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July 20, 2001

June Dutcher owned two dogs before her first Airedale: a Bulldog and then a deaf Dalmatian for whom she got a companion "hearing" dog, an Airedale bitch named Scatterfoot Tim Tam. And oh, what an Airedale Timmy turned out to be. By the time the First Lady of Coppercrest Kennels, as Timmy came to be known, was through, she was a Champion. And by the time the 1985 Airedale Issue of Terrier Type was published, her champion descendants reached out seven generations with over 500 champions carrying one or more lines to her. Among those champions were the famous 5 bitches from the Red litter. That´s the stuff of Airedale lore. And behind all this was the remarkable woman named June Dutcher.

From the very beginnings of the Coppercrest name and line in the 1950´s right up until shortly before her death, June always championed the cause of the rescue dog as much as she campaigned her own dogs. June was highly instrumental in making the idea of the ATCA Rescue and Adoption Committee into a reality in 1990. But prior to that, she always had room at her kennels for a rescue dog. She had her staff keep them as groomed and in as good condition as her own dogs who were heading to the show rings. You could walk down the kennel rows and see standing side by side, a Coppercrest dog in immaculate show coat and a rescue dog who had also been groomed to the nines by one of June´s kennel staff. As she cut back on her breeding programs, more and more spaces were filled by rescues who were helped to find new homes or kept by June to live out their days being cared for with love. She often paid all their medical expenses out of her own pocket and would not rest until she had the best vet she could find on the case or had answers she liked. Just like her Airedales, June could be tough and expected the best for all the dogs, whether a Champion or a rescue. She gave freely of her time and money to many things; from her own dogs, to the rescues she helped, to her helpers at the kennel, many of whom came to look upon her as family. She had a generosity of spirit and a great sense of humor coupled with a no nonsense approach to life. And through it all she always said: it´s all about the dogs. She meant them all, whether show dog or home companion or a rescue down on its luck whom she?d driven miles to pick up from unfortunate circumstances. It´s all about the dogs.

Click here to see the June Dutcher Memorial

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