Janet has been breeding Cavalier King Charles Spaniels since 1975, with her original breeding stock coming from England. Janet lived in England from 1970-1976 with her family, obtaining her first Cavaliers in 1975. With no crystal ball to know what was in store, Janet found her first Cavalier, Bucky, the dog of her heart. Bucky planted an idea in Janet's mind that Cavaliers were so special, that with the help of two diligent English breeders, Janet obtained Nellie, her first brood bitch. She feels she was truly blessed to start out with two such quality dogs.
Janet has been a member of the "The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club of America" and a charter member of both the "American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club" (the parent club of the AKC) and the "Badgerland Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club" in Wisconsin.
Ana met Janet in 1995 when she was looking for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in the Milwaukee area. Janet just had a litter the day before. Ana obtained "Ivy" and took her to the first AKC show in Milwaukee that recognized Cavaliers in 1996. Ivy was the only Cavalier in the show and of course won her class and best of breed. It was a great first experience for Ana, Ivy, and Janet. Even though Ivy was the only one in her class, we knew she was a champion. We just recently lost Ivy to "old age". We miss her terribly, but she gave us 13 years of joy with her wonderful temperment and unconditional love. Ivy came from Janet's original breeding stock and has produced wonderful puppies. Her legacy has been carried on in 2 litters of puppies we have just had.
We both have a one year heath guarantee for any genetic diseases. We do yearly screenings for MVD (Mitral Valve Disease) and eye defects on all of our breeding stock.
Janet and Ana have since become best friends and Janet continually passes down her knowledge of dogs to Ana. We have been through not only dog crisis together, but personal and family crisis as well. We have gained an insight into and bond with each other that only comes from working and playing together on a daily basis.
In 2004, Ana formed what is now the Badgerland Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club that is now recognized as a licensed club with the AKC. We are now able to hold pointed shows. Ana was the President of the club for 3 years and is now the secretary. Janet held the position on the Board of Directors for 3 years. Both of us are active members in the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club and attend our yearly National show. The Badgerland Club holds an annual Cardiac Clinic, usually in September with a certified Veteranary Cardiologist. This clinic is open to all breeds and has been successful for the past 3 years. We hold matches and fun days and always have a great time. We are planning our first Specialty show (all Cavaliers) for October 2009.
We are dedicated to the improvement and betterment of this wonderful breed. We truly love our dogs and are grateful to them for being the catalists to meeting each other and many other wonderful people who have become good friends.