January 10, 2011 - Today Mary Jane, Lee and Alicia had to say goodbye to their beautiful Tia Marie. A few days prior a mass was seen on ultrasound and exploratory surgery was scheduled for January 10, 2011. Once the Nowak's vet had gotten into the area she discovered the mass had perforated the intestine which would make recovery from it's removal a lengthy process of flushing for 3-4 weeks as well as a high risk of infection and then chemotherapy would be required if Tia survived the initial recovery. A second mass was found on her spleen during the surgery as well. As much as they didn't want to say goodbye Mary Jane put it best in her email to me, "Tia lived with her head held high with dignity and left with her dignity." Mary Jane also shared the following about their trip to the vet for the exploratory surgery with me in an email and I think it is fitting to capture those words on Tia's webpage as in reading them it is clear to me that Tia was saying goodbye to them knowing it would be the last time they would see her before she went to Rainbow Bridge. Mary Jane wrote, "When we got to the vets this morning she (Tia) stayed with Alicia. I sat across from them. When they came to take her in the back Tia calmly walked over to me, looked me in the face, and then put her head on my lap. After that she walked back to Alicia and put her head on Alicia's lap. We kissed her and hugged her. We told her how much we loved her. There won't be a day that goes by that we won't think of our little fire cracker." Mary Jane's vet aspirated the mass and determined that the cancer that took Tia was Lymphoma the same deadly cancer that took her dam and her sire. My heart is broken for Mary Jane's, Lee's and Alicia's loss. As the breeder I so wish I could take away their pain and I so wish I could bring Tia back to them. I raised that beautiful girl from birth to 9 weeks and then put her on a plane to Mary Jane and Lee knowing she would have such a great home with them and their daughter Alicia, whom Tia lived with along with her other Boxer, Shadigee's Moonlit Mirage (Ava), and her French Bulldog, Pigeonwood's Colette De Shadigee (Colette). The wonderful friendship I have with them is due to Tia and I will always cherish it! Tia will always have a place in my heart and I will miss her dearly. She will live on in her beautiful kids sired by the stunning BISS Am/Can. Ch. Summer's Blackjack Of Shadigee SOM (Blackjack) owned by Mary Jane and Lee. You can view her beautiful kids by scrolling down this page and clicking on their registered names. This was extremely difficult for me to write as my heart still aches for the Nowak's who are still missing their little fire cracker so very much. Run free beautiful girl! I know you are in good company now but know that you are greatly missed by all of us. Another one taken much too young....

Tia is one of the two flashy fawn females from Allie's one and only litter. I chose to keep her litter sister, Can. Ch. CynTech's DashNBy Tornado Ally (Bindy), while Tia went to a wonderful home where she is loved and owned by Mary Jane & Lee Nowak of Shadigee Boxers in Alvaton, Kentucky. She lives with three Boxer girls and her half uncle, BISS Am/Can. Ch. Summer's Blackjack Of Shadigee SOM (Blackjack). Blackjack is a half brother to Tia's dam, Can. Ch. CynTech's Ally McBeal DOM (Allie) as they share the same sire, Can. Ch. Berlane's Corporate Image SOM (Max). Blackjack is also a half brother to Tia's sire as they share the same dam, Can. Ch. Berlane's Wild Thing Stella CD DOM (Stella). Visit Tia's webpage on the Shadigee Boxers website!

Tia's sire is the stunning, stallion of a dog, Am/Can. MBIS Ch. Summer's Dash Riprock SOM (Dash), who was sadly taken from the Boxer world much too soon. I am very proud to be able to say that Tia and her five littermates are a result from Dash's last naturally sired Canadian litter. I want to thank Josie and Tom O'Reilly of Summer Boxers (Reg'd) for allowing me to breed my Ally McBeal to Dash Riprock. The future looks very promising with Tia and her littermates.

At 8 1/2 months of age, Tia placed second to the ABC Winners Bitch in a very large 6-9 Month Fawn Bitch class (23 fawn puppy bitches) at the American Boxer Club National Specialty on May 5, 2004, under respected Boxer Breeder judge Stephanie Abraham! She was beautifully handled to this class placement by Erin Struff!

Tia obtained her Canadian Championship quickly in limited showing. She acquired her first 6 points as a senior puppy at the Aurora & District Kennel Club shows in Richmond Hill, Ontario, under judge Bruce Weegar On May 29, 2004, and on May 30, 2004, under judge Norma Egginton. Tia was handled beautifully to these wins by JoAnn Griffith. She then went back home to show in the US.

At Regionals week in Frederick, Maryland, Tia placed each day in a large 12-18 Month Fawn Bitch Class (there were 10 to 11 each show)! Tia's placements were as follows; 3rd in class at the New Jersey Boxer Club Specialty under judge Anne Rogers Clark on October 4, 2004; 2nd in class, to the Winners Bitch, at the Eastern Boxer Club Specialty under judge Hal Biermann on October 5, 2004; 3rd in class at the Maryland Boxer Club Specialty under judge Christine Beardsell on October 6, 2004; 2nd in class, to the Winners Bitch, at the Potomac Boxer Club Specialty under judge Everett Dean on October 7, 2004, and 2nd in class at the American Boxer Club Regional Specialty under judge Janet Sinclair on October 8, 2004! Tia was handled beautifully to these placements by handler Debbie Struff!

Returning to Canada at 14 months of age, Tia completed her Canadian Championship at the London Caninie Association show in London, Ontario, on October 16, 2004, under judge Patricia Trotter! She was handled beautifully by JoAnn Griffith! Tia is the 3rd Canadian Champion for her dam, Can. Ch. CynTech's Ally McBeal DOM (Allie), and the 10th Canadian Champion for her sire, Am/Can. MBIS Ch. Summer's Dash Riprock SOM (Dash)!

At the American Boxer Club National Specialty on May 12, 2005, Tia placed third in the Open Fawn Bitch class (16 in class) under respectecd Boxer Breeder judge Billie McFadden! She was beautifully handled to this class placement by Sherry Canciamille!

Flash! Tia now has her 1st Canadian Champion as her son, Shadigee's Double Down (Baxter), had a GREAT weekend at the Wildwood Kennel Club shows in Woodstock, Ontario! On the first day, February 6, 2009, Baxter wins Winners Dog, Best Of Winners, Best Of Breed over specials, Best Puppy In Breed & Puppy Group under judge Christopher Neilson, the following day, February 7, 2009, he won Winners Dog, Best Of Winners, Best Of Breed over specials & Best Puppy In Breed under judge Lynda Berar, and on the final day, Baxter won Winners Dog, Best Of Winners & Best Puppy In Breed under judge Lucie Paradis to finish his Canadian Championship in just two weekends of showing! He was expertly handled to these wins by Jim Gallanders of Uppercut Boxers! Baxter is the 13th Canadian Champion for his sire Am. BISS/Can. BPIS Ch. Summer's Blackjack Of Shadigee SOM (Blackjack)! He is bred and owned by Mary Jane & Lee Nowak of Shadigee Boxers.

Tia's Kids:

BPIS Shadigee's Grand Duchess Of Cheekwood (Anastasia)
BPIG Can. Ch. Shadigee's Double Down (Baxter)
Shadigee's Diamond In The Ruff (Diamond)
Shadigee's In Between Dreams (Jack Gavin)
Shadigee's Annabelle Of The Ball (Annabelle)
Shadigee's Chandler (Chandler)

Tia has been screened for the following health conditions: