Meet the Board: Secretary

Hello! Welcome to the Pyrenean Mastiff Association of America. My name is Tracy Simmons, and I am the club Secretary until 2025.

Here is a little something about my background. I grew up with dogs, cats, and horses. My parents bred and trained Labrador Retrievers for sport. It was wonderful growing up with those energetic, happy, mischievous puppies. My husband David and I were together for 40 years before I became a widow in 2021. Together we bought a 100-acre farm in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Here we bred Thoroughbred racehorses, Sport Horses, and became licensed Equine Reproduction Specialists with a focus on Rare Breed Preservation. In 2007 one of my clients blessed us with the gift of a Pyrenean Mastiff who had been a shipping companion for their horse imported from Spain. We named her Mawley because of her huge maw but she was so gentle with my children and other animals. She taught my toddlers to walk and kept them out of trouble, went hunting with my older boys and was my companion. After her passing I began looking for another of her breed only to learn she was also a Rare Breed. This is when we retired from the equine reproductive work and transitioned to the preservation efforts for this noble and ancient breed. We have 7 boys – 4 are born to my husband and I, and 3 chose us to be their family. I have homeschooled all my children. The entire family is invested in this endeavor. I have trained 4 Pyrenean Mastiffs to alert to migraines. They are a game changer for this ailment and one special dog, Teddy will alert on total strangers. My family is heavily involved in Boy Scouts where Teddy is famous for helping people suffering from migraines but also because he is awesome with people. Our dogs have been imported from Spain, Poland, and Italy for our breeding program and exhibit in AKC shows, train and serve as service dogs, live as livestock/estate guardians most of the time, and are each a companion. This is an amazingly versatile breed and worthy of preservation efforts. Our kennel is Pyrenean Mastiffs of Zephyr Farms.

“…when the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another Heaven and another Earth must pass before such a one can be again.”

-William Beebe