02/05/2021
Thank you Phil for your wonderful and honest words ♡
As a family we had been keen on getting a puppy for several years, but we were waiting for our sons to be at an age that we felt would be appropriate for the responsibility of owning a puppy, as well as helping take care of him/her (our sons have just turned 11 and 8). I had researched many breeds, and once settled that a Cockapoo would make the perfect family dog for us, I started the search to find a responsible breeder. I carried out online research, becoming more and more concerned by the amount of people that appeared to be breeding irresponsibly, too presumably to take advantage of a desirable breed coupled with the rise in interest in puppies due to lockdown. Fortunately, at long last, I found Casey through her website: gorgeous4paws.com
I made contact with Casey, initially via email, to introduce ourselves as a family, to explain our reasons for wishing to purchase a puppy, and our family circumstances. Several discussions followed between us where we openly talked through the responsibilities of bringing a dog into our family, which allowed us both to get to know each other, building a lovely friendly rapport in the process. Casey was tremendous with the amount of information she shared about her experience as a breeder, as well as the extensive care packs that she provided with her puppies, coupled together with the breeding heritage of all of her pups. We were provided with photos of both mum and dad amongst so many other bits of information that is too long to list!! This left us in no doubt that we would only consider buying a puppy from Casey, and fortunately Casey also had the same instinctive feel with us, so we embarked on our journey.
After further exchanges, we were offered 3rd pick from an upcoming litter. Casey explained all of the steps with us, and even shared photos of the scan leading up to the birth. Due to the coronavirus lockdown, Casey had modified her usual practises in order to engage all of the families together in a WhatsApp group chat, which would also be used for video calls with the pups once they were born, so that they were able to get familiar with our voices before coming home. Unfortunately, this is where our journey took a sad twist. Our puppy passed away the evening after we had chosen him due to natural causes. He was a healthy pup, but succumbed to a very rare but natural occurrence that can affect puppies up to 3 weeks old. Understandably as a family we were devastated, as was Casey. Her emotion at the loss was clear to see, but she prioritised our welfare above her own. Casey’s care of us during this time is not something we will ever forget; she massively helped with our children’s understanding of what had happened. For some breeders that may have been the end of our story, but not with Casey……
Casey was so keen to help us through the loss of our pup that she immediately offered us first pick from the next litter that she was expecting, which was fortunately only 3 weeks later. From this new litter we got to know the other families that were also going to have a pup, as well as remaining in contact with the families from the original litter. A lovely and considerate touch initiated by Casey. This has enabled us to continue to build the support network spread across two different litters.
Our chosen pup, the gorgeous Ziggy, was born on 26th February 2021. He is a fantastic fox red colour, and he truly is our ideal puppy. Right from his birth, through to bringing Ziggy home, we had the continual help, support and explanations from Casey. Nothing was too much hassle. There was not a stone left unturned so, even as relatively inexperienced dog owners, we felt confident before we even bought him to our house. We had at least 3 video calls with Ziggy each week prior to bringing him home to familiarise him with our voices, which undoubtedly worked as Ziggy was calm and trusting immediately with us. Ziggy had been exposed to many experiences before we took him home, meaning that his socialisation was well underway, and as such he is a calm and well balanced puppy. Since bringing Ziggy into our family, he has settled superbly, and has an unbreakable bond with the entire family in a matter of days. As mentioned previously, Casey provides a very comprehensive care pack with her pups, meaning that your focus is the puppy alone, and not whether you have bought all of the essentials prior to getting the puppy. Every base is covered.
The care and support of Casey did not end with taking Ziggy home, with her continuing to provide support and guidance both individually and to the ongoing group chats. This has been essential as we navigate ourselves through those early days and try to build our confidence and experience. Casey is always available to assist and will endeavour to answer every question when raised. This is a true testament of the love and passion that she has for her pups, and her ongoing involvement in their lives to ensure that they get off to the best possible start in their new homes. Casey’s approach to breeding is a vocation, and this resonates in the approach she undertakes with each and every one of her pups. I cannot recommend Casey highly enough, she has made the entire adventure of getting a puppy an informed and enjoyable experience. There are many happy memoires ahead, but without a doubt Casey has provided the best possible launch pad for which to build those memories on. Thank you Casey – you have been awesome!
