Hello everyone! This is my first post to this forum so I apologize for the lack of an avatar or photos. Here's my question/story:

A month ago we lost our 10 year old husky Pepper to stomach cancer. It was one of the most difficult things I and my family have ever been through. She stopped eating so we took her to the vet on a Monday, discovered advanced cancer, and had to put her down on Friday. Luckily, our vet is a family friend so she came to our house. Pepper hated the vet so I refused to do it at a vet office. We have another husky, a male named Glacier, who adored Pepper and so it's been difficult to see him so depressed as well.

My dogs live with my parents and my brother and I got married 2 years ago so I no longer live there My mom definitely doesn't want another dog, nor do I think Glacier would appreciate another roommate in his older age, but I've been thinking about getting a husky with my husband. I was able to track down Pepper's breeder through her paperwork and it turns out one of their females is Pepper's half sister. It would be amazing to have our new addition to be related to Pepper but now that I'm more informed, I want to make sure her breeders are reputable.

http://www.rosevalleykennel.com/

They seem to check off a lot of things from the checklist but I don't see anything about health testing. They also don't have information about past litters so I'm not sure how many they breed a year.

http://www.rosevalleykennel.com/maya.htm

Rose Valley Majestic Malaki ("Maya") is Pepper's half sister and Show Me Miki Tikaani is their mother.

I'm hoping someone much more knowledgeable than I can share some thoughts on Rose Valley as well as Maya and Miki's health (if such records exist).

If it turns out I should stay clear of them (which would be heartbreaking but I want to do the responsible thing) I would greatly appreciate any suggestions on California breeders. We live in Los Angeles.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Most health testing results (hips, eyes) are in the OFA database (www.offa.org). Sorry, but I don't see *any* dogs with that kennel name in the database and can only assume they don't do any. I noticed a couple of other red flags too.... They have a *lot* of females of several different breeds, which indicates that they likely breed a *lot* of dogs. Also, they don't appear to prove their dogs' breeding worth by showing and/or performance.    
I don't know any breeders in Cali, but hopefully someone else will. Best of luck finding a new pup.

Samantha,

I read the seller's health guarantee, to me two red flags, 1- Large breed puppy food and recommend a large breed adult food, huskies are not large breed, I surmise that the only large breed they offer is the irish setters. 2- New puppy must be spayed before 6 months, my girl had problems getting spayed so young. That's beyond the obvious that you posted about hips and eyes. and you must sign a "No Show", conformation(I don't think i got that right), is that standard with reputable breeders? All this, and then some, with a $200.00 deposit.
Oh my, I'm in the wrong business. Just kidding, but really, if I'm going to spend big bucks for a prized husky, I'm going to want info on hips/eyes, spay at a reasonable time, and why can't i show my expensive baby. Maybe I'm ignorant, and please Samantha fill me in on the proper way of getting a husky through a good breeder.

Janban, sorry for my extra questions and I'm sorry to hear of your loss, there are a lot of husky educated people here, I unfortunately didn't get my girl from a good breeder, I love her just the same. I wish I knew of a breeder in your area. I wish you luck, huskies are wonderful companions.
Renee

I'm sorry to hear about your loss.

The multiple breeds issue is enough to say walk away. Then you have no OFA/CERF, which is a biggie. Spay/Neuter by 6 months contract is not unheard of. Any good breeder will sell a pet dog under a spay/neuter contract, it just varies what the specifics are. It is a little weird that they say no showing, especially since it looks like they don't show themselves, but if the dog is fixed, it can only show in an altered division anyways. Their dogs are also out of standard, and it looks like they have bred woolies in the past. To the $200 deposit comment-that is absolutely normal and you are going to have a sizable deposit on a dog from any good breeder.

OP-it seems like you read about what to look for in a good breeder, so you should have a good starting point. Hopefully some West Coast people will chime in with specific recommendations for breeders. Another good thing to look for in a kennel is a breeder that works and does activities with their dogs. Showing, agility, harness work are all good signs. Though be aware that with huskies there can be a significant type difference between breeders who breed for the show ring and breeders who breed specifically for racing, though not always. It will just depend on what you're looking for.

I agree with everything that others have said. One thing I have to add is this, and it will tell you a lot about how reputable the breeder is. Have you told your breeder about how Pepper passed away, and inquired if her littermates had similar issues? If the breeder has no idea, or gets defensive, or blames you, that is your answer. Good breeders, whether show, working, or a combination of both, want to know about issues in their lines, and although may occasionally lose touch with an owner, generally try to keep track of their dogs throughout their lifetimes.

Pepper's cancer may not have been hereditary, but if the breeder has not kept in touch with the other puppy owners, there is no way of knowing. I would hate for you to get a puppy out of her half sister, and end up with the same issue down the road.

I know that you adored Pepper, and that it feels good emotionally to think about getting a puppy related to her, BUT keep in mind that huskies are huskies. Your new pup will have some things in common with her and somethings different from her (whether she is related or not). They are all awesome dogs, and each has their own personality quirks and you will love any dog you end up with. I highly recommend you stay away from this breeder.

This is the best way to begin your search on an ethical breeder:

http://www.shca.org/shcahp4a.htm

http://www.shca.org/shcahp4b.htm

http://www.shca.org/shcahp4c.htm

http://www.shca.org/shcahp4d.htm

http://www.shca.org/shcahp4f.htm#CA

Sara, my reply about the deposit was slightly out of jest, I got exhausted reading just the health part of the contract, i also used the forums head moderator (Tori/Koda) reply to an older post, referring to a good price roughly between $250-$800, for a $200 deposit they will be asking for quite a bit more, and I don't believe they are good breeders. I'm still learning the breeder aspect, so bear with me, sorry.
Renee

Thank you everyone for your advice!
Samantha: thank you for checking the health certificates for me. I wasn't 100% sure how to go about that.
Renee: I don't mind the extra questions at all! I'm definitely here to learn.
Sara: I did a lot of research on this forum including reading the "how to find a breeder" post before posting. Rose Valley seemed to hit some of the points but also missed some. I just wanted to be sure.
Jen: Thank you for the links. I will reach out to the ones in California first. I haven't stayed in contact with Pepper's breeder so I'm not sure if the cancer was hereditary. Pepper was small for a husky and otherwise incredibly healthy and lively. She looked like she was 4 or 5, not 10, so we always assumed she would long outlive Glacier who is twice her size. I wouldn't trade her or Glacier for the world, even though they came from BYB's, but now that I know better, I definitely want to support breeding healthier huskies!

Thanks again everyone!