Health & Education

I have been involved with animals my entire life. As a child we had a toy poodle then a Boxer but had to give him to friends when we moved to Taiwan in 1968. While in Taiwan we had a variety of dogs, birds, horses, snakes, lizard, guinea pigs and even a water buffalo. We rescued a fox Terrier/Spitz cross after a big typhoon and later bought a Lhasa Apso. As a child I took care of the school’s guard dogs and their puppies (German Shepherds) because I so enjoyed all interactions with animals. We returned to the US in the later part of 1970’s and brought our Lhasa and fox terrier cross with us. The family landed in Pennsylvania where I immediately found a neighbor who bred English Setters and helped him out on weekends. I bought my first dog at 19 while attending college. Chinook CD WTD was an Alaskan Malamute which got me involved in sled dog racing, weight pull and packing. In the early 80’s I started looking for a second breed and focused on Otterhounds and Portuguese Water Dogs. I met Bandido do Mar at our Malamute Specialty in the early 80’s (Doc and Dawn Woods owned Malamutes) and loved him. They offered him to me when they were getting out of water dogs however I was afraid to bring an adult PWD into a home with nine adult Malamutes, so I had to pass. I sought long and hard and with the help of Deyanne Miller I contacted Kathryn Braund (Roughrider) and Mickey (CH Roughrider Pescador De Toraq CD) came into my life in 1987. At the time I was a Commercial Whitewater guide living on the South Fork of the American river and Mickey soon became a hit with the customers at camp and on the river. A short year later Maddie (CH Roughriders Madeira De Toraq CD) joined the home and then Corrie (CH Xacara Do Mar CD) from Sonya Santos (Do Mar), was welcomed in 1990. Mickey and Maddie both ran on my team with Mickey running lead and Maddie point. I bred my first litter in 1990 and the rest is history. I have enjoyed conformation, tracking, water, agility, weight pull, back packing, rally, obedience, nose work, barn hunt, trick dog and dock diving with my dogs. Now that my children are all adults, I can travel to our National Specialties and give more time to the breed I love. I look forward to working with the Board and membership to highlight our lovely dogs and enjoy time with friends and fellow enthusiasts. I currently live with 6 PWD’s aged 1- 12 yrs, a Ridgeback, 2 kittens and 7 finches.