Irish Wolfhound Association of the Carolinas
N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Virginia, and W. Virginia
(Rescue support extends into Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi)
Officers/Directors
The Irish Wolfhound Association of the Carolinas (IWAC) was initially organized in 1992 by Joe & Donna Pitt, Steve & Karen Levan, Art & Linda King, Donna Brown and Bambi Rabe. Many of the foundation members are still actively involved in the club to this day which provides our members with a depth of history and a wealth of information about the breed. In 2009, IWAMS was incorporated as a 501(c)7 nonprofit, and IWAC was formed to support the Irish Wolfhound community in North and South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The club goals are to provide education for the health and welfare of Irish Wolfhounds and promote responsible breeders who are focused on producing healthy and structurally correct Irish Wolfhounds. ​
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Promotes responsible, quality breeding in unison with the standards of the Irish Wolfhound Club of America (IWCA) and the American Kennel Club (AKC)
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Provides rescue and placement for Irish Wolfhounds in our region of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and also in our neighboring states of Florida and Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
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Angie Adams
President and Newsletter Editor / Irish Wolfhound Assoc. of the Carolinas​
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The first time I saw an Irish Wolfhound was in 2004, at a dog show. I remember seeing these incredibly magnificent dogs and being immediately drawn to them. Their owners were gracious enough to allow me to ask a lot of questions, and when one very dark, gray male leaned on me, I was completely smitten. He was so big, but so gentle, and from that moment on, I knew one day I would share my life with one. I started learning everything I could about the breed, and was lucky enough to encounter a few more over the next several years. The more I learned about the history of the Irish Wolfhound, the more I was convinced of the breed's magic. When I met my husband, I was overjoyed to learn he was interested in the breed, too. In 2014, we relocated from Georgia to North Carolina, and with this move we realized we were finally in the right time of our lives to make our dream a reality. The reason I know it was the right time, is because one of the first people we met after moving, was Tamara Dunn. She invited us to her home to meet her hounds, and it was the first time my husband had gotten to see one in person. One of her male wolfhounds, Berin, came right up to my husband and leaned on him. . . and you guessed it, he was in love. Tamara referred us to a breeder, and that summer, we were very lucky to bring home our first puppy, who we named Ceria. We took Ceria with us to the Raleigh St. Patrick's Day parade the following March, and there we met several members of IWAC. I joined soon after that and have been a member every since. In 2014 we got our second wolfhound, Lochlann. I have heard many people say, once you live with an Irish Wolfhound, you will always want to live with an Irish Wolfhound. I can 100% say that is correct, and I can also confirm that they are, indeed, magical.
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One of the first things I learned when I brought Ceria home, was as wolfhound owners, we are truly ambassadors for the breed. We can go anywhere with our hounds, and people will stop and ask about them. They will cross the street to have a chance to pet them, and take their picture. I have watched people's faces literally light up when they meet a wolfhound. I am always ready to talk about my hounds and help people learn about how to find a responsible breeder. I truly believe that the Irish Wolfhound is unique and unlike any other breed, and I am proud to be a part of an organization that promotes responsible breeding, education and rescue.
Cell: 919-428-0851
Linda King ~ Ard Rhilrish
Vice President / Irish Wolfhound Assoc. of the Carolinas
Director-at-Large / Irish Wolfhound Assoc. of the Carolinas (term begins 2026)
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Wolfhounds became a part of my life in 1977. I have the good fortune to have had great mentors that led to a breeding program which focuses on maintaining and improving the health and conformation of my dogs. Though I appreciate the success of my hounds in the ring, I greatly value the time spent on walks to the river, visiting retirement homes, attending school and community events, or just hanging out at the house. I am active in my regional breed clubs, and all breed and obedience club. I have and continue to serve in different capacities. I’ve been president, show chair, secretary, taught conformation and beginning obedience and worked on various committees in most of my affiliations. I also serve on the IWCA (Irish Wolfhound Club of America) Board where I am on multiple committees. I am proud to be a founding member of IWAMS, now IWAC.
Tamara Dunn ~ Ierne Irish Wolfhound
Director-at-Large / Irish Wolfhound Assoc. of the Carolinas​
President / Irish Wolfhound Rescue of the Mid South
Vice President / Irish Wolfhound Assoc. of the Carolinas (term begins 2026)
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​My love of Irish Wolfhounds began when I was in third grade and read a mystical story about Irish Wolfhounds in an old breed book from the 1940s. With a family history closely tied to Ireland I was hooked. I had always loved animals, dogs in particular, and the bigger the dog the better. It was 1991 before my dream of having an Irish Wolfhound of my own came true. Kaila wasn't from the best of breeders, but she was perfect in my eyes. She loved to course and during the peak of her coursing days was the #7 Irish Wolfhound in the American Sighthound Field Association. Through her I met my first human mentor in the breed, and eventually acquired my second "show quality" Irish Wolfhound Brionne. Brionne was the foundation bitch for most of our hounds to come, a legacy lasting 7 generations. Unfortunately, due to health issues in our last litter, that line came to an end in 2016. I acquired our youngest hound from a dear friend. She is a totally different personality, and together we've started an entirely new journey into this beautiful breed. Irish Wolfhounds are unique, with an intelligence and depth of soul that defies description. I've lived with many different breeds, but none have been as much a presence in my home as our wolfhounds have been. Known as the "heartbreak hound", people often ask how I can handle going back again after the loss of a hound. It's really quite simple, I would rather live 7 to 9 years with an Irish Wolfhound than 15 years with any other breed. I hear all the cute saying, "Who rescued Who", "My dog saved me", "Owned by my dog", etc. But none of those even comes close to describing the relationship you build with an Irish Wolfhound. My relationship with my hounds is a partnership. We are family. It is unique to anything I've experienced before in all of my life with dogs.
Cell: 919-523-2583
