Our Journey
Our Passion
Welcome to our website! We are Joe and Zoe Traphagan, proud owners of Stellar Moon, our AKC registered golden retriever. Our experience 20 years ago with our first golden, Amy, taught us the importance of knowing the pedigree and genetics of our furry friends. We are committed to providing our clients with healthy and happy puppies from a lineage of show dogs, service dogs, and beloved family pets.
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Vision & Values
Our Approach
At Stellar Moon Goldens, our commitment extends beyond the sale of our animals. We exclusively sell to individuals, never to pet shops or brokers. Every potential owner undergoes a thorough interview process to ensure our animals find their forever homes. Contact us to learn more about our adoption process or join our waiting list.
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Our History
We are Joe and Zoe Traphagan. We have raised three boys and four golden retrievers. The first golden we got for our sons was adopted via an ad on craigslist. Amy was a beautiful red golden, but was unfortunately not registered. We weren't aware of the advantages of knowing the pedigree or how important it was for the life of the dog until our youngest watched 5 year old Amy collapse in our backyard with a yelp. Joe and the boys rushed her to the vet to only learn bad news and the cause being a bad heart. Now more than 20 years later we, and the community of dog owners, know the importance of good genes for a long and healthy life. Stellar Moon, frequently referred to as just Stella, is AKC registered with accurate lineage tracking for the last 5 generations. Similar dogs from this lineage have gone on to do things from show dogs, service dogs, and integral members of families.
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What is a Hobby
Breeder?
A true hobby breeder will breed for the betterment of the breed. The dogs of a hobby breeder are hand-picked raised in the home, have health clearances, and are part of the family. The dogs are not kept in kennels 24/7.
They are actively involved with their humans and have a large, clean yard and house to themselves. The puppies that come from a hobby breeder are well socialized, healthy and adapt well when they go to their new homes.
A good hobby breeder keeps their dog's bloodlines pure and breeds for the optimal health and a excellent temperament.
A good hobby breeder is the best person to get a dog from. They know their dogs and take care of their dogs. The take their responsibilities as a dog owner seriously.
They love their puppies.
Puppy Culture is a program designed to help breeders and puppy owners raise happy, and well-adjusted puppies. It focuses on early socialization, positive reinforcement training, and providing puppies with a stimulating and enriching environment. The program aims give puppies the best possible start in life, setting them up for success in their new homes.
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is non-profit organization that aims to improve the health and well-being
of companion animals by reducing the incidence of genetic
diseases. They provide a registry of health information for dogs
and cats, as well as offer DNA testing and certification programs
for breeders and owners.
John Muir
"Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way."