Kelly and her sisters at 3 weeks old

Kelowna (Salish Indian for Grizzly Bear) was born Dec 19, 1998.  One of Five large evenly marked girls. The Daughter of Can./Int'l Ch. Sunstone's Kannon of King-Oka and Can./Nat'l Ch. Temeni Fairish Lady, she is doubled up on Can. Ch. Sunstone's North by Northwest. She was a beautiful chunky girl with much skull, bone and balance. At just under 5 months old she won Best in Match at the Vernon and District Kennel Club Sanction Match, held May 16, 1999. Later she went on to win Puppy Groups and BOB's. She had very sound movement and a square self stack which had undeniable show appeal. She grew up to be a big beautiful bitch.

We stopped showing Kelly at about a year, when she decided that she was not a ring queen. Some dogs just want to bond to immediate family, and we recognized that in her. She made an excellent protector for Bev when I was out of town, and Kelowna became Bev's closest friend. Together, they explored the fields around us, often walking several hours a day together. Kelly had a way of showing us the world, seeing things we might have overlooked and soaking up the wonders around her. She made Bev feel safe, and was sweeter than any Akita to our immediate family. We lost Kelly early, at six years old after eating something she should not have. Her loss was very difficult for us, and she leaves a big hole in our hearts.