Annian’s Chestnut Spring Hill Mina JH CGC

Mina
October 20, 2008 – August 16, 2016

Owners: Kelly Wood and Suzanne M Towne
Breeder: Ian Towne and Suzanne M Towne

Pedigree

Photo Gallery

I’ve always been an animal person but never knew the full extent of the love between human and animal until I had my own cats. I know you are saying to yourself, this is a Vizsla newsletter why is this crazy person talking about cats? Bear with me, the cats lead to the Vizsla. I’d had family dogs all my life but had only had my cats for about 3 years when I moved to Auburn to go to college. Naturally the cats went with me but the dogs stayed behind as they were more my parents’ dogs to begin with. Over time I started to really miss the companionship only a dog can bring. I had worked in a vets office before I’d left for Auburn and had seen many breeds so I started to research. Cavaliers were cute but I already had a cat with heart issues so I shied away from them. Rhodesians were really cool because they hunted lions but I felt they might be a bit too big for me. We’d had Beagles and Brittanys and English Springers as well as mutts and as amazing as they were/are none of them seemed to be “my” dog. I remembered a Vizsla I had seen at the vet once so I looked them up. Absolutely beautiful. Cat-like (plus), sweet tempered (plus plus) and don’t smell (plus plus plus).

Ok, time to hunt down a breeder! Having some trouble, I contacted the VCMA and they gave me a few names but Sue Towne was the one that fit me best. She answered all my questions (many times over) and I felt a good connection when I came to visit the litter at 6 weeks old. All of which I’m sure you are aware are really good things when searching for a furry family member. Lavender Girl kinda picked me as much as I picked her. All the pictures showed her settling into my lap and spending more time with me on the first visit more so that the other pups. Two weeks later and she screamed the whole 3.5 hr drive home, lol! She was smart, really smart and we just clicked and had this instant connection I’d never had before. I only had one class that last semester in college so we spent all our time together going to the park and playing. Then came time to show her. Something I had only watched on TV before and here I am in the ring at Nationals for her second show ever! What was I thinking! Mostly to not throw up or pass out, lol! But we met great people and had fun. Then hey,,why don’t you take your dog out and hunt with her! What? I can’t kill an animal! Oh wait, you don’t have to? Oh, ok! I can do that. So we did and she was amazing, absolutely natural in the field. We met more great people and became involved in the VCMA and all the great folks near us in Atlanta and all the neighboring Vizsla folks who travel around to all the events.

My parents fell in love with her, dad especially, so I got him his Reagan for Christmas 3 years ago now. Not long after I got my boy Bodhi, whom I love dearly. Mina woo’d my boyfriend (later husband), an admittedly small dog kinda guy, with her charm and he fell head over heels for her (and all my furry kids). Mina started it all, she gave me so much, was there for me in sad and happy times and asked for so little. Well perhaps that is not 100% correct, she would more than ask for, rather demand, a tennis ball on a regular occasion. Especially if it happen to roll under the couch and she couldn’t reach it. Mina was very intelligent, you could just see it in her face when she was doing something she wasn’t supposed to and wouldn’t look you straight in the eye, but only out of the corner a bit or when she was learning something new and would stop performing on purpose if you asked her too many times as if to say “I got this mom, move on!” Or when she was trying so hard to control herself when all she wanted to do was jump on you and lick you silly. (You would just have to let it happen when she got that crazy look in her eyes. Resistance was futile).

At only two months shy of her 7th birthday I expected many more years of fun and love and just growing old together but alas that was not in the cards. On August 16th Hemangiosarcoma had other plans. Less than 24 hrs after presenting with signs my beautiful girl, my intelligent, my loving, my amazing girl, my heart, my Mina was beyond help. There was nothing that could be done except to make one of the hardest decisions in my life. But I had to be strong. I had to be strong like Mina and for Mina. And so I was strong and my husband and I were with her through to the end. I hold each and every moment with Mina close to my heart, because those are some of the best moments in my life. Each day I remember the good and smile and try to not let the moments when I’m not distracted get me down. I am extremely thankful that she did not suffer but I can’t help but be a little bitter about her being taken so young. My amazing, my beautiful, my heart, my Mina. I love you monster.                   

Kelly Hodges

AKC Number: SR52883303
Date of Birth: October 20, 2008
Breed/Sex: Vizsla/female

Sire: GCH CH Paradox Glorybound Brok JH RN
Dam: CH Annian’s Special Op Sally SH ROM

Health Certification:
OFA Hips VZ-12130G28F-VPI
OFA cardiac: VZ-CA300/29F/C-VPI
CERF: VZ-353694