About Dana and Gerry
Dana Simel was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina and has lived, studied and worked in Boston, Chapel Hill, Germany, Ohio, Indiana, and California. Gerry Royston was born in Britain and moved to Washington, DC as a child. Gerry retired from the United States Department of Agriculture. They live on 11 acres in the country outside of Washington, DC, in a house that was originally built in 1865.
Pico Travels to the New World
Dana and Gerry traveled to the island of Terceira, in the Azore Islands of Portugal, in the summer of 2018, where they first heard of and met a Barbado da Terceira. They visited Roberto Cota, the President of the Azorean Association of Breeders of the Barbados Dogs of Terceira Island, his family, rescue dogs, and show dogs. They also visited breeder Armando Silva, his wife, and their many Barbados. The inevitable result? They brought home their first female puppy, Pico, from Roberto’s kennel.
Rubin follows Pico
Back on the mainland of Portugal, Dana and Gerry visited the ranch of Patricia and João O. Sousa of Monte de Magos Kennel, their two lovely boys, their Maine Coon, goats and herd of cattle, just outside of Lisbon. They also visited Jorge Teixeira, past president of the Clube Português do Barbado da Terceira.
They were so smitten with Pico that when Patricia Sousa told them of an available male puppy, it was a no-brainer that Dana traveled back to Lisbon in October, 2018, to pick up their family member, Rubin.
Kennel Creation in 2019
at Dana & Gerry’s home in Frederick, Maryland
Puppies!!!!!
Pico and Rubin have had two litters, one in 2020 and one in 2021. Pico is a wonderful mom!
Two Turns to Three
In December, 2021, Dana and her son, Raffi, traveled to Monte de Magos to pick up Lisbon (“Lizzie”), their third BDT. We know that Lizzie will be a great mom too.
Dana is studying to be a certified dog trainer with the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers – Knowledge Assessed (CCPT-KA) and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). She has spent time interning under internationally renowned master trainer, Fernando Silva, who has trained many BDTs in Portugal.
NEW WORLD BARBADO DA TERCEIRA 