WENTCOURT KENNELS

Our first Estrela was Ketti or Sturtmoor Kabanea of Wentcourt and we have Marcia Dovey (Sturtmoor Kennels) to thank for allowing us to have such a wonderful girl. She was a wonderful blue masked girl and everyone who saw her fell in love with her.  Ketti came to us at the age of  5months and settled into our home as though she had always belonged, and made herself very much the top dog.

Her first show was at Bath Championship Show where she took first in her class then went on to take the Reserve Best Bitch award,  not bad at all for her first show.  After that she was always winning either Best Bitch or Reserve Best Bitch at most of her shows and when we took her to Crufts for the first time, she won Reserve Best Bitch.

In 1997, Ketti had her first litter to Claudios Do Sitio Das Neves at Capanegra and we thank both Dr. Jorge and Ilda Damas-Mora for allowing us to use their wonderful dog.  Ketti had to have a cesarian section as she had a complete inertia which resulted in 6 healthy babies being born, 2 girls and 4 boys, Beto went to live with Jorge and Ilda, Vinney my brother, Aslan with Jennifer and Charlie Barnet, Serra with Ellie Johnson, Sinnead with Jo and Dowi Koop and Jensen stayed with us.

Ketti never lost the weight that she had put on with the pups but never really was happy around the shows, so we decided to keep her at home, and after a few years allowed her to have another wonderful litter. Again she ended up having a complete inertia resulting in another ceaser but this time she had 10 babies, wow and they were gorgeous.  The sire was Faidros Xerife e Castanho of Clerafora, another import and Ketti had 3 girls and 7 boys, Karli a lovely brindle stayed with us and my very good friends Jeanette Piorkowska took home Salem and Cadbury, Pringle went home with Diana Curtis (Stormwitch Estrelas), and Asti went home with Millie Dovey (as she was then), and Keeva, Kira, Bob (now Wolf), Simba and Sisko went to pet homes.

We then had Ketti spade, no more ceasers for her and lots of rest and lots of cuddles. She became Top dog and kept the other two in control, and life with Ketti was wonderful.

However, in 2003 we notcied that her nose was bleeding and Ketti was taken to the vet.  After some x-rays and other tests we were given the news that she had a nasal tumor so would be on lots of different medication probably for the rest of her life.  And then it became a waiting game. 

 But Ketts was never happy, also looked so down and her eyes, sad.  We took her back and forth the vet and our main concern was that she maybe in pain, but we could not know for sure.  The blood loss from her nose became more frequent and extrememly heavy from day to day and again after long discussions with the vet and deciding that the operation they could give her was not going to benefit her in any way, it was decided that she had had enough.  In June 2004 it was time to let her go and both Jeff and I were with Ketti when she fell asleep for the last time. Goodnight and God Bless my darling girl.