Dogs in Review Interviews Patricia H. Haines, DVM

Patty Haines has worn many different hats in her involvement with purebred dogs. She acquired quality animals in several breeds from top breeders and took those dogs to significant specialty and all-breed wins. She gained valuable experience by assisting one of the most sucessful husband-and-wife all-breed handling teams of her generation.Then she handled her own home bred dogs in several breeds to even more wins, including many National Specialty and all-breed Best in Shows. Her experience as a breeder combined with her professional training and background as a veterinarian have made her a valuable addition to the Board of Directors of the American Kennel Club for a combined total of almost 10 years.Top all of this off with almost 30 years spent with husband Thad managing and working their farm in Ohio and Patty becomes one of the most well-rounded individuals in the world of dogs and other animals that you may ever meet. Sue LeMieux talked to Patty for Dogs in Review.

DR: When and how did you first become involved with purebred dogs?

PH: My family always had an Irish Setter as a pet. When I was about 8, our older pet died so we purchased a puppy that had a champion sire. My brother saw an ad in the newspaper for a puppy match sponsored by the Cincinnati Kennel Club. At that and a subsequent match we were fortunate to meet and develop a friendship with Charles Jones, an Irish Setter breeder and judge. Obviously our puppy was not of show quality, but Charles had a puppy dog out of what would be his last litter that he decided I should have to show. I was fortunate to have parents that allowed this.

We attended Queen City Dog Training Club conformation classes and started showing this Irish Setter. At Queen City I met and developed a friendship with Laura Ellis (Kling) of Laurell Golden Retrievers. This was in 1968 when Irish Setters were very popular and Goldens were very rare. Laura gave me co-ownership in a Golden bitch, believing that a 9 year old had a better chance of succeeding with a Golden than an Irish Setter. It was with this Golden, eventually Ch. Bardsfield’s Lindsay Laurell CD, that I really started competing and breeding dogs. ‘Lindsay’ finished as a puppy, led me to a win in the junior competition at Westminster in 1970, and produced my first litter. With that first litter Charles Jones asked me to continue his kennel name of Encore, which I did with the modification to Oncore.

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