About Rivendell Chinchillas
Behind every great company, farm, ranch, store, etc. is one person with a dream. This is my dream.
Hi, I'm Nicole Galliano, and I am Rivendell Chinchillas. I live in a tiny town in central Nebraska, on 4 1/2 acres.
I worked as a vet tech for over 5 years, and I went to school to get a degree for architectural drafting and design, but I don't actually use it anymore!!
I got my first chinchilla when I was 14 as a pet from an exotic animal auction. Unfortunately Sabrina didn't have the best start to life and wasn't given the best building blocks of good genetics so in 1997 when she was less than 3 years old I had to put her to sleep. Although Sabrina is no longer with us she had sparked a love for this small creature that has carried on. After loosing Cinder, my second chin from another auction, I acquired a few chins, that's when I began searching for more information and a mentor to help teach me, the road was rough and I found many people who were less than excited to help me, but in the summer of 2005 I found a door into the wonderful world of chinchilla shows, high quality breeders, and information I never fully knew existed! It's amazing what you can find on the internet! By January of 2006 I had shown in my first show. I've currently been a guest at the Ryerson Chinchilla Ranch, Merritts' Chinchilla Ranch, Kansas City Chinchillas, Butler's Chinchillas Ranch, Miller Chinchillas, Maynard & Calista Beitz's, and many more, and am hoping to get to many more as opportunities arrive! Now my goal is to create my own line of chins using high quality chinchillas from top quality stock. Eventually I plan to be self-sustaining and people can own a true Rivendell Chinchilla.
My main goal at this time is a strong standard and white/mosaic line. Although I do have a other mutations, they are strongly out numbered by standards and whites. I feel this allows me to focus and work on perfecting one area at a time while still being able to offer and work with other mutations as well. With maintaining smaller numbers of other mutations it allows me to obtain higher quality in fewer animals to set up those pairings then return my focus back to my true mutation love, whites. Even with all of the love in the world every mutation line needs a good strong standard line to back it up!
Of course behind every great person is a loving supporter, who helps to lift you back up when you're down and stand back and let you shine when you are up. So I want to say thank you to my husband John, who allows me to follow my dreams, helps me build cages, and complains when I'm up all night working on web pages! Although he doesn't fully understand my passion, he sees my passion for the chinchillas and not only allows, but supports my addiction from everything from helping me with chores when needed to either caring for the girls so I can go to a show, or attending with me!
Thank you to Cathy Kane for taking the time to teach me the right ways and patience to listen to my crazy ideas. The wonderful people who have entrusted me with their wonderful chins to allow me to build up my high quality breeding stock, Tony Andeway for answering my calls even though he knows that it'll be at least an hour conversation or even a 45 minute call dialed by one of my kids, and also Bob and Vicki Merritt, Rich and Jan Ryerson, Mary Jo and Dick Bradford, oh the list is so long, and sometimes even the shortest visits or e-mails can make the biggest impacts.
Although the list of everyone who has helped me is too long to list, I want to say thanks to them too. They know who they are!