~ Ailea's Heather Winona
~
~ "Dawn" ~
Dawn (Ch Crystalove Camouflage x Sleepy Eye Bette Davis Eyes, 12/06/95), a.k.a. Don-Don, a.k.a. Dinga-Linga-Ding-Dong, a.k.a. Don-Don-Bay-Bee, was born to my first sheltie litter ever whelped at Ailea's Place. Her name is a hodge-podge - Heather, because her color was more like the hue of the Scottish heather in the highlands, and Winona, which is Sioux Indian for "first born daughter," for that she most surely was and is - her littermates were all brothers, so it matters not their birth order even! These first two images of Dawn were taken when she was about 12 weeks of age.
Petite and cute from the day she was born, Dawn has had that "sheltie look" about her which makes folks pause and oooh and aaah over her. Cute also came with mischievous, and she has proven to be the largest cut-up of all shelties I have ever seen or met.
As
she grew, Dawn learned to climb fences and escape. When a mere six weeks old,
she slipped through the cracks and wandered off, spending the night alone and in
a cold snow. The search for her never ended throughout the night, but proved to
no avail. Early in the morning following, the neighborhood campaign began.
Posters went up, doors were knocked upon, my phone number passed out to all
within a two-mile radius. When I got home from this chore I pulled in my
driveway and just sat there, crying, not knowing what else could I do. Just as I
was climbing out of the car, what do you think came bouncing across the yard and
up to the car, her tail wagging and her eyes just gleaming like the devil? Dawn
was home safe.
She stayed cute, cuddly and mischievous, and earned herself names like Don-Don-Baybee and Dinga-Linga-Ding-Dong. Entertainment does not stop when she is around! She is a heel-nipper, door-jumper, butt-bouncer, and very happy barker! When anyone came to visit, Dawn was the one they all wished to take home with them.
All grown up at a whopping 13-1/4", Dawn
excels in temperament, balance and profile. She sports a nice, full muzzle,
balanced outline with adequate bone and neck, a lovely coat and the sweetest
expression.
Dawn spent a year in Canada with Gillian Kent, Ishmael, and during that time qualified for both her CGC and TDI certification - what an accomplishment! - and was co-bred to Canadian Ch Whitegates Beam Me Up HC "Scotty." Her puppies were delivered March 22, 1998, out of which I received a lovely blue merle male, Ailea Stardust of Ishmael "Willie."
Dawn
returned to North Carolina and Ailea's Place in the spring, 1999 (thanks to
Simone for putting up with us, and thanks, Sharon, for helping out - both of you
ladies are tops in my book!). After returning home she was bred unsuccessfully a
couple of times and after a consultation with the vet I decided to spay Dawn and
place her as a pet. Her new Mama Rita, in the greater Atlanta area, plans to
work with Dawn doing some therapy work - a job made just for Dawn!
This final image of Dawn, left, was taken by Dawn's new Mama Rita the day she took Dawn home with her. Snapped the instant Dawn had jumped into my lap for a final hug, this is the last picture of Dawn with me and was taken just before I buried my face in her coat and cried a final good-bye. Sometimes, if you stop a moment, Life pans out just as you'd like.
THANK YOU Rita! I know you love her and for that I will be forever in your debt.
Pictures of Dawn taken by her new Mama Rita can be seen here.
Please feel free to e-mail Amy with any questions or comments
