Bollinger County Stray Project Sept. 1-8

My niece in Grand Forks, North Dakota, has two hunting Labrador Retriever females from proven hunting lines. She raised a litter of eight pups from the yellow female named Daisy two years ago. Daisy just came into heat and she is planning to breed her to the same male as the first litter two years ago. They have proven healthy and are excellent as young hunting dogs.

So when my niece called me with the news she was going to breed her female Daisy to Drake again, I was so thrilled for her.

She has done everything right to prove the pups have well breed and healthy parents.

My niece had the father of the litter, that is owned by her brother, radiographed for OFA hip scores as well as the shoulders and eyes certified healthy. She did the same for her female. The male was age 10 and was awarded an OFA Excellent rating at that age. His sperm count was also very high like a young dog. Her female Daisy had an OFA Good.

Now that the pups are age 2 she also had her son’s female and her brother’s male siblings from that breeding OFA radiographed with shoulder and eye certification. Both of them, Lani and Champ were OFA excellent with certified shoulders and eyes as well.

I am proud of my niece for doing the right things. She is such a good example.

Another well known and respected hunter has a male that he wanted to breed to the female “pup” Lani. My niece told him nope, not going to happen unless you get him tested for hips, shoulders and eyes. He agreed and she drove the dog with Lani and Champ to a vet in Iowa who also hunts and does working trials to have the dogs radiographed and tested.

His male was purchased from a top breeder. A “top breeder” means the dog’s he bred were health certified and proven hunters: proven in competitive trials and hip/shoulder certified..

His male also received an OFA Excellent rating and passed shoulder and eye certification. His male will breed Lani, her son’s female, next spring. They already have five of those pups sold.

When you breed a quality bull, you breed him to quality cows and you get a high average of stocky, fleshy calves that bring premium prices as breeding stock or at market.

The same for quality working dogs. Hunters paid premium prices in the challenging economy for the pups from her first litter. The pups from that litter are all proving their hunting drive and skill..

So to all the people who frown on responsible breeders having litters, I’m not one of you. I applaud responsible breeders who also seek responsible homes that commit to their pups..

Police and military need smart, energetic Shepherds. Hunters need dogs to chase, retrieve, point or tree prey. Guardian and herding breeds protect your property. Lap dogs fill our heart.

We need healthy dogs with good temperaments for working or just as companion dogs.

Seeing my niece, her brother, and son be examples to other Lab owner-hunters makes me very proud.

Dogs held for other rescues (2):

• Two Aussie/Great Pyrenees type mix pups that were abandoned in Bollinger County, now age 10 months.

Return to owner (0), placed in other rescues or foster (3) or adopted (0):

• Three pups, one with birth defect, accepted by a rescue located in western part of Missouri.

Dogs with erlichia or heartworm (0), special needs (1), or euthanized (0):

• An injured kitten was saved by a Good Samaritan.

Lost, found, and pets needing homes:

• Few calls this week and most of them did not send me photos, so no new posts.

• Several dogs listed on our Facebook page also on the two Bollinger County “What’s Happening” pages, that are found or missing. IF you don’t have FB call us so we can try to match lost pets.

Miscellaneous and contact info:

We were caring for 18 dogs and pups at our home as of Sept. 8. If you have a stray camping out in the yard don’t wait. Call us at (573) 722-3035 or cell (573) 321-0050.