THE STORY BEHIND REGAL

Regal began long before there were puppies, championships or pedigrees.

When I was just 14 years old, my horse became critically ill after being diagnosed with a very rare sinus cancer. During his fight, he needed something only another horse could give him — blood. That donor was a horse named Regal, part of Cornell University’s blood donor program.

Regal helped save my horse’s life.

I was young, but I never forgot his name or what he represented. One animal, with no understanding of the extraordinary gift he was giving, had made it possible for another animal I loved so deeply to keep fighting. That experience stayed with me and, in many ways, helped shape the person I would become.

It taught me something about compassion, resilience, loyalty and the extraordinary bond we share with animals — lessons that have remained with me throughout my life.

I have always believed that when an animal is placed in our care, we accept a responsibility to advocate for them. They cannot tell us when something is wrong, question the decisions being made for them, or ask us to do better. That responsibility belongs to us. Whether it means asking more questions, searching for answers, making difficult decisions, or simply standing beside them when they need us most, I believe they deserve someone willing to do what is right for them.

That same commitment eventually became part of the foundation of Regal Standard Poodles.

When Standard Poodles became such an important part of my life and I began building a breeding program of my own, I wanted its name to carry meaning. Not simply something beautiful beneath a registered name or a champion’s photograph, but a name that represented heart, responsibility, resilience, devotion and the lasting impact an animal can have on a life.

There was only one name that felt right.

Regal.

Today, that name represents far more than a breeding program. It represents the standard I hold myself to — in the decisions I make, the dogs I bring into this world, the families who trust me with them, and the lifelong responsibility I feel for every dog that carries the Regal name.

More than three decades after a horse named Regal helped save the life of a 14-year-old girl’s beloved horse, his name continues to remind me why this matters:

Protect them. Advocate for them. Do what is right, even when it is difficult — and never forget how profoundly an animal can change a life.

That is the story behind Regal.