Dr. Marion T. McNeil

Although she grew up a city kid, born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Dr. Marion T. McNeil was always drawn to animals. Her mother told her that when she was five years old, she ran up to a huge Great Dane and gave him a big hug, much to the horror of her mother and the owner of the Great Dane. All went well in her eyes! She graduated from college with a BS degree in Veterinary and Animal Sciences and later completed a MS in Microbiology studying bacterial viruses. She then finished my academic education with a Ph. D. in genetics working on autoimmune diseases. Dr. McNeil purchased her first Samoyed in 1976 and got involved in Obedience competition and then Conformation. Throughout her years in graduate school, she enjoyed recreational sledding. Some of her dogs were used on a competitive mid-distance racing team. To date, she has bred or co-bred at least 36 Champions, completed a number of Obedience titles, a Schutzhund endurance title, and finished over a dozen Championships in other countries. Some very special achievements have been winning BOB at the Canadian National Specialty and a BIS in Bermuda with “Copper,” who was owner-handled to these wins! Dr. McNeil believes he is the top-winning biscuit Samoyed of all time, with Championships in six countries. His daughter, “Secret,” another biscuit dog with Championships in four countries, won Best Visitor Dog in Costa Rica, winning over all the exhibits from any other country in Central and South America as well as the US and Canada! Her dogs have also won a BIS, four BISS, one from the Veteran class, BIS Bred-by Exhibitor, and numerous Group Ones, many Group placements, multiple Top 20s and coveted honors at National and Regional Specialties, and All-Breed Shows. She is especially proud of the Top Brood Bitch award from the Samoyed Club of America, and Best Veteran at the SCA National. Sterling Samoyeds is now at the 15th generation and going strong. Her special, GCHS Cuvee’s Insignia At Sterling, co-bred with Karen and Ken Allison, was still winning at nine years of age. He was a Group winner with many other Group placements, won Group One and many Group placements in the Owner-Handled classes, two BISS shows, undefeated as a Veteran in Breed competitions and won a Veteran BIS! He qualified in the National Top 20 rankings twice, one as Owner-Handled. Professionally, Dr. mcNeil was the Director of the breeding program at The Seeing Eye, using a computerized data-based statistical system to select outstanding breeding stock that provided superior guide dogs to the program. She continued working with other Guide Dog Schools to develop a cryogenic preservation breeding system available to Veterinarians at Guide Dog Schools all over the world. She has been approved to judge Samoyeds since 2016 and has had the honor of judging two Regional Specialties. She is working toward approvals to judge the Arctic breeds and continue learning about other breeds with the goal of judging them. She believes in breeding to the Breed Standard for mental as well as physical traits.