colleenwilliams

Colleen Williams

Colleen is a Certified Veterinary Technician with 20 years clinical experience working in a small animal practice. She and her husband own and operate a 400 acre "hobby" farm where they raise beef, sheep, meat goats and poultry.

Colleen has been an ongoing member of the Maremma Sheepdog Club since 2004. She has also been an active 4-H mentor, assisting youth in developing skills in livestock handling, husbandry and showmanship.

Experience

Colleen has owned and adored the Maremma breed for 13 years. She first began using the Maremma to protect her small flock of 20 ewes. She later expanded her operation and the duties of her Maremma Sheepdogs to include protecting goats, free range poultry and this year, even bees! She is currently working on a project that will hopefully enable cow calf farmers to utilize the Maremma's unique guarding capabilities especially during the vulnerable calving season.

For Colleen, raising Maremma has been a continued learning process. Every day presents a new experience and with that, sometimes new challenges. Her Maremma have inspired many new ideas over the years, but most importantly they have helped her to achieve a better understanding of the breed, its inherent qualities and independent nature. This experience has enabled her to mentor new owners with behavioral or bonding questions and also helped her to better understand the importance of providing the right education and environment for success. Colleen has also been proactive in helping to rehome several Maremma who were displaced or placed in shelter situations.

Mission Statement

One of my primary goals is to help maintain the overall health and integrity of the Maremma breed. I hope to play a vital role in the education of fellow members and prospective owners, regarding the importance of health screening.

During my career in Veterinary Medicine, I have seen some of the devastating effects that careless breeding can bring about. Families not only suffer a huge financial loss, but also undergo a great deal of emotional turmoil as well. Oftentimes they are faced with having to make the difficult decision between an expensive surgery or euthanasia. Many of these situations can be avoided through careful selection of breeding animals and screening for hereditary disorders. Thus, one of my visions for the Maremma Sheepdog Club is to promote health screening so we continue to enjoy the benefits of these amazing dogs for many years to come.