Hi There,
I wanted to share my adoption story with you. For as long as I can remember I have always had a passion for dogs. It took A LOT of persuasion to get my parents to finally allow me to adopt a dog. I adopted a springer spaniel from PAWS and named her "Brittany." Sadly, 6 months after I adopted her, she became very ill and we had to put her down. I was crushed. My Godfather raised English Setters and was a die hard hunter. He understood how hard this was for me. He decided to give me one of his 9 year old setters named Candy. At first we didn't hit it off. Somehow, over time, we adjusted to each other. I'm not sure what inspired this turn around, but the more time I spent with Candy, the more inseparable we became. I made it my goal to teach myself about dog care. I read every book the library had on dogs. We had one month to get ready for the 4-H show when I received Candy. The day the show came I was more nervous than I had been in my whole life up to that point. After completing all the obedience tasks asked of us, we sat in suspense. They started announcing the winners and much to my surprise we we awarded Reserve Champion! I was so proud. Over the years we would go on to qualify for state competition every year in obedience and we won the Health and Care class every year as well. Candy received 10th in State in obedience her last year of competition. Candy had been with many owners before coming to my Godfather and then to me. Sadly, she had been mistreated at some of these homes. It wasn't until many years after Candy had passed did I realize how much we had helped each other. She taught me responsiblity,compassion, built my confidence, and was my best friend. I provided her with the love, care, and companionship she had yearned for for many years. Candy was my miracle dog. She inspired me to start my own kennel, Rivendell Kennel and prevent cruelty to animals. I raise field setters and bench setters and have participated in many dog sports including conformation, agility, therapy, obedience, field/hunting, etc. I have also gone to elementary schools and taught young children about dog care. I have been awarded many memorable awards, but none are as fond a memory as that first dog show with Candy. I believe she really was my guardian angel-"Dennison's Cotton Candy CGC, TDI".