ATB: BREEDING PROGRAM UPDATE

J&'A's Brittanys Breeding Program Update:

 Our serious inquiries information (puppy reservation policy, purchase agreement, questionnaire) has been updated. We are developing promise/waiting lists through 2014 and into 2015 for 2, possibly 3 planned breedings. For those who have messaged via FACEBOOK, EMAIL, or otherwise  with an interest now is the time to contact us via www.mainebrittanysitejas.com. As breeders with a purpose based breeding program focused upon our line of close working gundogs PREFERENCE is always given to active hunting families with prior Brittany experience. We are also looking for a few competitive homes for anticipated show prospects. We enjoy getting to know our prospective puppy families well in advance of breeding and actual whelping when possible. A questionnaire must be on file to be considered a serious inquiry, we will not ship a pup, and we will look forward to our personal meeting with families interested in a future pup. References from your vet, trainer, hunting partner(s), etc. are requested and will be followed up on. Please contact us again now if you've been waiting or to reconfirm your level of interest especially if you have been on our list for a few years. We appreciate your patience and willingness to wait as it is customary for us to have a full waiting list prior to the time the actual breeding occurs. Take care and God bless and thank you for your level of interest in our breeding program of close working gun dogs for the upland hunter.
John and Ann

ATB: Catching Up Summer 2013

Hemi and Ann

Can you believe it - August is drawing to a close?  July was so hot, humid, and miserable then came August with the recent refreshing cooler weather. The last few days have been a remind that summer is most definitely NOT over!

I've been trying to get use to Windows 8 on our new laptop, my tablet took a nose dive courtesy of a few exuberant Brittany dogs, and we had to send our work horse of a desktop personal computer out for service.  This all adds up to mucho frustration for me because I haven't been able to upload or edit photos or do much on either of the websites I try to maintain. Never mind not keeping up with this blog or the one over at Bangor Daily News.

This has been one busy summer that's for sure, each week seemingly busier than the week before.  I usually try to take one full month "off" in as much as that may or not be possible but that didn't happen.  But it's all been good. 

I've been happy to see our ATB family continue to grow, hear from some folks I was wondering about, and really enjoy summertime with the dogs. I have come to really rely on Facebook to stay in touch with most people and I'm always happy to see the photos and updates shared there.  I have all but eliminated relying on email for communicating due to the overabundance and backlog of emails - one of the reasons I had to send the PC in for repairs.  Sometimes a few of you will leave comments here and I like that too.  But I do feel an apology is in order - you know I just love to write and share and stay in touch but it's just not happened.

Thank  you Doug Tighe!

Pam, Sandy, Kira, Ann, Julie

One of the highlights of this summer was the recent trip Julie, Pam, and I took to New York.  We were the guests of "Wilson" and "Annie's" owners, Kira and Pete. There was a wonderful dog show (Adirondack Circuit) and we spend time with a lot of the members of the Hudson Valley Brittany Club.  Speaking of which... I have some pretty cool stories I do want to write about.  In most cases it should be 'what happens in Saratoga Springs stays in Saratoga Spring' but some of our fun times were just too enjoyable not to share! While there I handled Hemi to win additional AKC Grand Champion points as Select Dog and showing him as a champion for the first time.  Not to be outdone Miss Thistle went Best Opposite Sex most days for additional GCH points as well.  The high point was when Wilson (Treasure/Bullet) won several consecutive Best of Winners including a 4 point major win at the North Jersey Brittany Club Specialty Show!!!


Central Maine Brittany Club members joined Hudson Valley Brittany Club members for this group photo taken for the judging of the best 'campsite'. This group transformed our grooming area into an authentic hunting lodge and the kids won the Junior Hunter award!
Balston Spa Fairgrounds, NY

So this is kind of a breezy, catch my breath little jot just to say I'm here really!  We are gearing up for another show, several hunt tests, and the clubs field trial. 

My concern has been not being able to communicate effectively with those of you who have inquired about a future Brittany. Most of you have received a reply explaining the delay in sending our information out and I so appreciate those of you who are committed to a puppy from us - simply because it is a puppy from our program.  That makes me very very proud!

I have re-assembled the questionnaire, puppy reservation policy, and the purchase agreement.  If you've been in touch with us within the last month or so, I will be sending them out to you. 

We do have definite plans in place through 2014 which will be very very nice.  I have some of you on lists for a specific time frame.  Others have not confirmed your reservation but that is understandable and not required at this time.  Our breeding program continues to develop into it's 3rd generation and we couldn't be happier with the pups and young dogs that are out there.  So much that a 4th generation is just beyond the horizon, potentially sometime in 2014.  For now - we are thankful that we can proceed one day at a time.

Please continue to keep Remi (Chrissy/Jack) in your prayers regarding his fractured foot and remember his family as well. This is a tough time on them all and the BBW.

Don't hesitate to contact us again if you feel we may not have received your initial inquiry. Just go through the www.mainebrittanysitejas.com. 

Take care and God bless, and as always THANK  you for your interest and  your support of All Things Brittany.  John, Ann, and our canine crew

ATB: Hunting Dogs, Hounds, Beagles, and GOD

So you may ask why would I share this video, which is part of the series posted recently on

Maine Life Gate Christian Church's YouTube Channel?  Well besides the fact that this our son, the Reverend John A. Short, Jr. the message below contains a most excellent analogy of Christians and a  pack of hunting Hounds! Most specifically, Beagles.  If you want to fast forward through the message (which I would not recommend, as the message is really worth taking a few minutes to listen to in it's entirety) then you can find this analogy begins approximately at timeframe 8:13.  This church is located in Limerick, Maine. Services are held 6 pm Saturday night, and 10 am Sunday morning.  I am pleased so serve on the worship team from time to time, and I'm also a very proud mom for all the right reasons. 

 

 

 

How You Can Help 103 Brittanys

If you are wondering how can you help these Brittanys in the Louisiana rescue of 103 Brittanys I post the following for your consideration:

Thankfully there are people who can physically transport, foster, or even adopt a dog but it is true that not everyone can help that way, despite the tug on many hearts. Even so there's an opportunity to help by supplementing the necessary financial resources with a donation.

The overall rescue effort is headed up by National Brittany Rescue Adoption Network (NBRAN) with other rescue groups working alongside of them in an impressive coordination on behalf of all Brittanys involved, all for the love of the dog, both given and received.  The expenses involved for medical care, transportation, and the set up of the staging area in Louisiana are great and will continue to mount.  Listed below are several legitimate non-profit Brittany breed rescue groups recognized by the American Brittany Club and which, at one time or another John and I have worked with  in some capacity.   You can be assured that your donations will indeed go to help in this large scale Brittany rescue effort. These groups are NOT to be confused with animal rights activists.

I also would like to caution anyone against pointing fingers at the breeder.  There are always two sides to every story and this one is very sad and very unfortunate.  Hardships can befall any breeder without advance notice.  Our breed is blessed to have such committed and dedicated volunteers to assure that this rescue was and will continue to be conducted with the most utmost integrity.    What matters most is the well being of each and every Brittany involved.  Even with charges brought against the breeder it is up to the courts and the authorities to determine the outcome regarding the breeder.  As in all things, there are many many rumors going around which is understandable. Even so, it does not benefit the dogs in anyway to speculate or judge the situation.  To squelch some of the things being said I share this information: "He  did not kick out his old dog, Hooker. He had hoped they wouldn't take the house dogs. He's dealt with the stress of constant harassment from the local AR groups for a year. How many of you could handle that? With over 100 dogs it took AR four months to get a picture to "prove" animal cruelty. One picture is all it takes under Louisiana law."  I have seen both sides in the past of situations like this. There are groups who simply HATE all dog breeders, regardless of how many animals are in their care. Indeed, the numbers of Brittanys in his care was in my opinion excessive!!! But, I wasn't there, I didn't see the dogs, I didn't see the environment other than photos taken to emphasize negativity.  In an overall situation in consideration of how many dogs a person owns - there can be one dog owned that is neglected or abused.  There can also be numerous dogs owned that are much better taken care of than that one dog.  We need to move beyond judgement.

Above all perhaps the very best thing we can all continue to do is to pray as God leads us, asking Him to bless the rescue effort with abundant finances, give strength to the weary in their well doing, bring healing, restoration and love to all involved - both canine and human.  Thank you in advance for any help at any level which you may be able to provide.

Contact Information

NATIONAL BRITTANY RESCUE ADOPTION NETWORK http://nbran.org/

Donation Link (includes online Pay/Pal):

http://shop.nbran.org/category.sc;jsessionid=BD3D760E7CF2C6D614D307EACFE80279.m1plqscsfapp02?categoryId=9

NBRAN Magnolia Rescue http://www.razoo.com/story/Nbran-Crisis-Rescue-Operation

 

 

NEW ENGLAND BRITTANY RESCUE http://nebrittanyrescue.org/index.html

Christine Leachman-Yee | NEBR President
(781) 275-0630
clyk9s@gmail.com
 For donations, please send checks to:
Bonnie Paiva | NEBR treasurer
829 Mill Street
Marion, MA
02738
momtomarley@gmail.com

AMERICAN BRITTANY RESCUE http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org/

Online Donation Link: http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=3&pid=6

There are additional groups involved however these are the ones that we have personally worked with in the past.

More than 100 Brittany Dogs seized in Thibodaux

FOX 8 Defenders: More than 100 dogs seized in Thibodaux   VIDEO

Thibodaux, La.-- Lafourche Parish District Attorney Cam Morvant tells FOX 8 in court Wednesday, Judge Hugh LaRose told Chris Michot of Thibodaux he could keep 10 dogs, and ordered him to get rid of the rest, more than 100, and turn them over to a National Brittany Spaniel Rescue.
The court order comes on the heels of Michot's May conviction of animal cruelty, failure to vaccinate animals, and violations of the animal noise code.  Also, a parish veterinarian, who evaluated Michot's dogs and their housing last month, recommended to the court then that all animals leave the premises.
By 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office and its animal control officers started seizing animals from Michot's Little Choupic Road property.  Each dog was placed in a kennel and loaded onto cattle trailers.  Fifty-six dogs were loaded onto one trailer, more than 30 onto a second trailer and some were placed in animal control vehicles.  "We're using some of their (animal control) vehicles with climate control to take care of smaller or sicker animals," said Deputy Brennan Matherne, Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer.
Several members of the Crisis Management Unit, essentially Lafourche's SWAT team, were even on site.  "They were on scene just in case the situation escalated into something.  We were just prepared for any situation.  Luckily, Mr. Michot has been cooperating, and we have not had any issue with him at all," said Matherne.

Michot's neighbors, who made several complaints about his dogs barking all day and night, watched as the seizure unfolded.  "I think they should have did this long ago," said neighbor Joey Sanchez. "They knew this was going on.. running an illegal business, and we shouldn't have had to move and the lady next door shouldn't have had to move.. they fought this for years.. they late."
From Thibodaux, crews transported 103 dogs to the Raceland AG Center about 15 minutes away.  "They're looking good.. considering," explained Lafourche Parish veterinarian Dr. Lonnie de la Houssaye. "Just where they came from.. a lack of care. With all the heart worm positives, you can only assume there are other things that are lacking.. the feeding, the housing, etc."
de la Houssaye had to evaluate and vaccinate every animal.  "A lot of heart worm dogs, a lot of skin issues, teeth issues, gum issues or mouth issues.. only one heat stroke.. and that was very mild and got that one on IV fluids and now up and walking around," said de la Houssaye explaining what he found.

Brittany Spaniel rescue groups from Florida, New England and Texas and two national groups are also in Lafourche.  They'll move the dogs to foster homes around the country and then eventually adopting families.  "There's a lot of people who put a lot of hard work in here, and we're all running out of adrenaline and we're all on cloud nine to have the opportunity to help facilitate them having a new life.. they deserve that," said Bill Canney with the National Brittany Rescue.  He said a team from the LSU Veterinary School will be in Lafourche to help on Friday.  He hopes to move out of Louisiana by the weekend.

de la Houssaye credits the animal rescue group "We stand by You" and the Lafourche Chapter of the Humane Society for staying on top of concerns at Michot's property. When FOX 8 started the FOX 8 Defenders series in November 2012, Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre had this to say:  "the evidence will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that cruelty does not exist and did not exist then."  Fast forward nearly nine months to today, and when FOX 8 tried to do an interview about the seizure with Sheriff Webre, he refused, saying he did not agree with FOX 8's coverage of this story.

103 Brittanys Rescued in Louisiana

One hundred and three Brittney Spaniels seized from a Thibodaux breeder, will soon be transferred to foster homes across the country.Till then  the rescued dogs are getting some much needed attention in Raceland.

Sixty year old Warren Michot was found guilty of cruelty to animals back in may and was ordered to substantially reduce the number of dogs on his property.

A court order Wednesday authorized Lafourche Parish to reduce the number dogs themselves.

Various Brittany rescue groups from across North America are caring for the dogs at a facility in Raceland made for animals.

“The parish vet is  here doing vetting,” says Susan Janowski with the National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network. “ We have people that are local doing the grooming and bathing of the dogs. It paid off today. There`s 103 dogs that have new lives. And they are all going to be in great homes down the road.”

Bill Canny with NBRAN says the  Brittany Spaniels will be ready for adoption only after further assessment and acclimation at various foster homes across the nation, “We could not have done anything without the determination and the resolve of Lafourche Parish officials and the Sheriff`s office .”

“They are great family dogs,” says Janowski.  “Great with kids. They are great hunting dogs. They are bird dogs. Pointing dogs.”

The one hundred and three Brittany Spaniels will be ready for adoption only after further assessment and acclimation at various foster homes across the nation.

The Britts will be transferred on Saturday.

National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network http://www.nbran.org/

Read more: http://wgno.com/2013/07/24/over-100-dogs-seized-from-lafourche-parish-home/#ixzz2a7Y7l4Ue

ATB: Charlies Fun Smilebox Video

Thought you may enjoy this as much as I have! This is a fun, whimsical, and thoughtful digital slideshow about Charlie (formerly Drizzle in the Superior litter) and his new family in Ohio.  I hope it makes up for the lack of photos and videos we have put together here at ATB due to technical difficulties! Hopefully things will be resolved before too long. But in the meantime I just loved getting this and really never ever wanted to see it end!!! As always take care and God bless you, John, Ann, and All Things Brittany

Another digital slideshow by Smilebox

ATB: Only Time

Enya's beautiful song "Only Time" could easily be the theme playing in the background of my life this summer evening.  The lyrics speak of who knows where the road goes, who knows if love will grow, who knows where the roads meet... only time.  Of course being the literal realist that I feel I am most of the time my response would not be to answer only 'time', but instead to say only 'God'.  But lets not get caught up in legality of things at the moment. Let's simply... let's simply 'be'.

I have a new laptop with Windows 8 that I'm trying to decide if I love it or hate it. The convenience is notable and the mobility could come in handy but for now I am enjoying the chance to sit on the couch with Treasure lying next to me, all the windows are open, ceiling fans turning, and the nighttime sounds of a mid-July late evening can be heard.  I'm not sure if it's frogs or crickets I hear at the moment.  Just a few seconds ago something must have disturbed the dogs that are sleeping in the kennel this night for they briefly sounded a mini version of the "Twilight Bark" (101 Dalmatians).

Tonight there is no monitor running, no live stream broadcast, and no need to make sure 6 beautiful Brittany puppies are all settled in for the evening. No need for one last check on the pups to be sure they have food and water, are clean, safe and sound until morning.  The "Superior Litter" turned 2 months old today and all of them went to their new homes this past week.  For Thunder, Drizzle, Cloudy, Raindrop, Rainy, and Puddles experienced the first day of the rest of their lives as they turned 8 weeks old.

We're frequently asked how hard is it to let a puppy go with their new owner, to say goodbye to them.  The truth is I deeply love and care for each and every puppy that we are responsible to breed for and bring into this world. That most certainly includes the sire and the dam when we are also their breeders such as was the case here.  If it were not for taking however much time is necessary to be certain that each new home is well prepared, and if we did not already have a confidence about the family where the pup will live it would not only be difficult to say goodbye - but the goodbye simply would not happen.  We are never in a hurry to have a puppy leave just because it may be the last one here. We do believe however it is to the pups best advantage to be with it's 'new people' as soon as possible.

In this litter 3 of the pups are going to people who already have at least 1 of our Brittanys.  This meant several very happy reunions took place.  Nova and her owners of course were reunited this past week when she went back home. Prior to that they had visited us, met the pups, and decided which puppy they would select for themselves.  That ended up being Thunder!  Then we had Deb and John from Ohio who already have 2 year old Maggie Rose who is a sweet and beautiful puppy out of our Scooby and Molly. They blessed us with gifts from the Amish country which they live near, and also a wonderful visit together. Drizzle went back home with them.  Our other reunion was very special too as it brought Mark and Lisa here along with Max who is out of our JackDog and Molly.  The three dogs actually posed for an informal family portrait.  Once again we also enjoyed thoughtful gifts from the Sunshine Farm in NH of fresh homemade honey and also freshly laid eggs!  Our sweet Cloudy left with Ethan for the Moosehead Lake region of Maine where she will live in the great outdoors.  Ethan had been working with us for well over a year, had visited us several times here and also headed to the field with John in the past. He almost went home with the daughter of our first champion Bullet (see sidebar) and Treasure's "Patience" last year but he did not feel the timing was right at that time. (Patience is loving her life as Pearl with Deb and her family in Rhode Island.)  Rainy ended up being the apple in the eye of Maureen and Roger in N.H. who also have always had Brittanys and she'll be hunted as well as loved as a family pet. Last but not least there is Puddles.  We knew that there was a possibility there would be a girl available depending upon what the owners did as well as another family waiting for a male since late last summer. We contacted those who have been our list for a long time to see who may be interested and the response was very positive should she become available. In the meantime Paul and Laurie's senior Brittany had just passed away and they found the loss unbearable. Contacting us to see if we had a puppy (we'd been in touch for awhile) I said maybe but not sure, did they want to wait? As it was, Puddles was available and they were so pleased with her. She's in Maine!

Once again I am confident that everything worked out in the best possible way for those who have been waiting and for the pups themselves.  And beyond a shadow of a doubt I know that God is in control of it all.  Which for me, is as it should be.  Speaking of waiting lists and looking for a Brittany puppy... We ask everyone to contact us directly via the Maine Brittany Site where we have shared a lot of information and photos.  It saves time to be familiar with what we are about and what we look for in people who are looking for a puppy.  A wait is usually involved.

We do have some very nice plans for the end of this year and well into 2014 regarding our breeding program.  We are developing our waiting list at this time for the future, including some who are already on it. Personally, I have a keen interest in having a few pups from these planned pairings be shown but prefer they will above all be hunted. Primarily, we will continue to communicate these specifics on our mailing list to keep everyone updated.

This weekend was the first time since February that we have had entirely to ourselves. I found that we were both extremely tired despite our best attempts to catch up on some projects. I think we have one full week before life gets busy again.  We have family visiting from Kentucky, friends visiting from Connecticut, parties and weddings, plans for another dog show, club events and life!  As I say this is our lifestyle choice in regards to All Things Brittany.  I am looking forward to playing my keyboard for next weeks worship service at church though. I don't always have a chance to do that. I also hope that as my birthday approaches, I can gather both of our children and their families together for a small celebration. Getting us all together in one place at the same time is a miracle.

Well there you have it. Nothing earth shattering or clever to write about tonight. Just checking in. I'm sure if I were not so exhausted I could take some time for a little bit more creativity. But I do think the archives may help in that regard.  No bonking my head on the keyboard tonight, or should I say this morning for now it is 12:10 a.m.  Johns been fast asleep snoring for hours.

As always, thank you for your interest in All Things Brittany. I do appreciate it! Take care and God bless you.  John, Ann, and our awesome canine crew

CH J & A's Magnificent Obsession of Acton JH "HEMI"

We are very proud to announce that on June 22, 2013 at the Central Maine Brittany Club Specialty show in Cumberland, Maine that I finished "HEMI" with a 3 point major win under Judge Douglas Gaudin. This is one of the proudest moments in my life as a breeder and as a dog owner. I love this puppy, he is an awesome bird hunter, he is beautiful, he is cute, he will do anything to please me - including accomodate my own physical limitations in the ring and look great doing it. From the moment I selected him as my pick puppy from Pippin and Chevy's litter I have never ever regreted my choice. How could I ? He's the cutest little boy Brittany to EVER EVER come into my life, his freckles melt my heart when I look at him, he has the sweetest demeanor and will sneeze on cue for me.   The day after finishing his AKC Championship title I showed him as a "Special" for the first time where he went on to win a 3 pt Grand Champion major as "Select Dog." Easily finishing his Junior Hunter title, and with several significant field trial placements in AKC and American Field (including his derby points) Hemi will continue as a bird hunter extraordinaire while working on some field and hunting titles with John and I.

SIRE: GCH CH Tonan - Hopes RU Kiddin' Me "CHEVY"

(Best in Show Winner - 2009 #1 Brittany in the country all-breed points)

DAM: CH J&A's Heartfelt Legend of Acton "PIPPIN"

(Linebreeding:  3xAmFldCh./BISS/DC/AFC Masked Shoshoni War Chief JH)

Owners/Breeders/Handlers: John and Ann Short

DOB: May 10, 2011

HEMI is available for stud service!!

ATB: Ready for the First Day of The Rest of Their Lives !!!!