Shannon

My first Irish Setter. Shannon was obtained when I answered a newspaper add offering pups for sale. I fell for the "we will send you the registration papers later" trick pulled by unethical breeders. I paid my money, took my puppy home and three weeks later when I tried to call the "breeder", the phone had been disconnected. A trip to the home where they had been located resulted in an empty house and a neighbor telling me the "breeder" had rented the place for just a month and left no forwarding address. Shannon was my first experience with unethical breeders. She developed PRA (causing blindness) and had several health problems before the age of 3 years.

Paddy

Paddy came to live with us as the result of a phone call from his owner, who had been referred to us by the local animal shelter. The woman wanted this dog out of her life right this minute and the shelter wouldn't be open by the time she drove there. So, I went to get this dog and was shocked to learn he had been imported from the UK and bounced from home to home many times before landing with this new family. Even more shocking was the owner telling me "he only eats potatoes and he doesn't like kids". As I watched her tribe of children chased the dog, pulled his ears hard enough to make him yelp, dragged him out from under a table when he tried to hide from them, etc. He was so happy to leave this home that he jumped into my van and got in the crate with no more than a "let's go" from me for direction.

Paddy was in bad shape when we got him. He had worms, fleas, both ears were badly infected and he was seriously underweight. This photo was taken after he had been with us several months.

Spud

Spud was left tied to our front door. He was less than a year old, covered in filth and his fleas had fleas! He had hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms and fly eggs attached to his ears and he also was anemic. The dog was so underweight that his spine showed as did every rib. It took many months to nurse this dog back to health prior to placing him in a new home.

This photo shows Spud after he went to live with his new owner, a 12 year old boy. The young man worked hard with his dog and the photo shows Spud holding a qualifying score ribbon from an obedience trial and the trophy they won together that day. Spud went on to finish his CD title, proving that THE RIGHT OWNER is all any dog needs to succeed and be happy.

Candy

Candy was 12 years old when she came to live with us. Her owner had died and there were no family members willing to take the old girl. She had been neglected for months prior to us getting the call to come get her and so she was matted, had infected ears and was quite overweight.

We knew when we took her home there would be little chance of placing an elderly Irish Setter with low thyroid and bad hips. No one wanted to adopt her so we got to enjoy her company for over two and a half years.