Don Purchase,
President
I began my agility journey in 1995 with my first dog, Sassy, a leggy Border Collie who jumped 30″. Five dogs later, I now run agility with my current Border Collie, Chaos—aptly named for her unpredictable energy on the course, keeping me humble at every turn. We also enjoy other activities like disc and dock diving.
Now retired, I find I have more time than ever to stay active in the sport. I originally joined MAC in 1994, and the club’s welcoming atmosphere and fantastic members have only grown stronger over the years. Rejoining a few years ago and now serving on the leadership team is a true privilege.
Gillian Sonnenberg,
Vice President
Gillian’s journey into the world of agility started in 2016 when she adopted her first dog, Rush, into her life. Though agility wasn’t quite for Rush, Gillian quickly grew a passion for the sport. She adopted Rally from Barks and Meow’s rescue and started training at Dreamweavers with Blanche in 2019. They had their first trial in 2021 and first Q at a MAC trial in the summer.
Gillian quickly fell in love with the sport of agility and become a MAC member at the end of 2021. On New Year’s Day 2023 Gillian welcomed another Barks and Meow’s rescue pup into her pack with Riddle, a young spot dog mix. Riddle is already showing lots of enthusiasm for the sport and Gillian is excited to start trialing this summer!
Rachel Hawkins,
Treasurer
Rachel started agility with her Border Collie, Isla, after basic obedience and trick training left her wanting more. What began as “just for fun” quickly turned into a passion, and by 2021 Isla had earned her Starter Games title and was working toward more. Rachel also runs Fynn, who joined the pack in 2017 and especially loves the treats at the end of each run! More recently, she has started competing with Kepler, her young Border Collie, adding new energy and excitement to the team.
Rachel joined MAC in 2018 after attending trials and meeting members through classes. Now a board member and Trial Secretary, she’s committed to helping MAC remain a supportive, welcoming place for dog lovers to connect, compete, and have fun.
Dana Johnson,
Secretary
I’m excited to join the MAC Board and work with such a passionate community that values both agility and friendship. I compete with my amazing blue merle Australian Shepherd, Reis—my first agility dog and an incredible partner. We started our agility journey when Reis turned one, and since joining MAC in December 2021, we’ve enjoyed incredible experiences, including appearing on The Amazing Race Canada just a week after our first trial!
The support from this community is second to none, and in just two years Reis and I have earned multiple titles, including the ATChC in June 2024. I look forward to helping the club grow and creating more opportunities for members and their agility partners.
Andrew Schlueter,
Past President
‘Own your own business they said. Be your own boss they said’. After 10 years of working ridiculous hours, getting a fledgling business on its feet, Andrew needed to find something totally different to find balance. A MAC member since 2002, he had an older, very bored Aussie/Border cross named Bosco, and they stumbled upon agility. It became apparent that it was a great way to strengthen their bond while having a blast doing it. They were hooked. Bosco was followed by Thunder his red merle aussie, Casey, Ella, Havoc, Tesla and Torch. ‘Australian shepherds are like pringles, you can’t just have one’. According to Andrew, ‘The people in the agility community are special, special in a good way. I have made many lifelong friends along the way. I even met my wife, Susan, at an agility class, to whom I proposed to…at an agility trial. It has been a great 20 years in agility and hopefully at least that many more to come’.
