Learn more about why we breed holistically …
Our Story…
It all started with a dog named Max.
We went and got Max the first year we were married. Max was the last available pup left over from his litter. He was outside in a kennel, all by himself and he was waiting for us. We would be his people! It was us and Max together for 5 years of marriage before having children.
We raised Max the way I (Monica) had been trained to – check ups annually, repeated vaccinations, medications when he was sick, constant ear infections, chemical deworming, bad breath, the list goes on and on.
When Max was 10 he was your typical older Golden Retriever, friendly, curious and sometimes a wanderer! He decided to take a walk through our neighborhood. That day, instead of coming home he didn’t. We called him, drove around, posted on social media. We finally found out that animal control picked him up and instead of calling the tag on his collar they simply took him to the pound. It was the weekend and he would spend it there until we could come get him on Monday.
Monday came and they wouldn’t allow us to pick him up without a current Rabies Vaccination. He was 3 months overdue from his last one. So we complied so we could get our dog back. We were so thankful he was home and okay.
It was 2 months later that he started limping on the shoulder where they administered the Rabies. We went to the Veterinarian again – steroids were given both by injection and by pills as well as anti-inflammatory’s. Another month later there was swelling and a mass on his shoulder. Max was bed bound and quite obviously rapidly declining. In May, just 3 months after that Max passed away in our arms in the living room.
What We’ve Learned
Everything that can withstand the storms is built on a firm foundation.
Losing Max was in the middle of a time in life we were searching hard for real answers. Our faith was being stretched in a way we couldn’t describe and all of our social and ideological norms were being challenged. Raising healthy children, pets and a healthy family was also all up for debate. What that meant, how to achieve it and what our responsibilities were in co-laboring with God in living a long and healthy life. We started reading what God had to say –
“You will be more blessed than any other group of people. No one will be sterile or infertile—not among you or your animals.” Deuteronomy 7:14
“The fruit of your womb will be blessed, as well as the produce of your land and the offspring of your animals…” Deuteronomy 28:4
We found that environment matters – the power of clean water, waste management, clean food and stewardship of nature produces a beautiful symbiotic relationship between humans, animals and the land. When we approach it with a mindset that we are born deficient and are in need of man-made chemical inputs we are dishonoring the divine design of our incredibly strong and dynamic bodies.
Every body system must grow and develop, the immune system is no different in people or animals. It grows and develops through use, function, trial and error. We believe in supporting growth of people and animals in safe environments where learning and growing is fostered and protected.
When there are deficiencies and deficits – nature typically takes care of those things either through an evolutionary process or through providing us with the herbals and medicinals needed to support the body to continue to grow and make the necessary corrections, adaptations and regenerative measures we were all designed for.