Our very first experience with a Maltese was a little girl about 2 years old found in of all places, the Animal Control in our town. She was very thin and you could feel her heart beat erratically under her chest. Needless to say, the vet found out "Sugar Cookie" had a terrible heart-murmur (PDA) and an irregular valve. We think an irresponsible breeder probably found this to be true and decided to give her up not wanting to swallow the cost of surgery. Anyway, to make a long story short as we kept Cookie with us her health was rapidly declining. She began to look as if every breath was her last. We decided to have the surgery. University of Georgia did a wonderful job and we are proud to say "Ms. Sugar Cookie" is feeling wonderful!! Her life expenctancy is back on the high side instead of waiting for the monthly decline as we had done before. She is as "spunky" as ever and even though we are about $2,000 poorer we feel $millions$ of dollars richer to have this little friend in our lives. She is not part of our "breeding program" but prefers to sleep between Steven and I at night and growl at any intruders! She is our Champ!!!
HarPaw is a very small breeding program started in 1995 by Steven and Kristen Harper. We are located on a 15 acre "gentlemen's farm" in Conyers, Georgia. As dedicated breeders, we are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and breed along their guidelines in the AKC Rules and Regulations. We try to maintain the integrity and quality of the breed and our #1 concern above all is a healthy puppy. We look at each of our "girls" qualities and try to match this with the most suitable sire to produce the healthiest and "true to standard" puppy as we possibly can. We have remodeled our home to accomodate all of our "Dog Family". All of our dogs are "inside" pets and all puppies are raised under Kristen's watchful eye and constant attention. All puppies are sold as pets unless previous arrangements have been discussed and agreed upon by HarPaw.
In Georgia, you must be state licensed if you raise more than a couple of litters of dogs per year. We are inspected by the state of Georgia every 6 months and are compliant with all of their rules and regulations. As a member of the American Kennel Club we are also inspected by them every 6 months and are also in compliance with all of their rules and regulations.
Steven and I homeschool our 2 children Claire and Christopher - ages 16 and 18 - and have just been blessed with our second grandchild from our son Brannon and daughter in law Tiffany. Our grandchildren Malakai and Noah are both special little boys that we love dearly !
We love all types of God's "creatures" and it is not a surprise to see a llama, goat, potbelly piggy, miniature donkey, pony, and horse wandering around our little farm. We love them all !
Our Life is never without some sort of excitement or something to do ! ! !
Our Puppies come with a written health guarantee and are usually 10-12 weeks old before they leave us depending on their development. They must be thoroughly weaned from mom and able to eat dry food with ease. Our Puppies are socialized and handled daily. Puppies are routinely given 1 - 2 shots and have been wormed 3x before going to their new home.
As a former pet groomer and of course animal lover I have had access to many different breeds of dogs; I have always had a special place in my heart for the Maltese. Their easy-going, care-free personality has always caught my eye and their beauty speaks for itself. They are a fearless little package of elegance! Kristen
