About JWT Heritage Australian Shepherds

At JWT Heritage Australian Shepherds , we are a family with over two decades of experience raising and loving Australian Shepherds. Mike grew up in El Paso, TX, where his favorite canine companion was an Australian Shepherd, sparking a lifelong appreciation for the breed. His career has been rooted in public service, including work as a firefighter at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility, a Fire Captain for Doña Ana County, NM, Fire Marshal for Rural Metro in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Director of Operations and Paramedic for Inter-Facility Transfers at Maricopa Ambulance in Phoenix, AZ. He now works as a Safety Manager at the TSMC microchip plant in Arizona.

Kirsten grew up on a small hobby farm in Southern California, where Australian Shepherds proved the perfect partners for working cattle. In her youth, she rode hunters and jumpers on her Appendix and Quarter Horses and later coached showmanship and hunter/sport horse riders for an Arabian barn. She eventually transitioned into a work-from-home role in pharmacy, where she continues to be surrounded by dogs throughout the day.  Kirsten still enjoys spending time with animals, keeping a horse for pleasure and raising quail, and in her free time she values family life, baking, and reading.

Together, we are committed to breeding Australian Shepherds that excel in work and sport, yet have the temperament to be loving family companions with a reliable “off switch.” Our breeding program focuses on health, intelligence, and versatility, producing dogs that are eager to work, quick to learn, and calm at home.