Bridgett Higginbothm, RVT, owner
Bridgett Higginbotham has been a licensed Veterinary Technician since 1987 and is the owner of Sirius Canine Fertility. She started Sirius in August of 2000, as a mobile semen freezing and pregnancy ultrasound business. She has moved the Sirius office location 3 times, as the business expanded and outgrew each location very quickly. She finally purchased and settled on a permanent location, which is where the office is now in Grass Valley. Today Sirius Canine Fertility has 6 employees and performs trans-cervical inseminations (TCIs), artificial inseminations (AIs), as well as semen collections, semen freezing, progesterone testing and semen exporting/importing all over the world. Sirius has become one of the largest export/import centers in the United States. Sirius Canine Fertility is also a presence at dog shows, where semen collections, evaluations and freezes are performed.
In addition to her professional activities in canine reproduction, Bridgett has been a bulldog breeder since 1990. She has also been a licensed AKC judge since 2000, and currently judges internationally as well as domestically. She has judged at her National Specialty several times.
Bridgett enjoys traveling, snow shoeing, hiking. She is an ASA certified sailor and will be spending much of her semi-retirement years sailing her catamaran all over the world.
Bridgett currently has one spoiled bulldog named JJ, an American Bulldog named Fallon and three cats.
Shannon Stone, Office Manager
I am currently our Office Manager and also head the Export/Import Department, which handles all of International frozen semen shipments. When not busy organizing exports, I like to work in the lab freezing semen and performing TCI procedures. When not working the shows in our mobile lab, I can be found exhibiting my Pembroke Welsh Corgis and Havanese in the breed ring.
What I like the most about my work is the everyday challenges in providing professional breeding services, and the excitement of helping breeders make their next champion.
I have three children who are all active in some aspect of breeding and/or exhibiting purebred dogs. My oldest daughter Sydney, is our Senior lab tech here at Sirius Canine Fertility, Inc.
Sydney Jaeger, Lab Technician
Born and raised in a family of professional handlers and breeders it was inevitable I’d be working with dogs. I started showing dogs around the age of 7, with a havanese. Once I started, I never looked back, growing up showing a variety of breeds and beginning my interest of breeding. I soon became involved in my family’s breeding programs of Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Collies, and Alaskan Malamutes. After I finished school, I decided I wanted to work in a place and field I love… dogs. I was fortunate enough to have been welcomed into the Sirius Canine team in 2015. Since working here I have had the opportunity to expand my knowledge of canine reproduction, inseminations, and semen freezing. My favorite part of the job is being able to be apart of so many breeding programs.
Arabelle Wahl, Lab Technician
I grew up helping my parents breed and train English Springer Spaniels for field work. I had the hardest but most important job, playing with the puppies. In a childhood revolving around in 4-H and FFA I bred, raised, and showed horses, dairy goats, and market hogs. After raising a Guide Dog for the Blind through FFA I branched out further into the dog world, starting at a training facility, and eventually making my way to Sirius Canine in 2018. Throughout my time here I have gained extensive and invaluable experience in the canine reproductive world, from inseminations to semen freezing. I love seeing all the dogs and having the opportunity to be another factor in improving so many breeds.
