Suzette Bruggeman

For a girl who grew up foraging for pinenuts and arrowheads between Butch Cassidy’s old stomping grounds and today’s Area 51 in southern Nevada, Suzette Bruggeman is bewildered to find herself living in a land of ice and snow. She and her swashbuckling husband, Brett—a competitor in Alaska’s famous Iditarod—own and operate Skinny Leg Sled Dogs in Montana. Their kennel overlooks the majestic Missouri River where adventurers Lewis and Clark, along with a baby-toting Sacagawea, passed through on their way to the Pacific Ocean. She and Brett are parents to three fine sons who have sadly given up their poop-scooping duties for the greener pastures of college. Although she cheerfully runs herd on thirty rambunctious sled dogs and a naughty basset hound named Reuben, Suzette is unequivocally a cat lover. A lifelong songwriter, she is the author of several stage musicals—most notably, SYMPHONY OF LIFE on which she collaborated with Emmy award-winning arranger Kurt Bestor. Her longtime volunteer work at a high school food pantry is a highlight of her week. You can follow the adventures of Skinny Leg Sled Dogs on Instagram and Facebook.