BeBoni Shelties began in 1957, with a sable and white bitch named Peggy Sue. She arrived in Alaska on a pre-dawn morning, in whelp with a litter of puppies. So began a love affair with shelties that continues to this day.
BeBoni Shelties is the kennel name of the Boniface family, started by Shirley and Paul Boniface when Alaska was still a federal Territory. In those early days, dog shows in Alaska were few and far between. For many years, shelties competed in the large and very challenging Working Group, where Shirley and her dogs often placed in group.
Shirley and Paul honed their knowledge by traveling around the "Lower 48" states, visiting many of the great kennels of that era. Shirley is a founder of the Shetland Sheepdog Club of Anchorage (SSCA) and served on the board of directors of the American Shetland Sheepdog Association (ASSA).
Over the years, Shirley and Paul were joined in the show ring by daughter, Renee Boniface, and later, granddaughter and junior handler extraordinaire, Eleodia Boniface. Shelties have been the common thread that has bound the family together -- one to another. There are few things more enjoyable to do together than sharing the excitement of a new litter, watching a really great dog reach its potential, or helping introduce a new family member to its new home.
Since 1957, a number of BeBoni shelties have entered and departed this world. A few of the special ones are noted in the "Gone But Not Forgotten" page. The current BeBoni "herd" can be found in the "Our Shelties" section of this website.
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