Mr. Brutus Seader is a 12-year-old German Shepherd. Brutus was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan and trained for over a year and a half to become a seeing eye dog for Leader Dogs for the Blind. While he passed his training and medical exam, he became home sick and was placed with his original host family, The Seader Family, under the care and direction of Dr. Amanda Seader (CalU 2013).

Finishing his vacation across the United States in early September 2023, Brutus was able to complete his picture map of 48 states. After receiving a partially completed map on his 10^th Birthday, Amanda decided to plan various trips to help “fill in” his map. This included short weekend trips to visit Niagara Falls, and traveling to Maryland to see Deep Creek Lake, while enjoying ice cream at Huey’s. Longer family trips were spent enjoying time at the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground at Walt Disney World where Brutus also strolled along the Boardwalk at the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts.

Brutus was able to walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame to pose with the Lassie Star while also viewing the Hollywood Sign and staying a few nights in Beverly Hills with his own doggy room service! He traveled to Las Vegas staying in the Bellagio Hotel to enjoy the view of the fountain and watch people play on the slot machines. He even ventured to various Buc-ee’s and stopped at many famous landmarks including Mount Rushmore, the Cheese Castle in Wisconsin, the Corn Palace in South Dakota, the Transcontinental Railroad, and the Potato Capital of the World in Idaho. Brutus was able to take photos at the center of the United States in Kansas and enjoyed posing for many pictures along the way.

The main highlight for Brutus was visiting many National Parks across the United States and earning his Bark Ranger status at each one he visited! Brutus enjoy the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, Pecos, Yosemite, Acadia, Cuyahoga Valley, Petrified Forest, Yellowstone, Hot Springs, Mammoth Cave, Crater Lake, Badlands, and so many more! To earn Bark Ranger status, Brutus had to complete various tasks at each National Park, receiving a Certificate and a stamp.

In each new state, Brutus accessorized with new matching collars and outfits to pose for his many pictures. While visiting trains in Utah and Nebraska he dawned a Conductor outfit, in Vegas Brutus wore a tuxedo along with his gold money chain, in Custer State Park Brutus sported a green Bison collar, and in Disney World Brutus received and wore his own customized collar tag in honor of his favorite Disney character Pluto!

While living in Michigan, Brutus was able to visit Mackinaw Island and several of the Great Lakes. Wading in water is his absolute favorite activity! He visited several beaches in Rhode Island, while also completing a Cliff Walk along the water. For Brutus, it was not just about the destination but also the journey, soaking up every minute he could while enjoying many, many car rides to view different wildlife. Brutus came eye to eye with Bison, Deer, Elk, and many other animals while he traveled across the US.

Brutus has accomplished so much and has lived and enjoyed many sites and experiences that many can only dream of. To enjoy and view all of Mr. Brutus’s adventures, you can follow his Instagram @the_mr.brutus.

Mr. Brutus attended many classes at CalU while training for the Leader Dog program.

Dr. Amanda Seader graduated from Bethlehem Center High School in 2010. She attended CalU from Fall 2010 to Spring 2013 completing her BS degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry in just three years. Amanda was accepted into three Veterinary Medicine programs and chose to attend Michigan State University (Ranked 3^rd out of US veterinary schools and 8^th in the world by educational data specialists Quacquarelli Symonds in 2020). She simultaneously completed her Masters in Public Health (MPH) while completing her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) at MSU in 2017.

Seader is a veterinarian at Banfield Pet Hospital. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Pennsylvania VMA, and the Michigan VMA. Amanda frequently returns to Cal volunteering her time as a judge for the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS). In addition to her volunteer work with the Leader Dogs for the Blind program, Seader is a member of the Lion’s Club serving as the Chair of the Puppy Program. She actively volunteers with many initiatives including the Mutt Strutt, raising funds for Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, 96.1 Kiss Stuff A Bus, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, National MS Society, and various humane societies.

Dr. Seader was honored to receive CalU’s Under 40 Award at the inaugural induction in September 2019.