My dogs didn’t care if I was in pyjamas, I was crying, they just don’t care. That’s the beauty of them. They made me get up every single day and move through my grief daily.
KIM MASON, FOUNDER OF HEARTS DELITE
As a young girl, I dreamed about becoming a vet. I remember writing a paper in grade 2 about Rabies and the importance of vaccination in ones’ family pet. Well, life happened, and my focus was music, followed by a degree in Nursing working in cardiovascular, emerg, labour and delivery, teaching midwifery techniques in Somalia, and teaching mental Health Clinical at Humber College.
After losing a number of close colleagues, I needed a change and the only opening was Psychiatry. I found I was intrigued and wanted to learn more. I was a Consult Liaison at North York General Hospital and studied varied modalities. I found dogs to be able to reach people that I thought couldn’t be reached and I wanted to learn more and returned to school to do my Masters in Counseling Psychology. It was during this time that I learned first hand that dogs were not just great healers for patients but also became my own.
I had started breeding and was a member of the Canadian Kennel Club in 1987 (wow am I that old?) but it was only a serious hobby back then as my focus back then was family and work. But in 2013 my children were adults, so I was seriously showing and breeding. My world crumbled when we lost our son James. I knew how to help others but certainly felt helpless, and in my own grief felt like I was drowning and didn’t know if I would ever be able to breathe again.
I had a litter due 2 weeks after his passing and I didn’t think I could even get out of bed, but I did. My dogs didn’t care if I was in pyjamas, I was crying, they just don’t care. That’s the beauty of them. They made me get up every single day and move through my grief daily. They companioned me daily and brought new life into the world and I don’t need to talk if I didn’t want to, didn’t need to dress, and they just were there, present to who I was every single day and loved me no matter what. Through their companionship, I slowly but surely rose up and through. With the support of family, dear friends, great grief support, I was able to get back to showing, speaking publically about grief to those in need and find that I had much to still do and offer.
We at Hearts Delite take the health, temperament, breeding, raising and socializing of our dogs seriously. We are blessed that a good number of our dogs have gone to first responders with PTSD, are therapy Dogs at Sick Children’s Hospital in Toronto, Mount Sinai, The Eldon Retirement home, A Children’s Psychology Centre in Manitoba and residing with Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Veterinarians, Social workers to name a few, and right across the Country. Most importantly, they are loved by their families and I couldn’t be happier. I get letters and pictures from across the world where they have travelled, windsurfed, flown in helicopters and planes. I think I live vicariously through their adventures. We thank you for entrusting us with your next family member and promise you that your puppy has pedigree, health, temperament, socialization, and love behind him or her.
Warmest Regards,
Kim and family