Forgetmenot Leap of Faith
"Thalia"
Pedigree Link
Thalia is bred by and co-owned with Joanne Boudreault of Forgetmenot Whippets. Thalia was not our first whippet, but she was the beginning of our foray into breeding and showing. She's the dam of our first two home bred litters, Jackson and Donnie's grandmother, and Vixen, Tinker and Brooke's great-grandmother.
Thalia's mother is the lovely Am.Can.Ch. Forgetmenot Gabrielle's Beauty, and her sire is the stylish Taraly Cannot Forget Me, who was imported from France for her breeding. There were high hopes for this beautiful girl! Unfortunately Thalia injured her arm, which ultimately required a series of surgeries, and she could never be shown.
When I first met Thalia, I thought she was the prettiest thing I'd ever seen. I brought her home knowing that she would probably need surgery and would likely never show. I didn't care, I was in love with her and felt equipped to help her. She was a trooper through it all, always trusting and never complaining. She went on to be an excellent mother, and is still doing well here today at over 14 years of age.
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Forgetmenot Quest For Glory
"Mojo"
Pedigree Link
Mojo is Jake's brother, Jackson's sire, and the inspiration for our kennel name, Wunder, which is German for miracle, amazing, or divine. Mojo came into the world in the arms of an angel, and his life is a gift I will cherish always! Mojo's story is impossible to condense to a few sentences, but is I think worth telling.
In the middle of whelping Thalia's first litter I received the very sad news that my sister-in-law Linda Chafe had just passed away. Linda was the person who introduced me to the world of showing and breeding and a really wonderful person. It was an incredibly sad time for all of us.
The birthing was not going well; a large pup had became lodged in the birth canal and appeared to be dead. After numerous attempts to remove the pup had failed, we headed for the emergency vet. Thalia was howling in the back; it was heart wrenching and my emotions were completely raw. I felt truly overwhelmed with sorrow and prayed desperately for no more death that day. I was suddenly filled with a powerful sense of assurance that both mother and pup would be fine. I have never had a sensation that strong before or since; it was almost palpable.
Mojo was removed by forceps, cold grey and unresponsive. Our efforts to revive him had no effect. Thalia thankfully was fine, but the pup I was told was gone. I brought him home in a box, laid him cold and motionless with his mother and the other pups, and went to sleep on the floor beside them. When I woke a few hours later there he was, as pink and wiggly as the rest of the pups! That same vet was completely shocked to see him back for a check up just a few days later. He had a torn vocal cord from the force of the pull required to dislodge him, but remarkably was otherwise found to be completely healthy.
Mojo was the sweetest pup in that litter; so loving, happy and trusting. I kept him and Jake, and grew them up together for a year and a half. Though he was beautiful standing and moving, Mojo never cared for showing, so my show focus shifted to his brother Jake. I was so thankful that Joanne and Lorraine Burch saw something special in Mojo too and chose him to sire a litter for Jetstream Kennel. The pups were everything I hoped they might be; three of them went on to show championships, and through them Mojo now has grandchildren in Germany, the US and Canada. Ultimately I let Mojo go live with another family who had a dog with separation anxiety. Mojo's reassuring presence made such an improvement in their dog's issues that I couldn't help but think that he was meant to bless them as much as he had blessed me. I still enjoy updates from Mojo's family regularly and know this dog will always own a big piece of my heart.