Our Kennel name "da Val Sardona" is inspired by the Romansh word Val, meaning ‘valley,’ and the globally unique UNESCO World Heritage Site Tectonic Arena Sardona in the Swiss Alps. The Alps, which were formed by the collision of the African and European continents, impressively demonstrate how mountains and valleys were created at this extraordinary location. 

The ‘magic line’, the Glarus Thrust, is visible from afar as a horizontal line created by the displacement of 250-300 million-year-old rock onto much younger rock that is only 35-50 million years old. 

The choice of name reflects our deep connection to the Swiss Alps and establishes a link to the origins of the Rhodesian Ridgeback in Africa.