Meet The Breeders

In August of 2010, my world shifted forever when my dad passed away unexpectedly at the age of 67. On my 30th birthday, instead of celebrating, I found myself making arrangements for his service. It was heartbreaking and the first major loss of my adult life. I had no idea then that healing would come in the form of long ears, a deep howl, and a heart full of devotion.

A few weeks after my dad’s passing, a coworker mentioned that her father was a Bloodhound breeder in Louisiana. My husband has always loved dogs and dreamed of having a Bloodhound one day, but I had never considered myself a dog person. Then, out of nowhere, my coworker told me her dad wanted to bless us with a female puppy. He happened to be traveling through Mississippi soon, and we were eagerly waiting for her arrival.

That’s when 10‑week‑old Delilah came into our lives — an unexpected joy who changed our world forever.

Delilah was an angel who opened my eyes to this wonderful breed. The comfort and love she gave during such a difficult time will never be forgotten. She was the boss lady at our house, captured a few possums in her day, and made sure her howl was always the loudest.

Once I realized what a wonderful addition Delilah was, I had to add more. Jeb was our second Bloodhound, from a breeder in Alabama. His photo was chosen to be in The Complete Guide to Bloodhounds by Kevin Stueber, published in 2019. We are so proud of him being included in this informative book.

A few years after getting Jeb, I came across a breeder in our home state of Mississippi. Soon we traveled the two hours to pick out our next addition. When we pulled up and saw what a wonderful setup she had with all the gorgeous Bloodhounds, my husband said, “You are never going to leave this place.” We picked out Stella and waited a few long weeks to bring her home at Christmas. She stole our hearts quickly, and we fell in love with how vocal she became.

Not much time passed before I added another Bloodhound to our family. I reached out to the same local breeder and ended up getting a puppy from her import line. Wally was ready to come home with us just in time for my husband’s birthday. My dream to one day have our own litter would begin with Stella and Wally. My husband came up with the name Rays of Sunshine after my dad’s name, Ray.

Breeding is a lot of work that requires dedication and commitment, but our dam made the entire process fascinating. Stella had her first litter of nine puppies — all three colors — and was an excellent mother. We found homes from the east to west coast for those special puppies. We still receive updates and cherish every new photo we get.

Stella had her second litter in 2021: one male and seven females. She is such a sweetheart, and I always tell Wally he is a handsome fellow. They make a great pair, and with this second litter, it was time to keep one of those special pups. One of the black and tan females would be the next addition to our collection. Again, we found incredible families welcoming our little Rays of Sunshine into their lives.

We were even contacted by a SAR officer who has owned and worked with Bloodhounds for years. We were honored knowing that one of our puppies could be making a difference. We will never forget when they were leaving our house — Stella ran to the gate and gave a long howl, as if she were saying make momma proud.

Now here we are, 16 years later having been owned by seven different Bloodhounds and four litters of Rays of Sunshine puppies, I am still working hard to increase my knowledge about this fascinating breed. I could have never imagined how gentle, stubborn, affectionate, loyal, sensitive, and cautiously brave these wonderful hounds can be.

It started with Delilah, then Jeb, Stella, Wally, Tulip, and from our second litter - Buttercup. Buttercup graduated from the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program at five months old and soon after began training for AKC Scent Work. Once I finally learned her love language is spoken with cheddar hotdogs, she wanted to train all the time. If she notices me getting her harness out, she beats me to the gate.  We have competed in many scent work trials, earning first‑place ribbons along with 10 Scent Work titles, including her Scent Work Advanced level title. Buttercup became a certified therapy dog in summer 2024 and has also earned her Mantrailing title. I enjoy building this bond with her and can’t wait to see whatelse her powerful nose will accomplish.

Our youngest addition, Rio, also graduated from the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy program early on, but her true passion is the water. She absolutely loves to swim and has a special pig toy she will fetch only in the pool. She enjoys long walks, playing in the water hose, and brings so much joy to our home. With all her swimming and walking adventures, Rio has already earned two FIT Dog titles. We look forward to breeding her with Wally in the future.

What began as heartbreak has grown into a legacy — one built on love, learning, and the extraordinary blessings of a Bloodhound. Every hound, every litter, every family we meet is another Ray of Sunshine, carrying my Dad’s memory forward in the most beautiful way.