Mary and her husband Mark live in the Blue Ridge mountains in North Carolina. They have owned six Llewellyn Setters over the years, four of which are SWESR alumni. Rio and Tracee are their most recent SWESR dogs.
Their very first Llewellyn, Buddy, was a lost hunting dog who simply showed up on their steps one day. They tried but couldn’t find his owner. Over several months they grew to love him dearly and he became a permanent part of the family. Chigger then joined them, after being rescued from a home near St. Louis that was too small for her. Gus was their third Llewellyn and first SWESR dog. Gus had lived with his original owner in Utah from puppyhood to old age. When he became mostly deaf and blind and developed separation anxiety, his owner decided he didn’t want Gus anymore and Mark and Mary adopted him from a SWESR foster home. Gus was devastated at first, but recovered and had four more good years with Mark and Mary. As Chigger was nearing her end, Mary began watching the SWESR website for a new dog to adopt. She saw Rio, described by SWESR as a wonderful dog who had flunked out of a Texas hunting camp as he was fearful of loud noises, a fear which continues to this day. When he hears thunder he’ll cower, or run to a closet to get to a safe space.
Rio looked like a twin of Buddy, and Mary’s heart melted immediately. The SWESR website also described Rio as an escape artist. Several months later Chigger crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Despite their heartache, Mary and Mark were ready to love another Setter and Rio was still available. They drove from North Carolina to Rio’s Oklahoma foster home and picked him up.
Mary and Mark have a large, very Setter-interesting backyard in the Blue Ridge mountains that borders a wild national forest canyon. It’s two-third’s of an acre, fully fenced, and is filled with rocks, boulders, bushes, and trees. It’s a dog’s paradise! Their prior dogs have lived and loved in that yard for years, but five minutes after arriving Rio found a hidden weak spot in the fence behind a bush and escaped! Fortunately, about 20 minutes later, Rio showed up at their front door, which he had only walked through once before. Since then, Rio has ingeniously managed to escape four more times. He typically runs for about five miles, then stops to wait for his parents to find him (using the Fi collar SWESR provided).
About three months after Rio arrived, SWESR posted photos of a cute girl named Tracee, who had belonged to a hunter who had passed away. Unfortunately, this hunter did not care for his dogs. Tracee was heartworm positive and treated in her SWESR foster home in Texas before she traveled home to Mark and Mary.
Mary fell in love with Tracee immediately. Mary also has a major client who owns a private airplane, so guess who got to fly in luxury to her new home? That’s right, Mary and Tracee did! Mary says Tracee got on the plane like she owned it. That dog loved the airplane and the flight.
Tracee is a very happy, loving, and energetic young lady, who may be about 5 years old now. She performs a “Flying Paws Happy Dance” multiple times a day. She adores her human parents as well as Rio, who is guesstimated to be around 7, even though he continues to act like a puppy. The two dogs truly love each other and never fight.
Rio and Tracee spend a lot of their day in the yard, which is filled with birds, chipmunks, rabbits, and sometimes even a raccoon. Just outside the fence there are visits from deer, turkey, and woodchucks. Black bears have been special visitors, too. Coyotes howl in the distance, and Rio howls right back at them.
Both Rio and Tracee go with their dad on neighborhood walks, and most days involve trips to town for errands, and, of course, dog treats. Rio is a Daddy’s boy, and Tracee is a Momma’s girl, and no member of the family would have it any differently. Mary and Mark have bought a vacation house on a lake in Georgia, so the entire family can avoid cold winters, and everyone loves the lake swimming.
Rio and Tracee are described as being two peas in a pod. Tracee is an absolute lover, and Rio is very protective of her. They share their toys, and a favorite game involves each pup on either side of a toy, tugging away for all their worth.
Mary and Mark have adored all their dogs and love their Setters completely. They are thankful to SWESR for how they have helped produce such happy lives for everyone!