I can’t imagine my life without at least one Airedale by my side, preferably two or more.  Although I love all breeds, Airedales are definitely my breed of choice, I’m simply captivated by their intelligence, sense of humor, energy and spirit.  

I was primarily a pet owner until 1990 when living in Florida at which time I met Phyllis Madaus while searching for an Airedale puppy.  Directed to Nancy Anderson of Warwick Kennel, I bought puppy Airedale Maggie, not realizing how my life was going to change from that day on.   To this day I credit Airedale Maggie (pictured here) with being the stimulus that started Airedale rescue in Florida and thereby saved hundreds of fellow Airedale lives.

In October, 1990 I attended my first of many  to come Montgomery weekends.  In January, 1991, encouraged by Phyllis Madaus, I founded the Sunshine Airedalers of Florida as a means to meet other Florida Airedalers and organize Airedale gatherings.  By the end of that year, we had begun rescuing Airedales and declared ourselves an Airedale rescue club.   

Over the years that followed our Airedale club grew steadily as did our rescue efforts.  The club was “my baby” and I served in every office, did every job, and wrote the newsletters.  There wasn’t a part of rescue that I didn’t perform and when we bought a property with some acreage in 1998 I was able to name our little ranch Airedale Acres and do fostering in earnest, having as many as 5 or 6 foster Airedales in residence at a time.  We also formed the WAG program, which is a senior Airedale program where we provide financial support to help find good homes for our harder to place senior Airedales. Airedale Acres also became an Airedale Senior Retirement Home, as we kept those rescues who were too old or too ill to be adopted.  They comfortably lived out their lives with us.

Airedale meetings were held at Airedale Acres where we would see as many as 60+ Airedalers and 30+ Airedales come to spend the day in the country and watch the Airedales play in a huge fenced in doggie play area.  I have glorious memories of those days.  

I was deeply privileged to have fostered hundreds of Airedale rescues over the years, giving me the unique opportunity of truly learning about Airedale Terriers.  Their behaviors and habits.  Which training methods really worked.  Working with so many rescues I naturally worked with their varied health problems, giving me a canine medical education.  Since the dogs all lived in our home, I learned volumes about working with packs of Airedales. By this time our “little” club had grown to a membership of over 300, statewide.  I was a very happy “dog lady”, as I was fondly referred to.

All good things must change at times, and in 2005, due to my husband’s illness, we made a family decision to move to Colorado where we could live together and my son would be there to help me as my husband’s disease progressed.   No longer able to do the fostering I used to do, I stay very active in other rescue duties.  I have served as a Director for ATRA, currently serve as a rescue volunteer for ATRA in Colorado doing transports, home visits, etc.  I also proudly serve as Vice President for our National Airedale Rescue Board.  In that capacity I’ve begun the ART (Airedale Rescue Training) program and write monthly newsletter articles on subjects that are designed to help new rescue volunteers as they learn to save and serve our precious Airedale rescues.  It’s truly my pleasure to share my years of experience with new volunteers.