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JEAN AND RIPARIAN'S JEZEBEL ~ "BELLE" Belle 10/25/95 ~ 11/01/07 I will always miss you my jazzy Belle You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us. Robert Louis Stevenson Amen....J O'C Hat Creek's Handsome Gus 11/25/93 ~ 5/14/08 Gus at rest last year with friend "Bird" He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion. unknown Jean and ~ "Nitro" Just over one year old (in this picture) and due to an injury that ended her career as a competition dog she went on to become a drug dog. In September 2007 we got to watch her work in a abandoned building and alert on the hidden drugs.    I am currently a member of the OLD SOUTH HUNTING RETRIEVER CLUB and the ATLANTA RETRIEVER CLUB. I served three terms for the Atlanta club as secretary/treasurer from 1999 through 2005. Joining a club is a great way to meet other "doggie" people and learn more about hunt tests and field trials. I encourage you to get involved with a club in your area, they always need volunteers and its a good way to meet new friends and people you can train with and learn from, look em up!!! Born in 1993 and the start of it all ! ! Ever see the movie Lonesome Dove? (Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones) My favorite western! This is how my Gus got his name and why I called my farm Hat Creek **** JUST LOST YOUR DOG? If your heart is heavy because you have lost your dog through an accident or old age or an illness, and you are not sure about getting another dog to fill the "void", I, myself, have been there several times before and in every situation. In reality we all know we cannot replace our special pet and I don't think any of us really try to do that but yet maybe we really long to and then we feel a little bit guilty. I am here to tell you, some years ago I went two years without a dog in my life after my precious "Bess" died. Bess was the most loving little beagle that was the last dog my Dad bought before he got sick and passed away. He had asked me to take her home and raise her. Dad was a small game hunter all his life and we were raised with bird dogs, beagles and coon hounds ~ guess that's where I got my love of dogs ~ as a child I brought home every stray and got bit several times. Dad would sternly say to me "when will you ever learn to leave the dogs alone!"? Guess I never did ! At any rate, I thought I would NEVER have another dog as SPECIAL as Bess. She was probably two months old when I brought her home and she lived 13 years. When she passed away my oldest daughter, Kelly, cried, .... " I remember the first time I saw Bess, she fit right in Grandpa's hand". And this was true Well the year was 1980 and Kelly has had in her life another precious "best friend"~"Lindsey" a female Rottweiller who was eight years old when she lost her to bone cancer last year. And I still have my "new" best friend ~ Gus~ he is my first lab and is 14 years old. I never thought I would feel this strongly after Bess about another dog. But Gus has been the dog that healed my heart. Consider letting a puppy open the door of your heart that grief has closed........... I can only tell you this is how I relate to losing a special pet. And most importantly, do not ever feel bad or foolish about grieving for your pet, as they truly are a member of the family. We can't replace "our friend" but a puppy will and can help heal your heart. This is the lesson I learned after Bess. I will NEVER be without a dog that long again, life is too short to pass up the opportunity to form a bond with another dog that wants to come into our lifes. And what better joy is there in life but to hug a puppy?? ! ! ( I love puppy breath!!) Please think about this, and also realize these are only my personal feelings and you need to do what feels right for you. Take care and God Bless, Jean O'Connor TESTIMONIALS My husband, Neal, and I have known Jean O'Connor of Hat Creek Farm since around 1997. She has been actively involved in breeding wonderful Labrador Retrievers since we have known her. We attended church together for several years before she moved to the country to pursue her dream of living on a farm and breeding top quality retrievers. My first contact with Jean was shortly after losing our beloved Herschel, a black Lab. I contacted her because I was aware of her rapidly growing reputation in our area. Our timing was bad because she had no puppies available at the time. In my desperation, our hoped for yellow Lab turned into a wheaten colored Scottie, a wonderful animal, but definitely not a Lab! Jean is a person of integrity, who truly cares about her animals and the families which adopt them. Any monetary gains (sometimes I wonder how there are any) are secondary. She diligently tries to match the right dog to the right person or family. She spends a lot of time with each littter socialzing them and determining their personalities. I have no problem recommending a retriever from Hat Creek Farm to anyone. When the time is right for our next retriever, it will definitely come from Jean at Hat Creek. If you have never met her beautiful Belle or Handsome Gus, or seen a finely bred retriever puppy, it is definitely worth a trip to the country! Debbie Brewer Flowery Branch, GA ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ It has been our pleasure to know and work with Jean of HAT CREEK FARM. She has bred to our yellow male Labrador ~ CHASER'S YUKON HUNTER MH ~ ("CABO") that has produced outstanding litters which have maintained the high standard of the breed including outstanding looks, personalities and conformation. Jean has a knack of matching the right male and the right female to produce genetically superior puppies. Also, Jean's ability to match the correct owner to the right puppy is critical in being successful when you bring that new family member home! My best advice is to listen to Jean, she will not lead you astray ! Doug and Laura Trautman Duluth, GA ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Jeannie O'Connor was a little girl with a big, feisty mare that behaved very badly on occasion. She came to me because she had heard that I could retrain her mare, but more importantly, that I would be kind in doing so. That defines Jeannie ! That was many years ago and the beginning of a lifelong friendship. The mare turned out to be a real lady - and little Jeannie grew up to be a real lady too. Ms O'Connor has many years of experience in the breeding and training of dogs. She is honest, very capable and, above all, she is kind to her "critters". I can recommend her highly and without reservation. Sincerely, Edward J. Leonard Pompton Plains, NJ ~~~ Governor (Ret'd) Ramapo Kennel Club ~~~ Secretary/Treasurer Garden State Horseshoers Association ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ So in conclusion, I hope that I have given you at least a "snapshot" of my life long dream~ HAT CREEK FARM. Please feel free to contact me by lettter, phone, or email. Either way, my Labs and I will be delighted to welcome your interest in HAT CREEK FARM. Most Sincerely, Jean O'Connor |
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