I'm not entirely sure where they stand and I don't want to make any "vulture-like" assumptions. I'm only going by what they've presented (the biggest question marks being what they HAVEN'T presented).

They do appear to take back their dogs (they have an adult, a "show dog" return that they are trying to rehome, on a must-spay/pet-only contract if she is not going to be shown). Pets are supposed to be sold on a spay/neuter contract. And they were very responsive to my suggestion to link directly to the OFA database to demonstrate that health testing be done…

There just doesn't seem to be any current health testing or showing information for them, so I couldn't tell where they stand. I'm also a little concerned that they seem to be breeding deliberately for "unusual" colors ("This litter should produce some beautiful Brindle, tricolor and Trindle Basenji puppies. We have noticed a big demand for this coloring lately and expect this litter to go fast") when I would think that health, structure, temperament, genetics, and so forth should be more important breeding criteria.

I would love to find more interesting Basenji blogs to add to my blog roll, which is the only reason I fell on their page. But breeder blogs are a whole different matter, and I want to make sure they're legit.

Welcome, and what a lovely introduction! How wonderful that so many members of the same Basenji family got to share their lives with you – and vice versa. I feel like I might have seen some of your pictures elsewhere before -- instagram, perhaps? The user name jumped out at me because I'm also in the Bay Area.

@misspodhradsky:

I just want to say what i had said before. See how when that new person entered the picture they didnt know the truth about the situation about the infected puppy and now she has totally disregarded N.Kennels because of it? That is what I was getting at when i said that. New people coming onto the forum, its not fair to say things about her when you dont know the truth because it can affect people in bad ways, even if they are good people.

By "the new person" do you mean me?

I didn't disregard Nocturnal Kennels because of one infected puppy. The rest of the two litters of puppies still contained carriers, yet they do not, as you say, and as their Breeders.net listing says, have any spay/neuter contract.

I am not saying that all carriers need to be spayed/neutered, but their breedings would need to be monitored. I am not satisfied with her explanation that NOT enforcing a spay/neuter contract allows procreative choices to future owners who want to make "BASENJIS FOR ALL!" I see it as a way to divert attention from the very real possibility that any future Fanconi-affected Basenjis coming from her lines, or Basenjis that enter rescue from poorly planned breedings and placements coming out of her lines, can and should be traced back to her kennel.

Those, and other reasons are why I would totally disregard her kennel. Too many breeds on site for my taste – Westies and Welshies and Doxies are not easy either, and prone to all SORTS of hereditary problems that also need to be tested for. She doesn't show her dogs. She's not part of the breed club. "Parents on site." Do I really have to go through the whole list?? These would be minimal standards even if I was only interested in a pet -- to say nothing of looking for foundation stock!