team Caitlin Long- Director of Technology Transfer & Innovation Commercialization - Project lead of copyright team Blake Rutcosky–Fellow of Pre-Law copyright team Wesley Butler- GA of Economic Development copyright team Christian Wright- Fellow of Marketing – Website Designer
