The arrival of a small red furball in our Ottawa household in 1975 marked the beginning of an ongoing love affair with the Toller. The dynamic furball grew up to be Ch. Shelburne of Jeffery Coldwell, (1) foundation bitch for Westerlea and dam of our top-winning, top producing stud

BIS BISS Ch. Westerlea's White Ensign (2). In 1979 we acquired Lucy, Ch. Sundrummer's Seawitch, from Wileen Mann's Sundrummer Kennels in Northern British Columbia and Tip and Lucy went on to be cornerstones of the Westerlea breeding program.

They produced two All-Breed Best in Show sons and a number of other Group placers and Obedience titleholders (3).

Both Tip and Lucy feature prominently in the pedigrees of two of our greatest winners and producers,

BIS Ch. Sandycove at Westerlea WC CD and Dual BISS Ch. Westerlea's Bonny Bluenose (4), from whom a number of today's top-achieving Tollers in several countries descend. Five of the eight All-Breed Best in Show Tollers are of the Tip/Lucy line.

As newer Hunt Tests come on the scene, Westerlea is focusing more on field work. We have always ensured that our breeding dogs had extremely strong retrieving desire and water ability but are now working to put more field titles onto our own dogs.

Our current matriarch is Sola, Can.Int.Ch. Westerlea's Surprise Package WCI JH CD CGC (5), a Tip/Lucy great-great granddaughter. 

Waiting in the wings are her daughters Unity (6), who now has all her health clearances, and young Betsy, shown in a photograph at the very end of this site. Westerlea's Betsy Sunshine is the puppy second from left.

Westerlea heads statistics for the number of champions (over 60) and obedience titles (40+) and we are proud of the number of Westerlea dogs in the pedigrees of some of today's top title holders in field, showring and obedience.

PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS
1 Ch. Shelburne of Jeffery Coldwell at 7 1/2 yearsTip -
2 BIS BISS Ch. Westerlea's White Ensign
3 BIS Ch. Westerlea's Tru Ray Red Rebel WC CDX, the first Tip/Lucy Best in Show son.
4 Dual BISS Ch. Westerlea's Bonny Bluenose, BIS Ch. Sandycove at Westerlea WC CD and Ch. Westerlea's Echo of Shelley CD (Peanut), with Alison in 1988.
5 Sola -Can.Int.Ch. Westerlea's Surprise Package WCI JH CD CGC in the field.
8 CH. WESTERLEA'S HAPPY UNITY WC, from Sola's first litter.

Peanut - Biggest winner at the Specialty was our wonderful veteran girl, CH. WESTERLEA'S ECHO OF SHELLEY CD, who, at the grand age of 12 bounced off with Best Opposite Sex in an entry of 122 Tollers, Best Veteran and Best Brood Matron. Placing second and third were two of Peanut's daughters with their kids, so there were three generations of Westerlea dogs in this class. Peanut was lovingly handled by her old friend and admirer Sheila (Paul) McClure, to whom go warm thanks for such a beautiful job. Peanut is now living the life of a grande dame with John and Pauline Wilcock in White Rock.

Django - Winners Dog and Best of Winners went to WESTERLEA'S GYPSY JAZZMAN, proudly owned by Craig Morley and Marlene Merritt of Carnation, WA, and handled by Sandy McFarlane, whose skills have been a mainstay of Westerlea for many years. Django is sired by Ch. Tollbreton Juneau out of Ch. Westerlea's Jane Eyre, a Peanut daughter. Litter sister Rosie, WESTERLEA'S MINDY ROSE, co-owned with Halimah Simon of Langley BC, went Winners Bitch at the Specialty.

Young Unity not only won her Specialty class but was one of 6 Tollers to earn a pass at the WC/I/X tests the next day. She is now Ch. Westerlea's Happy Unity WC.

Photo Credits: Ellice Hauta Photography