And Now We Wait

Mary-Ann Sontag September 3, 2025

Han Solo (fka Sapphire) has been handed over to the staff at the University of Minnesota.

Tricia and Dave are waiting there at the hospital, and I am waiting anxiously here in Boise. My Lucky Socks are on. The High in Trial Extra Lucky Happy Hippie Heart from the 2023 Specialty is in my pocket.

Hearts can be mended and this puppy deserves that gift.

Please join me in sending all the right good wishes to Minnesota today for our little guy, his humans, and the staff who are caring for him 🙏

Update #1

No update yet on the puppy but I have heard from two people that donating towards his bill wasn’t straightforward so I called and got the scoop.

You can call the Cashier directly at 612-624-2256. They are short-staffed and if you get a recording, don’t bother leaving a message. Instead, hang up and call the hospital at 612-612-626-8387.
Sit through all the options and you will eventually get a live human who will have the ability to take a credit card payment. You can tell them the cashier is short-staffed and you were told they could do the payment.
You will need the Client Number: 549418.
Thank you.

Sapphire (Han Solo) Update!!

Mary-Ann Sontag September 2, 2025

The procedure has been moved up — tomorrow is Heart Repair Day for our sweet Sapphire/Han Solo.

Sapphire/Han Solo will have the cutting balloon angioplasty tomorrow (Wednesday) to hopefully correct his rare double-chambered right ventricle; this is happening at the veterinary school at the University of Minnesota.

Baby Sapphire — always his Mama’s Favorite 💙

I have been asked by multiple people if they can help with the cost of his care. Wow. What kindness from the community that has surrounded and embraced the Gems – thank you.

I never want to reject gifts offered with love, especially because gifts of all kinds are an important way to show support. A pink sheep, a stained-glass name plaque, a pair of socks, or a contribution of any size towards expensive and life-saving care – each communicates such wonderful things we humans all need to feel.

Even for an optimist, it is scary and terrifying to have a 13-week-old puppy undergoing a heart procedure.

There are many ways to send support to Han Solo/Sapphire and his humans. But because it can be hard to send casseroles via the mail, people asked me if they could contribute towards the cost of his care at the University of Minnesota.

To be clear, Tricia and Dave are not doing a fund raiser; they are prepared to assume the cost of Han Solo/Sapphire’s care. But I know well the value of both giving and receiving love and support – and so I asked Tricia and Dave to consider accepting the gifts people were offering to Han Solo/Sapphire, and to them.

And so if you would like to make a monetary gift of support towards Han Solo/Sapphire’s procedure tomorrow, here are the details of how to do that directly to U of MN’s veterinary school where he will be receiving care:

Call 612-626-8387 and then press 5.
Tell them you want to put money on the account of Sapphire Munter — his Case Number is 70594825 or the Munter client number is 549418.

Thank you for all the good thoughts and support for our boy 💙 He is so lucky to have such a caring community around him 🍀

And please — don’t forget your Lucky Socks tomorrow! I have mine all ready to go.

Asia

Mary-Ann Sontag August 31, 2025

Asia is Berner-Garde’s dog of the day.

Asia, my keeper puppy from the E Litter, did not pass orthopedic clearances.

She was so beautiful and some thought I should breed her anyway, while others suggested I “place” her. I was so hurt and mad that anyone would think I could/would give up one of my beloved girls simply because she could not be a puppy generator 😡

And so I said, “Hold my beer half-caf Americano with extra cream and a shot of hazelnut” and I made it my mission to demonstrate that Asia mattered.

And that is how and why she became the second Berner ever to earn the VERY difficult Champion Tracker title.