My Nonprofit Reviews

Our family was lucky enough to be invited to raise a North Star breeding dog for the North Star Foundation five years ago. After our family was vetted (very thoroughly by Patty herself) and deemed a safe and healthy place to raise a puppy from their line, and after being given a set of safety and health guidelines (as well as the breeder agreement that outlines how NS dogs are to be raised for their and others' safety, health and comfort, etc) and a direct connection to Patty to stay in frequent touch, we were lined up to receive a puppy to raise.
We received the pup on Christmas Eve, and she is to this day, at the age of five, still one of the best gifts EVER!
We know North Star puppies are bred to be attentive to people, responsive, calming, and well behaved, and I have to say this Golden and North Star met this expectation easily, and then surpassed what we expected in any number of ways.
We co-owned the dog with Patty, and she went along to provide 2 litters for North Star as agreed. Patty only allows two litters per dog maximum, and doesn't permit them to be impregnated until they are the optimum age for carrying and delivering a litter.
I have to say I was VERY glad that our dog went to Patty's foundation about two weeks before her due date so that she would be carefully watched over and monitored in the weeks leading up to delivery, and then overseen by Patty during the delivery. I would have been totally overwhelmed to have been in charge of that! I know Patty was up all night ushering new puppies into the world in a peaceful and gentle way for each litter, as she called me early in the morning to let me know (and congratulate me!) after each. Our dog raised the puppies for the required time for each litter, and was then returned to us to go back to her normal life.
She's retired now, and continues to be a sweet, funny, lively soul happily living among our family... She LOVES people, is sweet as pie with us and our other dog and cat, and is so tuned in to me as to seem human. She has big brown soulful eyes that are checking in with me at many points during any given day just to make contact and exchange a silent 'hello,' and 'all is well.'
But her dog side continues to love taking long walks with us and our other dog as they run huge circles around us through fields, woods and along paths. She loves to swim great lengths and loves lying on the deck in the sun. And I can't count the times I get stopped by people telling me what gorgeous dog I have. I wish I could take credit. She has long silky honey fur and a full plume of a tail. I know North Star breeds mainly for temperament, but Patty's throwing in some flat-out gorgeousness is a nice little extra.
We had the opportunity to visit with Patty and Ron several weeks ago as they were picking up a North Star dog near our town and dropped by with it to say hi. It was our dog's daughter!!! What a treat to get to see her grown 2-year-old. And I say 'our' dog's daughter because now that she is five (on October 4, my birthday as well) and has completed her two litters, she is fully ours.
I'm in awe of North Star's breeding program and the thought and care put into the quality of the dogs they breed. Every step of the way that I was involved I felt an atmosphere Patty created of love, care, generosity, and deep purpose.
(PS--We traveled a few hours several weeks ago to view a public screening of the documentary "Buddy System." It's been shown in other states around the country but it was finally close enough to us that we could travel to see it. I don't know too much about it's conception and creation, but I do know it was made by a well regarded documentary maker, and followed several families over the course of several years that received North Star dogs. It was a moving tribute to all the people and work involved within and without the families, the foundation, schools, and communities surrounding autism service dogs. It also showed the magic going on in these families with the dogs, and their connection to Patty. There was a large audience at the screening and then there was a Q&A session afterward. Well worth going--)