About Claddagh Farm ...

Claddagh Farm is a small hobby farm in the Hagersville area of Southern Ontario, and home to Besslin Border Collies. We have been breeding and raising border collies for 20 years and strive to produce a healthy, well balanced dog suitable for work, sports, and family companions. The farm is also home to six rabbits; six Pygmy Goats; a small flock of eight sheep; 'Zen' the Llama; Chatterbox the Cockatiel; and a host of cats.

Take a tour of our blog and meet some of our animals

About Besslin Border Collies

The five foundation dogs of Besslin Border Collies

All currently residing at the Rainbow Bridge

Besslin Border Collies was born of a love of red border collies. My first border collie, Murphy, was a red dog and in those days red border collies were hard to come by. I decided that if I wanted anymore red border collies, I would have to develop my own line. I was fortunate to come upon a red/white female puppy from very good working bloodlines, and so it was that Besslin Border Collies came to be. The kennel name Besslin comes from the names of my first two border collies, Bess & Murphy. Murphy's nickname was Smurfslin so we took Bess and the slin from Smurfslin to create Besslin.

The first puppy born in the Besslin line was Besslin Kep, a beautiful red/white male. We kept Kep and he entered the breeding program when he turned 3yrs of age. Next I purchased a three year old black/white border collie from Ted Bell. Bells Bonnie Blue. And she carried the red gene. And then came another female dog from Ted Bell. A beautiful black tri-colour puppy that I named Bells Tri Dathuil Aisling (Bell's Tri Colour Dream). Aisling also carried the red gene. And those five dogs formed the foundation of Besslin Border Collies.

All five of those dogs have passed now, all having lived to ripe old ages. But I have their progeny. The two matriarchs of Besslin Border Collies, Bonnie and Bess, along with Aisling, have left behind a lineage of beautiful dogs.

Today from Bess's side of the family we have Bess's daughter Ceilidgh, and Ceilidgh's daughter Aoife. We also have Shep, Casey, and Scout who are the sons of Ceilidgh's brother, Pip, who sadly and suddenly passed away in 2005. From Bonnie's side of the family we have her sons Dermot and Buddy. Buddy's daughters Maeve & Caora. And Dermots kids, Fleet, Hope, and Biddy. Maeve and Caora are Aisling's daughters. And Ceilidgh & Pip were sired by Aislings brother Kyle. Aisling formed the third branch in the Besslin line.

In addition to the progeny from the Besslin line we have also brought in outside blood from time to time. Most often from Ted Bells lines. We currently have two of Ted Bells dogs in our breeding program. Bell's Hannah is a beautiful black/white rough coated female. And Clancy is a handsome red-tri rough coated male. Ceilidgh's daughter, Aoife, is sired by Margaret Lambkins dog Java (who is from Jeanne Weavers lines).

Many of our border collie pups are in sport homes where they excel in whatever sports they participate in. And those puppies that have gone to pet homes are reported to be wonderful companion dogs. Our own dogs compete in flyball and disc sports. I used to do sheep herding with them years ago & am hoping to get back to that now that we have our own farm.

At Besslin Border Collies we strive to produce a dog that is of stable temperament and good health. Our puppies are raised in an enriched environment with novel stimuli to help them develop positive associations with new things and sounds in their environment. Puppies are handled daily and by the time they go to their new homes they will have been introduced to a variety of toys, floor surfaces, vet visit, grooming, and nail trims. They will also have been dewormed and received their first set of vaccines.

To see photo's and profiles of our border collies, please go the blog topic .... Meet Our Border Collies

Life On The Farm ...

Claddagh Farm is located in the Hamlet of Hartford, just outside of the town of Hagersville. We moved to this location in April of 2005 after having lived just north of Elmvale, up on Georgian Bay, for 12 years. After Mum passed away in April of 2003, Dad & I decided to sell the house up north and move to a location closer to Toronto and with milder winter weather than what we had to deal with up north. Four feet of snow was nothing unusual at the old place and all that shovelling was getting to be too much of a grind. Not to mention the fact that virtually all of my friends, and my business were a two and a half hour drive away.

It took a long time to find jus the right place. We knew we wanted to be in the country. We knew we wanted to be in an area with milder winter weather. And we knew that the property had to be eligable for a kennel licence. Our realtor knew up front ....... no kennel licence = no deal! We saw several properties that fit the kennel licence requirement, but none of them were right. They were either too close to neighbouring properties, or too close to the roads, or required too much work to fix up, etc. And then we found this place.

The farm is 9.25 acres of rolling land. Coming from an Irish/English heritage, I chose the name Claddagh because the claddagh is an Irish symbol signifying Love, Loyalty, and Friendship > elements that to me, embody the spirit of our companions animals. Here at the farm we enjoy the companionship of our many dogs and cats; as well as the pygmy goats, a small flock of sheep, rabbits, a young llama, and of course, Chatterbox the cockatiel. I'm also interested in adding a few Alpaca's at some point.

The farm is a work in progress. We have lots of projects on the roster. Fencing, upgrading barn stalls, renovating the garage into an interior room, and more. I have a vision of what I want it all to be like when it's done, but it is a slow process, as we have to do all the work ourselves.

Dad seems really happy here. He spent a portion of his childhood growing up on a farm in England, and I think this place brings back memories. And the rolling countryside is reminicent of the English countryside. He's often said that he thinks Mum would have liked this area (although NOT the farm itself > she was a city girl through and through!), and wished he'd known about it years ago.

Life on the farm is mostly taking care of the animals and maintaining the property. Nine plus acres gives new meaning to mowing the lawn! And yes ..... except for the driveway and the land where the house and barns sit, the entire property is grass that needs to be mowed! Hmmmm ..... gotta get those sheep grazing!!!

Since moving down here and being so close to so many things after being isolated for so long up north, I've been playing catch up with all my young dogs ....... taking them all to basic obedience classes for the socialization. I take them to the Hamilton Dog Obedience Club in Ancaster, McRae Dog Training in Caledonia, and Scholars In Collars in Burlington. The latter two places are run by friends of mine. I also rent the Scholars In Collars training hall on weekends and teach dog training classes of my own ..... Lifestyle Dog Training. http://lifestyledogtraining.blogspot.com/

In addition to caring for our own dogs, we have also taken in foster dogs for the Jack Russell Terrier Rescue of Ontario, and the Sandy Lake Dog Rescue. We also do pet sitting and we host a few dog competitions and training workshops here on the property.

Here are some photo's of what we left behind .........



This was right outside our front door. The snow is about 4ft high and we had to shovel pathways from the house to the cars; and the house to the kennel building; and pathways for the house dogs to go outside.

This is a shot of Dad taken December 2004 after the first big snow fall. He's just finished shovelling the pathway to the driveway. The house up north was in a very pretty area in the summertime > cottage country; but in the winter it was brutal

This is downtown Elmvale in December of 2004 > our LAST winter up north!

Meet Our Border Collies ...

This is Besslin Fleet. He is Hannah's son and sired by Dermot. Fleet is a black/white rough coated dog and is 3yrs of age. He is a big boy with a very loving disposition. Fleet has attended 2 levels of obedience training at McRae Dog Training in Caledonia & he just started training in the sport of disc dog. I hope to introduce him to sheep this coming summer.


This is Besslin Ibid > or Biddy as we call her. She is a littermate to Fleet. Biddy is a black/white smooth coated dog. She is very active, extremely fast, and quite small in stature. Biddy is crazy for the frisbee and is training & competing in the sport of disc dog. I hope to introduce her to sheep this coming summer.

These handsome boys are Besslin Casey and Besslin Shep. They are Hannah's sons & sired by Pip. Full brothers to Scout. Casey and Shep are 4yrs of age and they have both attended basic obedience training at the Hamilton Dog Obedience Club. So far they have just been happy farm dogs enjoying playing and romping daily. We don't get hung up on having our dogs out competing as young as possible. We allow them to have their childhood and when they are ready, persue the sports they show us they have an aptitude for. Shep has just started training in the sport of canine disc; and Casey is still undecided as to what sport he might like to engage in.

(I didn't intend to keep 2 more boys, but they were left over puppies. For whatever reason, no one was interested in them. If you have a dog that you are thinking about breeding, take note of this ..... if you have puppies that don't sell ....... they're YOURS! And if you are not prepared to take on that responsibility, don't breed your dog)

This is Besslin Maeve. She is the daughter of Aisling and Buddy. She is a 9yr old black/white smooth coated dog. She attended puppy school at Campaign Dog Training. Maeve is not part of the breeding program. She is spayed. Maeve is a superior sports dog that excels in flyball and disc dog sports. She is a two time World Finalist in the Hyperflite/Skyhoundz World Championship Disc Dog competitions, and she is an active running member of the Northern Borders flyball team.



This is Besslin Caora. She is 7yrs old and is a black/white smooth coated dog. She is the daugher of Aisling and Buddy. Caora is a dog that probably shouldn't have lived. Due to a slight deformaty in the structure of her nose, she was unable to suckle and fell behind in the litter. At 3wks of age little Caora only weighed one pound, while her brothers weighed in at almost 4 lbs each. I had to take Caora away from the litter and bottle raise her to save her life. Due to her rough start in life Caora is not suitable to be a breeding dog. She is spayed and enjoys life as our pet. Frisbee is her favourite game. Caora's name is pronounced "Kora" and is the Gaelic word for 'sheep'.



This is Besslin Buddy. He is 12 yrs old and is a black/white smooth coated dog. Buddy is the son of Bonnie Blue and Mark Bustards Burl. Buddy completed basic obedience training at Campaign Dog Academy. Buddy has done a little bit of work on sheep in his younger days, but his sport of choice is flyball. He also enjoys a good game of toss/fetch with the frisbee. Buddy has sired many wonderful dogs and continues to be an enthusiastic sports dog and companion.

This is Besslin Ceilidgh. She is 14 yrs of age and is a red/white rough coated dog. Ceilidgh (pronounced Kayley) is out of Bess and sired by Diane McWhinnie's dog Kyle (who is a littermate to Aisling). Ceilidgh has produced many many beautiful pups who have grown to be successful sports dogs and family pets. Ceilidgh is a fully trained sheep dog and used to trial at sheep dog trials when she was younger. The highlight of Ceilidgh's day is accompanying me to the barn to feed all the sheep and goats.

This is Besslin Dermot. He is a littermate to Buddy. He is 12 yrs old and is a black/white smooth coated dog. He was late to enter the breeding program but in the past couple of years Dermot has sired several wonderful puppies. Although not fully trained on sheep, Dermot possesses a beautiful style and presence with stock, and a natural wide outrun & talent for the work. In his younger days Dermot was a star high jumper in our dog sport shows.

This is Bell's Hannah. She is 8 yrs old. She is out of Ted Bell's dog Skye and sired by Ted's dog Mirk. 100% working sheep dog lines. Hannah is a lovely dog > friendly and outgoing and loves everyone. She competes in flyball and disc (frisbee). Hannah has produced several wonderful and successful puppies.

This is Besslin Scout. He is 5yrs of age and is son to Hannah and Pip. He is a black tri-coloured rough coated dog. A big boy. Scout competes in canine disc and is just starting to learn to play flyball. He has completed basic obedience training at the Hamilton Dog Obedience Club. Scout is a friendly and confident boy.

Scout is now officially standing at Stud. For more information about Scout please go to to his website at http://besslinscout.blogspot.com/

This is Bell's Clancy. He is a red tri-coloured rough coated male. Clancy is 3 years of age. He is out of Ted Bell's Lacy and sired by Ted's dog Mirk. Clancy completed basic obedience training at McRae Dog Training in Caledonia, and is just embarking on his flyball training. He is also showing potential as a disc dog. His nickname is "Fancy Pants"

This is Besslin Aoife. Aoife is pronounced ee-fa and is the Gaelic form of the name Eve or Eva. Aoife is 4yrs of age and is out of Ceilidgh and sired by Margaret Lambkins Java. Aoife is a very outgoing and friendly dog and is a natural jumper. Keeping her inside the 6ft fence is a challenge at times!!

This is Besslin Ace. Ace is a seven year old male > smooth coat > white & black. He is active in flyball, disc (frisbee), and dock diving competitions. He also has a very nice style of sheep and shows a lot of natural talent. Ace is out of Ceilidgh and sired by Buddy

Gone But Not Fortgotten .......

These dogs are Murphy and Bonnie Wee Bess. My first 2 border collies. Both red/white and rough coated. Murphy came from a breeder in Terra Cotta, Ontario and was son to Tom & Shelly Wolf's dogs Rawleigh & Meg; both dogs from working bloodlines. Bess came from a breeder in Kitchener, Ontario. Her mother was Triscuit who was a pet dog from working lines; and her father was Ted Bell's old Shep dog ...... my favourite border collie of all time.

Both Bess and Murphy competed in flyball and did sheep herding. They also did steeplechase and high jumping & Murphy also participated in the Superdogs shows for awhile. Murphy also loved to play frisbee and swim. He was a great swimmer and diver. Murphy lived to be 15yrs of age and Bess lived to be 16.5yrs of age

This is Bell's Tri Dathuil Aisling. (Bell's Tri Colour Dream) "Aisling" is pronounced Ashling and is the Gaelic word for dream. Aisling was the progeny of Ted Bell's dogs Imp. Jake and Imp. Gwen (call name Nicky), both imported from Scotland. Aisling competed in flyball racing and also did sheep herding. She loved the water and loved to swim and dive. She was also a great frisbee catching dog. Aisling passed away in June of 2006 at the age of 15.5 years.

This is Bell's Bonnie Blue. Bonnie was the daughter of Ted Bell's old dogs Kate and Shep, both of whom were working sheep dogs. Bonnie played flyball, frisbee, did high jumping, and sheep herding. Bonnie was a water baby > she LOVED the water and loved to swim. Bonnie lived to be 16yrs of age.

This is Besslin Pip. Pip was the son of Bess and Diane McWhinnie's Kyle. A littermate to Ceilidgh. Due to an injury sustained when he was just a year of age, Pip did not persue competitive dog sports. He did however, enjoy a good game of frisbee now and then. He dabbled a little in sheep herding and showed nice natural talent, but due to his broken scapula, he was only able to do physical work & play for very short periods of time. Pip died in his sleep, suddenly and inexplicably in 2005 at just 10yrs of age. He was fine when we went to bed and gone when we woke up the next morning. "Peepers" was a very special dog.

This is Besslin Kep. Kep was the son of Bess & Murphy. He was the first born puppy in the Besslin line. He was a large handsome boy with a heart of gold. Kep did a little bit of sheep herding when he was young, but he was mostly a flyball dog. He also loved to play frisbee and was known for his spectacular back flips. "Keppy Man" passed away in April of 2005 at teh age of 14.5

This is Imported Molly. I bought Molly when she was 3yrs of age. She was the daughter of the two time International Sheep Herding Champion, Bobby Daziels Wisp. Molly was a wonderful and loving dog who died tragically from an aggressive cancer, at just 5.5 years of age

This is Besslin Tippy. Molly's son. Tippy was a beautiful soul with a heart so loving and devoted to me, that words cannot describe his loyalty. Tippy was never a breeding dog > he was neutered. Tippy suffered from idiopathic epilepsy and succumbed to the affliction at just 4.5 years of age. It's been several years since Tippy passed but we still miss him dearly.

This is Besslin Tommy Tucker. Tucker was the progeny of Bess and Ted Bell's Jake (Aislings father). Tucker was sold at 8wks of age and was returned 2wks later. He stayed with me until he was 5mths of age and then I placed him with a single middle aged man who was looking for a companion dog. Then when Tucker was four and a half years of age, a girlfriend with a dog came into the picture and the 2 dogs did not get along. An ultimatum was given to Tuckers owner > woman or the dog. Silly man chose the woman! (and now she's gone too!). Tucker was returned for the second time in his life and stayed with me for the rest of his life. He played competitive flyball and was a wonderful companion to us. Tucker died in February of 2006 at the age of 14.5 years.

Other Critters Down On The Farm ...

In addition to our dogs we also have some other critters here on the farm. Here are some photo's of some of the other residents ...........



Santa Zen > Christmas 2007

Dory & Chett at 5mths of age.

They are 3/4 Shetland - 1/4 Dorset lambs

The sheep. They don't all have names yet. But the ewe in the front is named "Barbie" and the big white sheep behind her is called "Sam"



Zen with Jacob and Lucy




Ellie-Mae and Jethro with the bunnies in the background
The bunnies are Cinnamon, Velvet, and Tawny




Lucy and Jacob > the Pygmy Goats
We purchased Lucy in November of 2005 and she gave birth to Jacob on February 19/06



This is Baby Jacob at just one hour old!




Here is Lucy with Jacob at just 3wks of age.
Gosh ... he is sooooo cute!!




This is Nigel. Several years ago Nigel was attacked by a dog (not one of ours!) and his face was crushed. He needed major reconstructive surgery to repair the damage to his jaw. Dave Campbell DVM of the Heritage Animal Hospital in Midland, Ontario, did an amazing job saving Nigel. To look at Nigel now you would never know what incredible damage had been done to him.




This is Isaac

This is Fly

This is Drifter our 'barn cat', although he doesn't really live in the barn. We installed a cat door for him so that he can come and go as he pleases into and out of the kennel area. Drifter was a stray cat that just showed up on the farm one day and has never left. We responded to the local "lost black cat" posters in the area, but he did not belong to any of those homes. He's lived here for two years now. I guess you could say he adopted us :-)

These cats are Daisy and Rupert

This is Chatterbox the cockatiel. He is 15yrs old. I've had him since he was an egg! I had the parent birds which we thought were both boys (Patrick & Gaelen) and one of them started pulling out all of his feathers. After spending a small fortune at an avian vet, it was determined that Patrick was "sexually frustrated" and that Gaelen was mostly likely a female (the vet didn't see Gaelen so was just surmising based on Patricks behaviour). The cure? Get a breeding box and let them have a clutch. And so it was that Chatterbox came to be. Patrick and Gaelen both passed away several years ago, but little Chatterbox is healthy and strong and talks a blue streak!!

Gone To The Dogs ...

In addition to our border collies, we also have other canine companions and athletes. Some have come to us second hand (meaning that we are not their first homes) and some have come as puppies. Most are from shelters or rescue groups. All of our dogs have basic obedience training and most compete in at least one canine sport. Providing a healthy and happy quality of life to our dogs is the most important thing on our agenda. Each dog persues the sport or sports that they show us they have an aptitude for. No one is forced into an activity that they do not enjoy. And no one is judged or loved based on their performance in any sport. We love them as companions first, and the sports and competitions are just extra's.

Here are the 'non-borders' in our canine family:


This is Rowdy. He is a 7yr old border collie/jack russell terrier mix. Rowdy has appeared in television commercials and he competes in flyball and canine disc. He is a two time World Finalist in the sport of canine disc. Rowdy is the top athlete in our canine family



This is Josie. She is a chihuahua/jack russell terrier mix. Josie was given to me in October of 2005. She was a year and a half of age at the time, and I am her FIFTH home!! This is also her LAST home ........... she's not going anywhere! She is a terrific little dog. Eleven inches tall and eleven pounds of pure spunk. Josie competes in flyball and canine disc (frisbee). In 2006 she was a World Finalist in the MicroDog division of the Hyperflite/Skyhoundz Canine Disc World Championships.



This is Takoda. He is a Siberian Husky. Takoda is a Sioux word meaning "friend to everyone", which aptly describes his personality. Takoda is a very friendly and loving dog. He has attended obedience training at the Hamilton Dog Obedience Club. He appeared on the Disney television show, "Naturally Sadie" (along with Rodeo), when he was 7wks old.



This is Ruffian. He is a Jack Russell Terrier. Ruffian is now retired from dog sports at 15.5 yrs of age. Ruffian competed in flyball racing for 12yrs running as the height dog for the Northern Borders flyball team. He also competed regularly at the Jack Russell Terrier trials in his youth. He earned both his JRTCC Trial Working Certificate and his American Working Terrier Association Earth Dog Certificate by the age of 2yrs. In his youth he was unbeatable in the jack russell races and has many many first place ribbons to his credit. He enjoyed being a true terrier, competing in russell racing, go-to-ground, and trailing & locating. He was also a star high jumper in the Superdogs shows and travelled to California twice to appear on the TV show Superdogs/SuperJocks, in which he showcased his high jumping talents. To date there has never been another small dog (14" or under at the withers) who can match his record jump of 9 bars in the Superdog show. Ruffian had an extensive career as an animal actor appearing in six movies, countless photo ads, and a host of television shows and commercials. Ruffian is still quite active and will still chase a few frisbee's & loves to swim.



These dogs are Scooter and Kelsey. Jack Russell Terriers. Scooter is Kelsey's son. Kelsey is 11yrs old & Scooter is 2 years of age. We adopted them from the Jack Russell Rescue of Ontario. I am hoping that Scooter will follow in Ruffians footsteps and become a super height dog for our flyball team. I'm also hoping that he will take to the sport of canine disc. Right now he is just being a puppy and enjoying his childhood. He has attended puppy training classes at McRae Dog Training in Caledonia, and basic obedience classes at the Hamilton Dog Obedience Club. When I adopted Scooter I took his mother, Kelsey, in for fostering. When it became apparent that she would be difficult to place due to her age, and as she became more and more bonded to Scooter and to us, we decided to adopt her as well.

This is Rodeo. She is a red Australian Cattle Dog, also known as a Red Heeler. Rodeo is from Christian County, Kentucky. I have always loved cattle dogs and over the years have tried several times to purchase or adopt one. But something always went wrong > the breeding wouldn't take, or there would be no females, or not enough puppies born, etc. It seemed like it wasn't meant to be .......... and then along came Rodeo. Rodeo attended basic obedience training at the Hamilton Dog Obedience Club & she is currently training in the sport of canine disc (frisbee). She appeared on the Disney television show "Naturally Sadie" (along with Takoda) when she was 16 weeks old.

This is Ranger. He is a Siberian Husky from Toriloka Kennels. Ranger is 10yrs old. He took basic obedience training at Campaign Dog Academy, and level one and level two agility training at Tamsu Learning Centre, and he does canine musical freestyle. Ranger has also worked in photo ads. He is a wonderful dog with a gentle disposition.

This is Harley-Dawg. And sleeping is his favourite activity! Harley is an American Bulldog. I adopted him through a friend who was fostering him for the Toronto Humane Society. I had only met Harley once and was not looking to acquire another dog, but something about him tugged at my heart strings. I tried to be sensible and tell myself all the logical reasons NOT to adopt him. But then one night I had a dream about Harley and in my dream he was a very old dog. It seemed like a sign that we were meant to be together, and I couldn't get him off my mind. I finally gave in & adopted him. Harley is most definitely "mama's boy". Harley has done some photo advertising and has also competed in canine disc. He LOVES to swim and has great fun diving into the water. Harley is 8 .5 years of age.

This is Daphne. She is a Portuguese Podengo. We adopted her when she was 3yrs old. She was put up for adoption when her previous owner was transferred to South Africa for his work, and for whatever reason, couldn't take her with him. I had originally intended to do dog sports with Daphne but a month after she arrived, our lives got turned upside down. My mother passed away, and on the heels of that event the township where we lived decided to renage on our kennel agreement & some "shady" characters threatened the safety/lives of the dogs. For their safety, we fostered most of them, including Daphne, out to friends while we looked for a new place to live. And then just 3mths after that, I broke my knee and underwent 2 surgeries & almost 2yrs of recovery. By the time we found this place and moved and got all the dogs back home again, all plans for Daphne's sports career went out the window. Too much time had passed and she was not interested in training ...... she is a true prima dona! Daphne (also known as 'Daffy Duck') is now 8yrs old. She has appeared in a CFC short film and also worked on a television commercial for flooring. She enjoys just being a dog, playing outside with her buddies, going for rides in the car, and being a wonderful companion.


Gone But Not Forgotten .............

This is Mickey-Finn, the dog that started it all. Although I had a couple of dogs growing up, in many ways I think of Mickey-Finn as my first dog. He was the first dog I had as an adult and the first dog that I trained. I took him to the North York Obedience Club for his obedience training, and after that he went on to compete in flyball and also performed with the Superdogs shows. Mickey-Finn was an amazing dog > there will never be another dog like him. He was a collie/labrador mix. He fell victim to parvo virus in his first few months of life, at a time when parvo just hit and no one knew what it was and there were no vaccines. It was a full fledged epidemic in Toronto and made headlines in the newspapers. But Mickey was one of the lucky ones > he survived. And he went on to become a popular animal actor featured in countless photo ads, television commercials, and movie spots. Mickey passed away in 1992 at the age of twelve and a half years. He succumbed to a rare heart condition ....his heart having been damaged by the parvo virus when he was a puppy. It's been almost 15yrs since Mickey-Finn died, and I still miss him as if it were only yesterday that I lost him.

This is Shannon. She was the second dog that I ever trained. I got Shannon when Mickey was performing in the stage show "Annie" at the Limelight Dinner Theatre in Toronto. One of the "Annie's" loved Mickey so much that her parents asked us to find a dog for them. We found a 10mth old pup named Spunky. But unfortunately Spunky was a little too much for the family to handle and they gave her back to us. We changed her name to Shannon and she was a loyal companion to our family for the next 16yrs. Shannon went to obedience school, competed in flyball racing & agility, and she performed with the Superdogs shows. She also followed in Mickey's footsteps and appeared in countless photo ads, television and movie spots.

This is Bobby. He was a feral dog that we rescued. A Siberian Husky it turned out. He was very wolfish in apearance and did several photo ads and television spots playing the role of a wolf. He was the 3rd dog that I trained. Bobby was approximately a year of age when we rescued him. Skin and bones and half way starved. Bobby went to obedience school and did agility and flyball and also performed with the Superdogs shows. In fact, Bobby was the first of my dogs to perform in Superdogs. Bobby's claim to fame though is that he was the first Flyball Dog Champion of his breed.

Daikin > Daikin was a mixed breed labrador that I adopted when he was 5yrs old. He was a very special dog and a wonderful companion to our family. He did agility and performed in a few Superdog shows, but mostly he was a companion dog. Daikin lived to be 15yrs of age.

Upcoming Litters

Bessin Ace x Bell's Hannah

Puppies due born beginning of August 2009

We expect black/white & both smooth and rough coated pups

Our Sports Dogs

Our Sports Dogs!
Many of our dogs are active in dog sports. Below are some photo's of some our currently competing sports dogs in action


Rowdy > Rowdy is one of our top sports dogs. He is a borer collie/jack russell terrier mix. He competes in flyball racing and frisbee competitions. Rowdy is a 2 time World Finalist in the sport of canine disc.


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Josie > Josie is a chihuaha/jack russell terrier mix. She competes in the sports of flyball racing and frisbee. Josie has also been a World Finalist in the sport of canine disc.



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Maeve > Maeve is a border collie and she enjoys competing in flyball racing and frisbee. She is also a 2 time World Finalist in the sport of canine disc.



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Biddy > Biddy is a young border collie. She is currently competing in the sport of canine disc.
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Ace > Ace is a border collie. He competes in flyball racing, frisbee, and dock diving. Ace has also done a little bit of work on sheep and we hope to persue herding in the future.






Ace with Sheilagh Sargent at the USDDN Nationals Qualifier in Ottawa 2007

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Hannah > Hannah is a border collie and she competes in flyball racing and frisbee.
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Bent > Bent competes in canine disc and does agility/steeplechase and high jumping in the Team K9 Dog Sport Shows



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Buddy > Buddy is a border collie. He is 11yrs old. During his lifetime he has competed in flyball racing and frisbee. He currently competes in the Veterans divisions in both sports. Buddy also did some sheep herding in his younger years.
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Scout > Scout is a young border collie just starting out on his competition career. Scout is a frisbee competition dog.
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Rodeo > Rodeo is an Australian Cattle Dog and she is just beginning her competition sports career. She is currently persuing canine disc.
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Ceilidgh > Ceilidgh is a 12yr old border collie. She is retired from competition now. She is a fully trained sheep dog and competed at herding trials when she was younger
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Ranger > Ranger is a 10yr old Siberian Husky. Although he has never competed, he has enjoyed the sports of agility and canine musical freestyle.
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Ruffian > Ruffian is a Jack Russell Terrier. He is almost 15yrs old. He is a retired sports and film dog. Ruffian competed in flyball racing, and was a high jumper with the Superdog Shows, did recreational frisbee (before frisbee as a competition sport made its way to Canada), and appeared in many tv commercials, movies, and print advertising.
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Dermot > Dermot is a border collie. He is llyrs old and retired now. Dermot was the star high jumper in the Team K9 Dog Sport Shows. He also enjoyed recreational agility and sheep herding.
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Daphne > Daphne is a Portuguese Podengo. She is 8yrs old now and prefers lounging to sporting these days She is pictured here in her younger days, puissance jumping at one of the Team K9 Dog Sport Shows.
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Former Sports Dogs:

Murphy > Border Collie

• flyball, herding, Superdogs Shows, Team K9 Shows, frisbee, diving, film work, agility & high jumping

Bess > Border Collie

• flyball, herding, high jumping

Kep > Border Collie

• flyball, herding, frisbee

Bonnie > Border Collie

• flyball, herding, high jumping

Aisling > Border Collie

• flyball, herding, frisbee, film & print ad work

Tucker > Border Collie

• flyball, herding, frisbee, film & print ad work

Mickey-Finn > Collie/Labrador mix

• flyball, frisbee, high jumping, agility, Superdogs Shows, tv/film & print ad work

Shannon > Samoyed mix

• flyball, Superdogs Shows, agility, tv/film & print ad work

Bobby > Siberian Husky

• flyball, agility, Superdogs Shows, tv & print ad work

Daikin > Labrador mix

• agility & Superdogs Shows; tv work

Pet Sitting at Claddagh Farm

Claddagh Farm offers a pet sitting service for well behaved dogs. We provide a quiet home-like environment for our guests, and only accommodate between five and seven guests at any one time.

Having a limited number of guest dogs staying with us ensures that each dog will receive plenty of attention and personal time. It also keeps stress levels to a minimum due to reduced barking and the related anxiety often experienced in large boarding kennel facilities where many dogs are housed

Here at Claddagh Farm we have built a canine guest house for our visiting dogs. The building is well insulated and heated, and has plenty of windoes for good air circulation and natural light. Music is played throughout the day to help the dogs relax. When indoors dogs are kenneled in large crates or xpens. We have two sizes of indoor crating:

1. 3ft x 4ft x 2.5ft
   
2. 4ft x 4ft

Outdoors the dogs have a large fenced play area. The fence is 6ft high. Dogs that play well with others will be allowed play time in play groups with our dogs, while dogs that do not play well with others will have private outside time coupled with leash walks. Due to our location, the winter months are not terribly harsh and this allows the dogs to have plenty of outside exercise and play time year round. Of course, the amount of time spent outdoors is weather dependent.

We feed Pedigree Healthy Vitality dry dog food to our dogs and to guest dogs. We have used this food for many many years and have not experienced any problems with our dogs. However, you may bring your dogs own food if you wish to do so, and we will make sure that your dog receives his/her own food. Those dogs on raw food diets are welcome here at the farm > we just need you to bring your dogs prepared meals.

Medium/Large Dogs > $14.00 per day

Small Dogs > $12.00 per day


In House Pet Sitting: For older dogs or special needs dogs, we also offer In House Pet Sitting. Your dog will live in our house with us while you are away. This service is limited to TWO medium sized dogs or FOUR small dogs at any given time. All dogs MUST be able to be kenneled for short periods of time, as house dogs are on a group rotation. Your dog will sleep on the couch and cuddle with us wathcing TV. Home away from home.

In House Pet Sitting > $20 per day


About Your Animal Caretakers:
Jackie
> has been breeding and raising border collies for 17yrs
> worked in the veterinary field (vet tech & reception) for 14yrs
> worked as a vet tech at the Vet Emerg for 2yrs
> owned/ran Shamrock Boarding Kennels
> has been training dogs in various dog sports for 20yrs
> has written 2 published books on dog training
> has written numerous articles for various dog magazines
> trains/casts and wrangles animals for the advertising & film industry
> captain of the Northern Borders Flyball Team
> founder of Southern Ontario Disc Houndz

Ron (aka Dad)
Dad is my right hand man! He helps me in the daily care of our own dogs, cats, goats, llama, and rabbits. He is also the caretaker of our animals whenever I am away at competitions & has never let me down.

For information on how to book your dogs vacation at Claddagh Farm, contact Jackie at besslin@sympatico.ca



The interior of the guest house > a room ... not a kennel

Indoor kennels are large and roomy

The guest house has more of a "home" feel to it than a kennel feel

The dogs have a large fenced yard to play in & the fence is 6ft high

Photo Gallery ...

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A wild rabbit outside my bedroom window > April 2008

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Dad out mowing the field our first summer here. The grass was really long but now we keep it nice and short.
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Our little Llama at one week of age
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Tucker, Kep, Ailsing, & Murphy on the set of "Four Arrows". They were hired to control the livestock on set.
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Bess working sheep
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Buddy & fellow team member Chase (front) lined up ready to race at a flyball tournament
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Clancy at 7wks of age
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Daphne puissance jumping at one of our demo's
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Dermot Xmas 2005
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Hannah & Jackie at a sheep herding fun day

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Santa Harley

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Harley high jumping at one of our demo's

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Harley on a walk in the woods up north

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Scooter at 14 days of age

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Kep & Murphy with their 1st place flyball ribbons

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Kep & Bess sleeping in my bedroom up north

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Bell's Kyle Of Lochalsh > owned by Diane McWhinnie

Kyle was Ailsing's littermate

He passed away in February 2007 at 16yrs of age

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Ted Bell's dog Mirk >> Hannah's father

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Murphy at 9wks of age

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Murphy diving into the river at Harrison Park in Owen Sound

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Murphy with his ducks

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Murphy (front) working sheep

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Oliver looking out the window

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"Red" rescued, adopted, and loved in his senior years by my friends Bev & Richard

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Rodeo relaxing on her hammock in her xpen at a disc dog competition

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Rowdy cooling off in a pool filled with frisbee's

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Ruffian playing flyball

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Ruffian with his 1st place terrier racing ribbons at the terrier races at the Toronto Sportsmans Show

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Ruffian puissnce jumping

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Takoda at 7wks of age

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Takoda running on the trails at my friend Diana's property in Brampton

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Dad (right) on the set of "Wind At My Back"

I had supplied the show with the bloodhounds and Dad was an 'extra' playing the role of a cop

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Bonnie with her daughter Maggie

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The five original Besslin dogs:

Kep, Aisling, Bess, Murphy & Bonnie up top

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Bess at 16yrs of age

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Family Photo!

From left to right:

Buddy

Buddy's son Ice

Buddy's daughter Maeve

Dermot (Buddy's littermate)

Dermots daughter Rheason
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Aoife with the physio therapy staff at the Huronia District Hospital in Midland, Ontario

Other Services Offered by Claddagh Farm ...

Stud Service

Standing at Stud >> Besslin Scout

DNA clear for CEA/CH

Hips/Elbows clear

CERF Eyes clear

Thyroid normal

Farm Sitting

Are you like us? Do you need someone to take care of your animals so that you can get away from time to time? We will come in and feed/water your animals as per your instructions while you are away. We will feed/water farm animals* and provide pet visitations/feeding/watering/walking to family pets.

*as long as they are animals that we are experienced with

Our Acting Animals .....

Many of our animals have appeared in television, movie, and print ad work over the years. All of the animals here at the farm are available for work in the television, movie, and print ad
industry.



August 2008
Chett our shetland/dorset ram worked on an episode of the television show, "The Latest Buzz". Our border collie, Dermot, came along to help move Chett around the sound stage.



July 2008
Our dogs Josie, Stryker, Babe, and Harley traveled to Montreal to do a photo shoot for the new Browns Shoes catalogue.




November 2007 > Maeve appears on the cover of Dogs In Canada magazine


March 2007
Our cats Isaac, Winter, Rupert, Drifter and Fly worked on the feature film, "Real Time"



February 2006
Hannah appeared in the television commercials for "Driver Safety"




Fall 2006
Lucy the Pygmy Goat, works on an episode of "Naturally Sadie"

Petting Zoo

We are currently in the process of building a small petting zoo which will be available for local fairs etc. Photo's will be added to this link soon.

Dog Training ...

During the summer months we offer dog training classes here at the farm. In the winter we rent the Scholars In Collars training hall in Burlington.

For information about our training programs please to to http://lifestyledogtraining.blogspot.com

Dog Sport Fun Day

Sunday July 8th

11am until 2pm (approx.)

$25 per person

Come out and try a variety of dog sports with your dog. We will have flyball, frisbee, agility/steeplechase, high jumping, and more. Before investing a ton of money in classes that you don't know your dog will like > come out and try his 'paw' at a few things to find out what best suits him (and you)

Contact besslin@sympatico.ca to receive a registration form

Talkin' Chit Chat > What's New Down On The Farm ...

February 2009

Besslin Hope
Hope has been adopted by a good friend of the family and is now living in North Bay, Ontario
















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October 18/2008

Rowdy performed in the Half Time Show at the Toronto Argonauts game at the Rogers Centre.

It was a great experience and lots of fun.

Rowdy was described as being, "pure joy"

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Tradegy Strikes!!
Puppy > Bayou Babe > Mud Bug
November 2007 - July 26 2008

The puppy with no name > we lost our little Babe this past Saturday afternoon. She was the puppy with no name. We've had her for 5mths and still called her Baby and Babe because no names 'stuck' to her.

This is the puppy that I adopted from the SPCA back in January. The puppy had generalized demodectic mange and was being treated with Advantage Multi which did not work to improve or cure her mange. She's had 5mths of treatments and last week had a flare up > her skin was really red and she had new hair loss patches in new places. Her last treatment was July 17.

On Friday her front legs were oozing and bleeding a bit from the mange and I calld the vet where I had an appt. that afternoon with the kid goat, to ask if Babe could come along for a quick look see and some different meds. They said because she (not me > "she") was a new client to them, they could not squeeze her in > they were too busy. I told them she was suffering and needed to be seen that day but they said no, they could not fit her in. So I said fine I'll look for another vet. I called around and no one would take her, and in the end the soonest appt I could get was for Tuesday in Simcoe. Friday during the daytime she was perfectly normal > playing, tugging on Scooters collar, wrestling, barking, spinning in circles. And playing with her 'boyfriend' Gibby (a dog that we baby sit). But Friday evening at suppertime she seemed a bit quiet. She ate about 2 mouthfuls of her supper and then left the rest, and was very quiet all evening. Saturday morning she was still quiet and not interested in food. We thought she was just uncomfortable because of the mange flare up. I thought about taking her with me that day, but she gets so violently carsick, that I decided to leave her at home > it didn't seem right, if she was already feeling crappy .. to put her in the car and make her carsick. I had to go to a demo in Cambridge and then from there to flyball in Rockton. I called home late afternoon to see how things were and my dad said she was in bad shape and had gone downhill dramatically since the morning. He said she walked around a little bit and then got up on his bed and that, at that time (when I called), she was not looking good at all and he feared she was dying. I freaked out and left all my dogs at the flyball tournament with the team, and Caitlin drove me home, with the intention of taking the puppy to the emerg vet. But by the time we got home, she had already passed away. We were about 45min away and Dad said she died about 1/2 hour before we got there. She was lying flat out on her side on Dads bed. He said that when I'd called she was lying on the bed moaning and seemed to be breathing in distress. Then he said her legs stiffened almost like a stretch, and she died. Her gums and tongue were snow white in colour. Dad was unable to do anything to help her as he had no vehicle here so was basically just trapped here on the farm. She was so active and happy right up until Friday night when she got quiet. And then less than 24hrs later she's dead. Just like that. I just don't understand. She was only 8mths old.

This is the puppy that we couldn't name > we never did find the perfect name for her > we called her Babe because she thought her name was Baby because we were not able to find a name for her. Her 'almost' name was Mud Bug which I had decided to keep as a nickname for her regardless of what her 'real' name ended up being.

I can't help but wonder if that's why we couldn't name her >> she wasn't meant to stay long.

In the immediate aftermath you just manage to do what has to be done. I held her and bundled her up in a blanket and then Caitlin and Dad dug a grave for her.





As you come up our driveway, about 1/2 way up the driveway on the left hand side, under the tree with the Welcome To Our Funny Farm & Besslin Border Collies signs ...... there lies Babe.

While an autopsy would answer the "why" and "what happened" questions, it would not bring her back. An autopsy would also be very expensive and it just seems like money spent on something that will not change the outcome, would be better saved in case (God Forbid) one of the other dogs got sick and needed medical attention. The only bright light in all of this is that she did have a very happy life here. She played and wrestled everyday, and she had peanut butter stuffed bones to eat, and raw marrow bones, and empty water bottles to crunch and toss around; and she slept on the bed and on the sofa; and she got handouts from Dad at mealtimes (our dogs learn to beg really well!!); and she was my demo puppy at obedience classes at the SPCA; and she & Kahlua ran in the dog park every Monday night. She loved to sit on my computer chair. Her most favourite thing though was to jump up into my arms > whether I knew she was coming or not!! She was just a very happy active puppy. I just don't understand how she could from all of that, to gone .... in less than 24hrs.

I've since spoken with a friend who is a vet and she says that Babe most likely died from a systemic infection related to the demodex. She said that when the immune system is that severely weakened, and the demodex is that severe, dogs can get systemic infections. She said a septicemia would not necessarily show any obvious outward signs and can take them quickly.

She was a small dog but she was a big presence around here. Her energy and personality took up a lot of space. The house, despite having multiple other dogs in it, seems empty without her. I miss her little smiling face and her puppy kisses. My little Bayou Babe > Mud Bug > Puppy > Baby Cakes > Little One. The puppy with no name. The puppy from Bogalusa, Louisiana. The puppy who stole my heart. But I guess she wasn't meant to be ours for long :-(((

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Barbie had a little lamb ..... his fleece was white as snow .....
June 17, 2008
Today Barbie gave birth to a little lamb. We've named him Giddeon. Unfortunatley Barbie doesn't have any milk to feed him, so I am bottle raising him. He is staying in the barn with Barbie so that she can 'mother' him, but I am bottle feeding him six times daily for the first couple of weeks. Then four to five feedings per day for the next couple of weeks, and then as he begins to nibble on hay and grain, he will require fewer feedings per day. He is being raised on a special lamb milk replacer formula.


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May 24, 2008 > Another Little Surprise Package!!
Well Jethro WAS a busy boy!!! This morning another little angel was born. This is Lucy with her newborn kid. Another little girl.







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May 22nd, 2008

Surprise! Surprise!
Guess what I found when I went in to feed the barn critters last night?? Just as I was about to put the grain and carrots in Dory & Ellie-Mae's pen, I saw this little black thing. I thought it was Drifter my barn cat at first. Then I did a double take and realized it was a tiny kid. She wasn't there yesterday morning so she was born sometime between morning and suppertime. Little Ellie-Mae did it all by herself! I got an xpen and separated Ellie-Mae and her kid so that they can bond and be safe from any other critters knocking the little one down, but once the little one is a bit bigger then I'll put them back in with Dory. Dory is bleeting like crazy now that she is alone. She's used to having a stall mate.

Seeing as I separated Jethro & Ellie-Mae more than six months ago, and the gestation period for goats is 5mths, there is no way that Ellie-Mae got bred before I separated them. So all we can figure is that Jethro, unbeknownst to us, must have been going over the wall into Ellie-Mae's stall and then climbing back into his own stall. Which means he might have gotten at Lucy too!! So all the while we're thinking they're separated and safe, the little buggar is playing stud goat behind our backs!!

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April 21st, 2008
Very sad news today :-( Zeke died today. Jethro had climbed out of his stall and it appeared that Zeke tried to follow him and got hooked up on the fence. When I went over to the barn this afternoon I was greeted by Jethro & when I went put him back in his stall, I found Zeke hanging. My first impulse was to free him & then I realized that he was already dead. Poor Zeke > just 9mths old. We are very sad this evening.

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March 1st, 2008

Meet our new baby. She is a 3mth old Cattle Dog. She is from Bogalusa, Louisiana and came up to Ontario to the Hamilton./Burlington SPCA two weeks ago. She was transferred to the HBSPCA from the Boudreaux Animal Rescue Krewe in Louisiana. Eighty dogs came up to Ontario.

It seems unbelievable that there are still dogs needing rescue in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but there are still many dogs that were not rescued and are living as strays, and they are reproducing faster than the rescue groups can find and rescue them. Thus, little ones like this are born on the streets ....... puppies of the dogs left homeless in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. And in some cases, puppies of the puppies born to the homeless dogs. Our little one has no name as yet. So far nothing has really suited her. So we'll wait and see how her personality develops and see what names come to mind.

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February. 2008
Jackie just accepted a contract position to teach dog obedience classes for the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA

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January 10th, 2008
Zeke joins our goat family. Today we picked up Jethro's twin brother Zeke. He had not sold and the breeder had him neutered, but still no one purchased him. She did not have room for him in her barn for the winter (just too many goats and over-crowding is not good for them), so she asked us to please take Zeke. He missed his mom and cried for the first couple of days, but he quickly remembered Jethro and Ellie-Mae and has bonded nicely to them. Now it's as if they had never been separated They are all 5mths old now.

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November 2007
Maeve appears on the cover of Dogs In Canada magazine



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November 10/07
Rowdy competed at the USDDN National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky



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October 5/07
Welcome Jethro & Ellie-Mae!
Today we brought home two new pygmy goat kids. Jethro & Ellie-Mae. Jethro is 9wks old and Ellie-Mae is 8wks old. They are beyond cute!!

Lucy is not impressed > she keeps head butting the pen they are in. Jacob is interested in them & I think will welcome them more quickly than Lucy will. It will take a little while for Lucy to accept them. Afterall she IS the Queen Bee around here :-)


Jethro & Ellie-Mae

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September 25/07
They're Here!! The Sheep Have Arrived!
Well yesterday we drove up to Rockwood and picked up our new sheep. Four Kahtadin/Barbado cross wethers; a purebred Barbado wether; and a purebred Barbado ewe (who might be bred & having lambs in February > time will tell!). Today we drove to Binbrook to pick up the two Dorset/Shetland lambs. So now we have a little flock of eight sheep. Lucy & Jacob were startled to see them in the barn and actually ran back outside. I had to coax them in with a cup of grain ...... silly goats :-) Zen is quite interested in them as well.


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September 7/07
Welcome Rabbits!
Today 3 new rabbits came to live at the farm. Cinnamon, a lop eared rabbit; Velvet, a pure black rabbit; and Tawny, a black rabbit with tan highlights. They join the 3 mini rex rabbits already in residence here .... Sable, Honey, and Patch. This week we built 'bunny runs' for the rabbits to live in. Sort of like miniature dog runs with dog (rabbit) houses filled with straw, and shade netting over the pens to protect them from the sun. The rabbits seem happy in their new habitats & it's nice to see them having so much room to hop around and lounge in the fresh air.

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September 5/07
It's Zen's first birthday!!

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August 23/07
Update on Zen .......
Well it's been 4mths since Zen first arrived and he is finally starting to bond to us. The most difficult part of getting Zen was that he wasn't welcoming of the attention I wanted to lavish upon him. I was told that it can take 4 or 5 months for a llama to bond to a new owner and it seems like Zen is right on schedule! Within the past month I've been able to hug him and stroke his muzzle. And he goes outside now and will lead nicely on the leash. And today a big breakthrough ...... he took carrot and apple treats from my hand for the first time!! He is very bonded to the goats and gets quite upset when they wander out of his eyesight. Next month we will be adding a small flock of sheep to the farm, so more friends for Zenny to watch over _________________________________________________


April 29/07
He's Here!! Zen Comes To The Farm ...
We drove to Mount Forest to pick up Zen today. He is almost 8mths old now. Dad and I went to the Fur & Feather Show in Mt. Forest before going to get Zen. What an experience that was!! It was held at the fairgrounds and there was everything from chickens, ducks, emu's, goats, sheep, peacocks, pigeons, pet birds and parrots, rabbits, ferrets, horses, llama's, alpaca's, donkey's, swans ....... you name it!! After walking around the show for a couple of hours we headed off to where Zen was living. He is bigger than I thought he would be, but then again I was picturing him based on a
couple of 6mth old llama's I had met. What a difference 2mths in age can make to size! He is beautiful. We bought him a proper llama halter at the Fur & Feather show and Dianne (his breeder) put it on for us before we left her farm. He is not too sure about us but I'm sure it is a big adjustment for him leaving the other llama's and his mother for the first time. He travelled well in the van on the way home & we got him into the barn with very little fuss.

I do have some grooming to do on him though. He is full of burrs!! His breeders had new straw delivered for their animals bedding and when they opened the bales and put it down in the stalls they discovered the straw was full of burrs >> too late for the llamas though because the burrs attached to them quickly before all of the straw could be pulled out again. Oh well, I guess I'm going to learn how to groom a llama sooner than I thought!

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April 5/07
Update On Nuala
What a difference 11 days can make!! Nuala has put on weight and is starting to look a little better. She's been eating 4 meals a day! Cat kibble, canned cat food, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese & yogurt. Today I gave her deworming medication. I didn't feel that she was strong enough to withstand any kind of trauma on her little body prior to now.



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April 5/07 >> the construction of the new kennel room is nearing completion. All the interior walls are framed and insulated, the drywall is up and all that's left to do is paint the floor, and get the dogs moved in. We have installed 2 large picture windows to provide plenty of light and ventilation, and a cat door for Drifter to come and go as he pleases.



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March 26/07
Nuala
Today I couldn't believe it when I looked outside and saw the little stray cat I named Nuala last summer. I've been watching her since last June '06. She was the size of a 4mth old kitten then and she is no bigger now. She's likely a kitten born to a stray and has been a feral cat all her life. All last summer I would see her out hunting in the fields and I would put food out for her because over time I could see her getting thinner and thinner. But she was too wild to let me get near her. If I went within 50ft of her she would take off. The last time I saw her was in October 2006. She was skin and bones and so hungry that she actually approached to within about 10ft of me when I offered her food. But she would come no closer and took off if I tried to approach her. I had hoped that she would come back and that over a few days or a week I could get close to her. But she disappeared. I thought she had probably died of starvation or gotten killed, since at that time she looked so frail and as if she was flirting with death. I was totally shocked to look out the kitchen window today and see her out by the barn! I immediately grabbed some cat kibble and ran outside and called to her. At first she started to flee, but then she turned and came right up to me for the food. Drifter came along at that time and lay down beside her while she ate and I petted him to show her that he was not afraid and I wouldn't hurt her. She let me pet her while she ate. She is skin and bones, beaten up, her ears are frost bitten, and her tummy is distended. She is either pregnant or full of worms ..... or both! She is still developmentally the size of a 4mth old kitten but I know for a fact that she is at least a year of age because I've been watching her since last June. Skinny does not begin to describe the state she is in. She's weighs only 2 pounds!! And she has some snuffles going on as well. I'm not sure if she is strong enough to survive. I came back inside and got a kennel cab and then went back out to where she was still eating ravenously and I slowly moved the bowl inside the kennel and then closed the door once she went inside. Now I have her in a large dog crate with a litter box and bed > food and water > and warmth. It's a miracle she lived through the winter ....... and I'm so glad she trusted me enough to come here for help. I'm sure Drifter had a hand in it as well ........ perhaps leading her here and letting her know it was safe.



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March 2007
Lakefront Property Anyone?
After all the snow melted and it rained profusely, we ended up looking out at a small pond. It seems the creek broke it's banks and flooded the lower pasture. Now I know why that area of the property is deemed "hazzard land" :-)



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February 2007
AAhh!! Look What Happened To My Trailer!!
Came home today to find that the wind was so strong that it actually LIFTED the trailer open on one end. It was closed, locked down and covered with a tarp and now look at it!! There is damage to the canvas but I won't know for sure just how badly damaged it is until the summer when I can open it up properly.

Foster Dogs & Animals for Adoption .......

Foster Dogs & Animals Available for Adoption

Three Kittens!!!

1. orange tabby male
2. tortoise shell female
3. black female

found abandoned in a box in a park > they will be 8wks old and ready to go to new homes in July 2009

This is Duke > he is 4yrs old > he was left abandoned in a parking lot (with a note) along with his son Moe

This is Moe > he is 2yrs old

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Chance > Adopted!

Beau > Adopted!

Lady > Adopted!

JRTRO Foster

Elvis > Adopted!

JRTRO Foster

Huck > Adopted

Jiffy-Pup > Adopted!

Jiffy was a foster for JRTRO

Skippy > ADOPTED!

Skippy was a foster for JRTRO




This is Max >> ADOPTED!!

Max was a foster for JRTRO

This is Kahlua > ADOPTED!

This is Stryker > ADOPTED!
Stryker was a foster for JRTRO












This is Crosby > ADOPTED!

Winter and her Kittens > all ADOPTED!

This is Jack > ADOPTED!

Jack was a foster for JRTRO




This is Homer >> ADOPTED!!

Homer was a foster for JRTRO




This is Kelsey > ADOPTED!!

Kelsey was a foster for JRTRO

This is Oliver >> ADOPTED!!

Oliver was a foster for the Sandy Lake Dog Rescue

Contact Us:

If you would like to contact us about border collies, or any of the services offered by Claddagh Farms, please send an email message to: Besslin@sympatico.ca

Links

Here are some other sites of interest:

http://www.cafepress.com/SODH

> this is an online store for the Southern Ontario Disc Houndz

http://northernborders.blogspot.com/

> this is my flyball team blog

http://southernontariodischoundz.blogspot.com/

> this is the blog for our disc club

http://teamk9.blogspot.com/

> this is our dog sport show blog

http://lifestyledogtraining.blogspot.com/

> this is my dog training program

http://www.canadianbordercollies.org/CBCATitle.htm

> this is the website for the Canadian Border Collie Association (CBCA)

http://www.americanbordercollie.org

> this is the website for the American Border Collie Association (ABCA)

http://www.bordercollierescueont.com/

> this is the website for the Border Collie Rescue of Ontario

http://www.worldsheepdogtrials.com/index.html

> this is the website for the World Sheep Dog Trials

http://www.sandylakedogrescue.myknet.org/

> this is the website for the Sandy Lake Dog Rescue

http://www.showsiberians.com/toriloka/

> this is the website for Toriloka Siberian Huskies, where my Ranger came from

http://www.jrtcc.org/

> this is the website for the Jack Russell Terrier Club Of Canada

http://www.russellrescue.org/

> this is the website for the Jack Russell Terrier Rescue Of Ontario

http://www.argylefarms.net

> this is the website for Argyle Farms. They have a great swimming facility that you can rent for swimming your dogs. I used to take my guys there all the time when I lived closer to the facility.