Rosie finished her CM and became the youngest CM in Hamiltonstoare breed history. She also won her 5th Best in Show this summer like it was no big deal.
Oceania Hamiltonstovare is the only place in America where there are Hamiltonstovare with AKC and UKC conformation titles. That dedication is a testament to our commitment for the breed.
We finally have time to reflect on just how much we have accomplished this summer and it is mind-boggling. Currently our German Shepherd, Deku, is being campaigned by his breeder in the PA and Ohio area, look for him at a show in the area.
The big stars of the summer have been Raven and Rosie. Raven may not have earned any titles this summer but what she did was beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of. Raven was my service dog during a very difficult time where I helped make sure that a person was punished to the fullest extent of the law. Raven helped me to be able to get on the witness stand and testify, while making sure that I didn’t have any issues with PTSD. She handled the intense rigors of court perfectly, she even passed security multiple times. Raven also helped make sure that I navigated the city streets of Norfolk with ease, including not being phased by the new rail system. As Raven’s breeder, I couldn’t be prouder of what she has done.
Rosie on the other hand earned a new title and it was a breed first, a BCAT title in Fast CAT. She is also just one point away from her CM title. Rosie broke the breed record for Best in Open Show wins in June, by going back-to-back Best in Open Show. She then won a group and was in group placements almost every single time she was shown in Raleigh, NC. Rosie has been invited to the AKC National Invitational for Fast CAT as well. She just loves Fast CAT and I will let her run as long as she wants to.
A lot has been going on here that really hasn’t had anything to do with the dogs at all. I want to emphasize that we are a very small kennel where both people work regular jobs in order to keep the lights on. With that said, that means that there are things that come in the way of getting involved and being as motivated as we once were.
Recently, that has been the case. I made the incredibly brave decision to report to the police about something that happened to me years ago. That report was made over 6 years ago now but things picked up regarding that report last year and really ramped up around Thanksgiving of last year. Finally, everything that I have been working towards happened on June 14th, 2023.
I am the survivor of a violent crime that took place in 2006. I had to report and stay on top of police for years until finally the person that did this horrible crime to me plead “no contest” on June 14th. If you are lucky enough to be friends with me on Facebook, then you will know the specifics. This blog is a bit too public to share the details that I did on Facebook.
Due to the nature of what happened to me, I am covered under certain protections afforded to survivors of violent crimes by the state of Virginia, especially now as I was legally shielded until June 14th but now I am not. I do want to remind people that I check the activity on this site for the safety of myself, my husband, and my animals. I see exactly what pages that people go to and where they are accessing the information from. If I continue to see the same activity patterns, I will go to the authorities and with me being protected by the laws of the state then the penalties could be severe. Please leave me alone, this is your only warning.
To those interested in obtaining a Hamiltonstovare and accessing this site on good faith, thank you. We are currently navigating through a lot of emotions at this time and we hope to be back to normal as soon as possible.
As we are not accepting puppy applications at this time, the best way to contact us is via the Oceania Hamiltonstövare Facebook page. This is to separate puppy inquiries from general questions about the breed.
We respond faster on Facebook and it is only for generic questions, breed questions, and anything else that isn’t about puppy sales.
We do NOT publicly post our show schedule for safety reasons. If you wish to meet up at a show, please message us via Facebook.
This is going to be the last blog post of 2022, which still seems weird to say. This year has been full of ups and downs, and everything in-between. We have been doing our very best to do our best by our dogs.
The past few weeks have been an emotional one as we are reflecting on the anniversary of Alice’s tragic passing as well as making very tough decisions about things going further.
Raven had to be spayed due to a life threatening case of closed Pyometra that we caught in time. This infection could have been lethal but thankfully we still have Raven around and she is 3 weeks post-op today. I thank the amazing staff at Lakeside Animal Hospital for saving her life. While this is absolutely devastating to the breed in the US and to our line, we did what we had to do to save Raven’s life.
Rosie finished up 2022 by earning a couple more group placements at the UKC Eastern Classic in Virginia Beach, Va. While this was not our best showing, Rosie had fun and that is what matters most. She is now going to take some time to grow up as she is just not physically ready to handle any large shows. While this is disappointing as we had hoped to go to Chicago in January, this is a needed step to make sure that Rosie’s wellbeing is primary.
Deku is taking some time off to mature but he got his OFA testing done and he passed! The results for his hips weren’t ideal but he passed and that’s what matters. He will be shown more in 2023 and hopefully hit the specialty rings too.
Right now, everything is done to keep me smiling as we are going through a lot that we just cannot discuss publicly right now. We are determined to have a litter of Hamiltonstovare next year and to continue on with our line. However, animal safety and my mental stability are paramount. If anybody has an issue with that, then they can just leave. Yes, I am very much aware that people are still stalking this website and you guys are probably loving my misery right now, but karma is a bitch. I am determined and won’t back down.
We are done with shows for the next 8 to 12 weeks. Why, might you ask? Well on August 14th, I was showing Deku and my right knee went crunch and buckled.
Deku showed well and I did not fall over or let go of Deku’s lead. However, the injury was quite extensive. I bruised my femur, caused an incomplete fracture in the area, and have cartilage damage in the area. I’m in physical therapy and under close monitoring by doctors.
While at that show, Rosie and Deku competed in a timed event called Fast CAT. Dogs earn points towards titles based on how fast they go. Deku has less than 40 points to go for his first Fast CAT title. Rosie was a speed demon and averaged close to 24 mph, so she is over halfway to her first Fast CAT title.
After I injured my knee, I made the risky decision to enter Rosie and Selene at the Raleigh shows over Labor Day weekend, but just for one day. When I go to shows, I have a plan and then everything else after that is just gravy. My ideal scenario was that Selene and Rosie would get a point towards their CM title, they did just that, which means that my husband beat me in the breed ring for the first show. What I did not expect was that both girls would go on to get highly competitive group placements under different judges. I couldn’t be prouder of both Selene and Rosie, good girls.
Now I’m going to focus on getting better and do things that won’t cause more harm to my knee. This might be our last conformation shows for the rest of the year, keep an eye out on our Facebook page for any upcoming plans.
We are doing our best over this long summer, that’s all that can be said. We have had unbelievable highs and heartbreaking lows.
First the lows, on July 7th we made the incredibly difficult decision to put down our oldest dog, Kemper. Kemper has never been featured on the website as he was never a show dog, nor a performance dog. We tried several things with him throughout his 16 years and nothing seemed to stick. Kemper was Michael’s dog and his true ride-or-die buddy. Kemper’s cause of death was intractable seizures and we made the decision to end his suffering. Kemper was not an easy dog to live with and he taught us what it was like to live with a very unstable dog. He was a backyard bred Rat Terrier mix that had no fear, zero concept of self-preservation, hated new surroundings, hated strange dogs, and had zero dog body language skills. Living with him was not easy but rehoming him was not an option either as he could easily have been a liability to an inexperienced home. For all his quirks and weirdness, he was a good dog with us. He is deeply missed and there are times when I can still hear him around the house.
On another low, we bred Raven using surgical AI but the ultrasound was empty. We’ve spent over $15,000 in two years just trying to breed a single litter. The financial hit sucks but the emotional toll is even worse. Raven is healthy but needy as hell at the moment. There is a slim chance that she might have a single puppy or two but I’m doubtful. Her anticipated due date would be August 13-August 14.
The highlight of our summer so far has to be that our youngsters are kicking butt! Deku got his first point towards his AKC Championship. He still has a lot of maturing to do but he is turning into quite the handsome German Shepherd Dog. He moves like a dream and is a complete dork. Rosie has to one up her older bestie and won back-to-back Best in Shows! These wins are AKC FSS Open Shows and very competitive so for her to even win the group is amazing, let alone win back-to-back Best in Shows. That whole weekend, she was in the group placements or winning every time. Rosie is now the only Hamiltonstovare to have ever won back-to-back Best in Shows in America. Alice came close but Rosie just blew me away.
The judges that awarded our two youngsters have our sincere gratitude. The AKC FSS Open Show judges that came up and wanted to learn about the breed after judging were just awesome, it is always nice to share knowledge and explain things.
The final highlight of the summer is that on a whim, I got Rosie’s eyes checked at an eye clinic at the show and her eyes are perfect, clear, and pass the OFA examination!
As the summer starts to wind down, we are still planning our show schedule. We are always available to do Meet the Breeds functions, breed education get togethers, breed meetups, and anything else that people can think of, within reason.
I know that this blog gets a lot of activity and I have no intention of stopping at any time in the future, but I am planning on writing a self-published book all about Hamiltonstovare in the very near future.
A person with Hamiltonstovare is quoting Hamilton, that’s a bit cliche, right? Sure it is but it is still true. As I am basically the face of the Hamiltonstovare breed in the US, there is a ton of pressure. People want me to fail, they love watching me fail, and make it their personal mission that I fail. To that I say, right now you have won the battle but definitely not the war.
There will always be a Hamiltonstovare by my side, I can’t see my life without one in it. I take things at my own pace and never stand for injustice. Right now, the Hamiltonstovare and many other breeds in the US are purposefully excluded from regular AKC competition because we don’t bring in enough money.
My local UKC clubs hate me because I call them out on their crap and unsafe conditions. It is like they have never even heard of “conflict of interest” half the time.
I do what I can for my breed and that should be what is important. The vet offices and semen lab in Norway that botched the failed breedings should be held accountable. However, I am still out thousands of dollars with no puppies to show for it. I have two gorgeous females that deserve to have their legacy preserved.
I have already made history with my dogs and my goal is to continue that by continuing on with their legacy and their descendants. If you stand in my way, be prepared for a fight that you can’t win. I am prepared to die for this breed and its future.
When people ask me what my absolute favorite part of a Hamiltonstovare is, I will always tell them that it is their feet. I usually get weird looks because people immediately think it is some fetish or something, but it isn’t.
The Hamiltonstovare foot is so perfectly designed to survive in Sweden that without it, the breed just wouldn’t be able to do its job. A Hamiltonstovare foot should be oval in shape with well arched toes. This structure provides increased surface area when hunting in the snow. The nails should be close to the pad to act as crampons if needed.
This is a breed developed to survive and thrive in Sweden so their feet are a key element in form following function. A judge should never put up a Hamiltonstovare with flat feet, as they would never be able to hunt properly.
Hamiltonstovare should have hair between the toes, this helps to protect the pads from the cold. Unlike other breeds, the snow doesn’t collect between the toes, it just falls out.
The final piece about the Hamiltonstovare foot is that each foot should have a combination of black and pink areas. This is tied to the Irish Spotting gene that makes their coat look the way it does.
In the 10+ years of showing Hamiltonstovare, I have never had a judge look at the pads of their feet to check for the black and pink sections or if there is hair between the toes. Should a judge do this? Yes, but pick up one foot to check and keep things moving. A judge should choose a front foot as it is the most comfortable to the dog.
I’m sure there are some just chomping at the bit, pun fully intended, to see me post stuff.
So here it is: I still monitor the traffic on my site and keep it for personal records. I can see if you just come to my page for the blog to see me weep. Well guess what…..joke’s on you. I see you!! Hi!!!
If you want Hamiltonstovare information, you know to contact me directly or via the kennel page on Facebook.
So hello drama loving people who like to stir the pot.
My Hamiltonstovare must be soooo enchanting that you choose to stalk my website. Thanks! My Hamiltonstovare are pretty great.
Focus on Rosie has been my mantra over the weekend, not only because I was showing her but because we were going to a show that has caused me trauma in the past. Rosie was great and ended up with group placements or group wins the entire weekend. She even earned her first leg toward her UKC Grand Championship.
The weekend was going too good for that to last, and sure enough drama happened. It happened from the usual source and I will not get into the details, but what happened does not surprise me in the least. Also, just a friendly reminder, I do monitor the activity and source referrals on this site daily. I see you monitoring my website on a regular basis. My home had security cameras that record as well. So please stop spreading false information, stop stalking me, and leave me alone.
I am not going to rehash and re-traumatize myself by telling everybody what has happened over the years at these shows. I will tell you that this past weekend, Michael and myself made a concerted effort to rarely be in the building unless it was directly related to me showing or helping a friend out. It was our mission to focus on Rosie and that was it. If anybody says that we did anything else, it is false.
I am going to end this blog by quoting my therapist “haters follow glory.” The dog show world needs to do better, because if you are threatened by a 13 month old Hamiltonstovare puppy that is out performing your dogs, then that is a you problem. Work your dogs and not your mouth.
All too often, the media reports that breeders are horrible and breeding dogs just for profit, looks, purposefully unhealthy, and loads of other things. What rarely gets reported on are the responsible breeders that spend any spare money they have on preserving their breed at all costs.
This year, we attempted two breedings and imported semen from two Swedish Hamiltonstovare. Those two breedings failed and we did everything that we could to make sure that they didn’t. Our dogs are on excellent food, supplemented with raw, bone broth, kefir, berries, Nupro supplement, and other things so that they are at their peak in physical health.
Thankfully we still have 5 frozen semen breedings left that we will use at a later date. However, after the second breeding failed, our vet has recommended that we do live cover breedings for Raven and Selene. This puts us in a bit of a bind as we have spent over $10,000 on attempted breedings in the past 2 years from semen shipping, to vet visits, and even a second opinion from another vet.
Each one of those attempted breedings take a toll on us emotionally. We cry when the ultrasound is empty. We grieve for would should and could have been. These litters already have their names and themes picked out well in advance. We dream about that future puppy carrying on the lineage of their parents, grandparents, and the breed as a whole.
We will never make enough off of puppy sales to counter the loss of 4 attempted breedings (one in 2017, one in 2020, and two in 2021), but making money has never been a goal with us. It has always been preserving this amazing breed and making sure that those puppies go to the best and most honest homes possible.
We are deeply saddened by this loss on so many levels. We know that our puppy homes are growing impatient and the best that I can say is that “I’m so sorry, and we tried our best.” We have not given up, we are still grieving what should have been. We desperately wish that we could have a whelping box with a litter of puppies in it this February but it looks like that isn’t meant to be.
Breeders like myself aren’t unique, we feel deeply about our dogs and about the future of the breed that has captured our hearts. So please, thank your breeder because there is a chance that a good one has cried over what should have been over and over again.
We had our last shows of the year this past weekend, at the Virginia Classic UKC shows in Virginia Beach, Va. I knew that Rosie would finish her UKC championship on Friday, December 3rd, as she just needed to win the breed and she would have enough points and competition wins/majors to become a UKC Champion. I had no clue that it would be in the way that she did it. She won the incredibly competitive scenthound group at just 10 months old! This makes her the youngest Hamiltonstovare to win a group in the US! I received loads of complements about her and how nice she is from every single judge that I showed her to. She placed in the group at every single show this weekend, which is incredibly hard to do in the scenthound group in the UKC, let alone with a puppy.
Deku also finished his UKC Championship this weekend too. He won best of breed at each show and there was competition at 5 out of the 6 shows. While he didn’t place in the group, he had fun, and that is the most important thing.
Every single show has some drama that crops up but nothing prepared us for what happened on our way to Virginia Beach on Saturday, December 4th around 5:45am. We were the victims of a hit and run accident. Thankfully the three dogs (Rolo, Deku, and Rosie) that were with us seem fine as of right now. Michael and I have some back soreness but that is it so far, we know that it could take upwards of 2 weeks for the adrenaline and endorphins to fully leave our systems so we are keeping a watchful eye over ourselves and the three dogs.
As it was 5:45am, we were unable to make out the vehicle’s make or model but it left white paint on the damaged area of the vehicle. Our van probably has over $1,000 worth of damage on it right now. We did the right thing and called the cops and filed with my insurance.
So, if you know of anybody who was traveling on 295 South around 5:45am in Virginia and they have passenger side damage, please report it to the police immediately. We are incredibly lucky that we didn’t spin out of control or flip over.
It is time to set the record straight as a rumor has surfaced that damages my reputation in a way that is cruel and awful.
I found out that there is a rumor being spread regarding Alice’s death and that I pushed her too hard and in turn caused her death. There is one thing that is off limits in the dog world and that is saying that you are a dog killer or spreading a rumor that you are a dog killer, unless you know for an absolute fact that it is true. A rumor like that can destroy your reputation and how people view you in the dog world, if it is untrue.
In my case, it is completely untrue. Alice’s death was sudden, unexpected, and traumatic. We do not have a definitive cause for her death as her death happened when we were hundreds of miles away from home and we just couldn’t afford a full necropsy at the time. However, we do have some suspicions of what caused her death and those are: sudden cardiac event, undiagnosed pneumonia, or undiagnosed tumor in the spleen. All of which are sudden issues that are lethal and have very little warning, if any.
What I do know is that whoever is spreading this awful rumor was NEVER there when it happened as Alice passed away in my van, with the A/C running, and Michael in the van with her. I was inside the convention center where the AKC National Championships were being held, showing Alice’s daughter Raven when it happened. Alice did NOT pass away while showing.
Her death is extremely painful for me as a part of my soul died when she did. She saved my life and I couldn’t save her, and I must live with that guilt for the rest of my life.
So if you hear that rumor, please let me know as I will seek appropriate legal action if necessary. I will not dignify the person with a name on who told me about this awful rumor and I do have my suspicions as to who is spreading it. I also monitor the activity on my site daily and know that various people are still accessing my site who have ZERO interest in Hamiltonstovare and are only on to stalk me.
Hello everybody, I have noticed an upswing in the traffic directly towards my blog. I am going to assume that you are here to learn about Hamiltonstovare and how awesome this rare breed is.
So here’s the basics, Hamiltonstovare are a Swedish breed that was named after the founder of the Swedish Kennel Club (SKK), Count Adolf Patrick Hamilton. He is credited with exhibiting the first pair at a dog show, where he called them Swedish Hounds. That pair were Pang and Stella.
The breed is bred to hunt alone, but never in a pack. They bond closely with their people and are endurance hunters. Their hunting style is not like typical scent hounds, where they drive the game to a den, Hamiltonstovare bring the game into the line of shot of the hunter. This breed still does what it was bred to do in Sweden and Norway. In order for a dog to earn its championship in Sweden or Norway, they have to have 3 hunting certificates and 3 conformation certificates.
When not hunting, they are expected to be an amazing pet that can do it all. In the US, the breed is EXTREMELY rare. Hamiltonstovare in the US are service dogs, therapy dogs, show dogs, performance dogs, and family pets. The Hamiltonstovare Club of America would love to get field trials going for the breed but with how few there are in the US, it just isn’t financially possible right now.
Here’s some basic information about me, I have over 20 years involved in dogs. I started showing in 1998 with Beagles, was a junior handler where I showed Great Danes, after that I fell in love with Hamiltonstovare and made it my mission to get one after I graduated from Old Dominion University. I imported my first Hamiltonstovare, Alice, from the UK in February 2010 and since then, Hamiltonstovare have been my heart breed.
I am fiercely protective of my breed, I do not tolerate misinformation being spread about my breed in the US as it reflects poorly on the breed as a whole and myself, as I am the main person in the US showing the breed. My fiancé and I show our dogs and do whatever we think our dogs will enjoy. I am always willing to provide information on anything that you may see on my site or on this blog. Feel free to reach out, I have nothing to hide.
I have known for quite some time that I have a few stalkers and lurkers on this site. I know exactly who you are and have your IP addresses. This site is powered by Squarespace, and they have some of the best analytics and customer service in the industry.
The stalkers that I know about are in a few countries:
1. Australia - all website views, false information, hacking attempts, etc. have been sent to the local authorities there, due to the ongoing investigation, I cannot name names
2. The UK - we are currently investigating those IP addresses to determine the identity, but a lot of information has already been provided to the local authorities there, due to privacy laws and libel laws in the UK, I cannot name names
3. The US - these people are local to me, my local police department is aware of the situation, they are aware of the make and models of your vehicles, we also have security cameras inside and outside of the house that record constantly. As the stalking laws in the US are not as sophisticated as the ones in other countries, there needs to be additional escalation for criminal stalking to be considered. However, that means that I can name names as there is not an impending investigation. The main two are Mandi Heath of Amelia Courthouse, Virginia; and Jaci Combs of Powhatan, Virginia who has been using a VPN that routes through Kansas and Northern Virginia servers. Both of those individuals are active in the dog show world and involved in the following breeds: Lowchen, Australian Shepherds, and American Staffordshire Terriers/American Pit Bull Terriers
I do not take kindly to stalking and I have video evidence of a similar make and model of one of the vehicles driving by my house in quick succession. If any additional actions are taken, please note that I will pursue it to the letter of the law. I have consulted with legal counsel and will put them on a retainer if I need to in order for the stalking to stop and my reputation to be salvaged. Please note that we are not blaming, we have evidence, screenshots, and video. These people are not our friends, nor would we ever recommend them as appropriate homes for show dogs or as breeders to purchase puppies from for a multitude of reasons that do not pertain to the stalking
I see you, and I’ve had enough. Please do something worthy with your time, like volunteer at a rescue, educate the public about responsible dog ownership, get involved with your local scouts for education sessions, just like we do on a regular basis.
It has been quite a while since I updated the blog with things going on. Well there have been a lot of changes since the last post in January 2019. First, my heart and soul dog, Alice, passed away in December 2019 of a sudden cardiac episode. We miss her and her presence every single day. We are looking for things to create a memorial of her and are finding it quite difficult to find just the right thing for her.
After she passed, I was very sick with coxsackievirus. It is usually something that is spread between children and relatively mild, but when an adult catches it, it can be devastating to their immune system and their body. I lost my voice multiple times, was put on vocal rest multiple times, and ended up needing extensive vocal therapy due to vocal paresis and vagus neuropathy. Those with small children, if you see that your child has a rash on their head, hands, and/or feet, take them to the doctor and quarantine your entire family from others. This virus is highly contagious.
While I was battling my illness is when the COVID pandemic happened. I have been tested multiple times and have consistently tested negative. Thankfully, none of my immediate family have been severely impacted by COVID. Michael and I are now proudly vaccinated and ready to get back to normal.
During COVID, we tried to breed Selene using frozen semen from Norway. The breeding failed due to major issues caused by the laboratory in Norway, Sires on Ice Norway. I recommend never using them or their affiliates. As soon as I paid for everything, they stopped communicating until I announced that my girls were due to come in season, then the collection finally took place. They did not inform the stud dog of an issue. They then sent over poor quality and quantity of semen. They sent the semen using a carrier that is notorious for not delivering things on time and the semen arrived with barely enough dry ice to be cold. When I questioned the lab on the quality and quantity of the semen, they lied to me regarding the stud dog’s age. I was promised a buccal swab that would travel with the semen as the AKC requires it for all foreign AI and foreign dogs. We still did the breeding, hoping that it would take, and it didn’t. Our amazing reproductive specialist vet said that the reason for the failure was due to the fact that the laboratory knowingly sent over poor quality semen. I reported the lab to the Norwegian government, requested a refund of the thousands of dollars that I spent, and contacted the parent company. As of today, June 1, 2021, I have yet to hear a response. I had to break the hearts of several families because of this.
Now, I am planning another frozen semen breeding from Sweden and this lab has been amazing. So I have high hopes for two breedings very soon.
Finally, I am well aware that I am being cyberstalked, and possibly stalked in person. This website and blog are powered by Squarespace and they have excellent analytic tools. This means that I can see the IP address and location of every single person that is on my site. I have used this tool in the past due to people pretending to be puppy buyers but really aren’t. I continue to use the analytics tool in that manner. For those that find it amusing or funny or whatever by stalking somebody, please note that I see you and every single move that you make on my site. Please leave me, my fiancé, and my family alone.
Well we are back from Orlando and have decided to start our own podcast. Orlando was awesome, Rolo finished his CM2 and won a group first as well as a group 3rd. Rolo is now mostly retired from the AKC rings, he will probably come back out for Orlando 2019 and that’s it.
To those that know us, know that we love podcasts. We listened to My Favorite Murder on our drive to Orlando and back from Orlando. I am a member of their fan cult and listen to podcasts daily at work. So while listening to This Podcast Will Kill You, I came up with the idea for a podcast called “About a Dog”, it will be a weekly podcast that features every single dog breed. The breed features will be down to earth, share real stories on how each breed impacts people, why each breed should be preserved, where to go to get information about the particular breed, and a scale of our own making called “would you own one?” We want this podcast to be fun and informative, while highlighting breeds, that in many cases are critically endangered, and letting the general public learn.
This blog will be the official host for the podcast and so episodes will be popping up here on a weekly basis.
So yesterday I returned home from my first day at a new job to see something hanging on my door from my local animal control. I immediately called them, back and wondered what it was about, thinking that it maybe had to do with a “stray” rooster that was wandering around for months, annoying the snot out of people and started chasing me. Then I caught him and he was adopted out to a loving home and was featured on a local newscaster’s Facebook page. It went viral locally and many people associated with me knew that it was the rooster that we jokingly called “Invader Zim”.
My local animal control returned my call last night and said the thing that every breeder or show person dreads, a complaint was made regarding my dogs, specifically stating that they were noisy and malnourished. I was shocked and flabbergasted. I told the animal control officer to come by the next day that worked with my work schedule. I was terrified because I’ve heard of horror stories of rogue animal control officers seizing breeders’ dogs because then it would be a huge news story and the shelter would be flooded with donation money. So I had a massive panic attack and disassociated for several hours last night. Thankfully I had gotten everything in order from paperwork, making sure that everybody was clean, and had nails done. I also made a public Facebook post about it so that whoever did this is aware that I do have an attorney and will pursue a civil case if this becomes a problem.
The day arrived of the inspection and it just so happened that I got in a car accident on my way to work so my stress levels were through the roof. Somehow my fiancé and I managed to get everything sorted and taken care of. The animal control officer arrived, I showed him the dogs’ vaccination records, rabies certificates, my multi-dog license, and my credentials with the AKC regarding breeder of record of dogs and main point of contact for the Hamiltonstovare Club of America. My fiancé started bringing each dog out one at a time, we gave the officer their name, breed, age, spay/neuter status, and any titles or accolades earned. While each dog was brought out we detailed the feeding regime and how much care we place on appropriate nutrition. Needless to say, the officer found no violations at all and was incredibly impressed with each dog’s temperament, condition, and muscle tone. He also remarked how well the 4 dogs over 7 years old look because only Kemper, the 12 year old rat terrier mix, is graying.
He deemed the report that was made a false report and the person who made the report could be charged for making a false report. He also said that if it becomes a repeated issue then I could subpoena the information and pursue a civil case. So let me be extremely clear, making a false statement to scare people or bully people is not funny nor is it a joke. IT IS A CRIME! So hopefully this never happens again but let it be known that my dogs are well cared for, loved, cherished, eat better than I do, and are fitter than I am. Whoever did this, please note I have an attorney, I have a security camera that is motion activated, and the local authorities are aware, so don’t do it again!
The past week has been strange to say the very least. The Oceania Hamiltonstovare gang attended the First Colony Cluster of AKC Open Shows in Richmond, Va where Rolo won his first Best in Show and earned his AKC CM title. He is the first Hamiltonstovare to earn this title. The AKC CM title is one of the most difficult titles to earn for a Foundation Stock Service breed in the AKC. Dogs have to earn 15 points by defeating others in their breed or by earning a Group 1st or Best in Show. For some FSS breeds, it can take years and thousands of dollars to earn this title. However, this title is critical in the advancing of the breed through the steps to become fully AKC recognized.
If all that happened this past week was Rolo winning big, then I would be on cloud 9 and probably not hopping off of that cloud for quite some time. That was not to be. Unfortunately, on the last day of showing, Alice started showing signs of a possible miscarriage of her litter. She was lethargic, not eating and bleeding. We rushed her to our local emergency vet, VRCC, and I really was not impressed with how Alice was being treated. So I made arrangements to take Alice to Lakeside Animal Hospital the next morning. At our appointment, it was discovered that Alice had open pyometra. It is a uterine infection that is draining. In many cases, a young dog can be treated conservatively and they are able to be bred. In Alice's case, she is at the end of her breeding career already so conservative treatment was not advised. Alice was admitted that day and was spayed the next day. So I spent my time worrying about her. I also knew from the ultrasound that the infection made her fetuses stop developing. The litter is not happening and to my puppy homes, I am so sorry.
Alice is now back home and recovering. She is slowly getting back to normal and the realization that her show career is over has hit. She will be shown in UKC altered and in veteran classes. Unfortunately, she will never earn the AKC CM title as she was 1 point shy and spayed/neutered dogs aren't allowed to compete for the AKC CM title.
To those on my waiting list, I will be sending an email out with additional information soon.
Thank you so much to Dr. Gonzalez and the entire staff at Lakeside Animal Hospital. They saved Alice's life and set me at ease regarding her care. She was treated like family and I am forever grateful. Thank you to those that helped us at the shows , thank you to the judges that awarded my boy his amazing wins, and thank you to the clubs for hosting these AKC Open Shows.