This was taken in July 2006 on a trip to Kielder Water. It is a portrait that sums him up. He was active, handsome, very much himself , oh and one way or another wet much of the time. We went again in October 2006 for a day out - to celebrate Alfie's 4th birthday. This is how we like to remember him. He was born on 4th October - the feast of St Francis of Assisi who is the patron saint of animals. Bit ironic that really given Alf's medical history.

Alfie was a line bred pedigree German Wirehaired Pointer. When we picked him up from his breeder we had absolutely no idea what a journey he would catapult us into. Now nearly three years after we lost him to idiopathic epilepsy that journey is still continuing.

As of August 2009 I am changing this site to be less about our personal experience and more about what I have learned in the last two years or so about pedigree dog breeding and to that end this site is dedicated to stamping out the breeding of epileptic dogs by helping to inform prospective puppy buyers, support research, and hopefully get a DNA test for epilepsy that will help breeders make informed choices in their breeding programmes. I touch on other inherited conditions too where the same theory might apply.

However this remains as ever a tribute to our dog of a lifetime Alfie - Kimmax Karlton born 

04-10-2002 

 This wonderful portrait of him is by Ian Mason