Linda Souza

Linda Souza bred and showed Irish Wolfhounds under the Limerick name for more than fifty years. She met Janet Souza — her future mother-in-law and the woman who would become her lifelong partner in this breed — as a young girl in Millbrae, California. She would end up marrying Janet's son and her high school sweetheart, Cliff,  just out of high school.   A few years later, Cliff, purchased Linda an Old English Sheepdog as a gift. Linda would attend shows with Janet, and quickly realized that the intense grooming required of the OES was not for her. The two settled on the Irish Wolfhound and they built Limerick Irish Wolfhounds together from Janet's very first Wolfhound onward.

Under Linda's stewardship, Limerick Irish Wolfhounds became a fixture of the California show rings, where she campaigned Best In Show, Specialty Best In Show and National Specialty winning dogs. In 2013, the AKC named the family Hound Group Breeders of the Year, and in 2020 Linda was honored as Owner Handler of the Year at the Purina Pro Plan & Dog News Show Dogs of the Year gala in conjunction with Westminster. Linda held numerous positions within the Irish Wolfhound Club of America, as well as many other positions with local clubs. She was also the Chair of the Harvest Moon Classic cluster – one of the largest dog shows in California.

In 2021, Linda and Cliff relocated Limerick Irish Wolfhounds to a ten-acre property in Idaho's Teton Valley, just an hour from Jamie’s home in Jackson. Though she hadn't bred a litter herself in recent years, Linda remained deeply active as a mentor to a wide circle of Wolfhound breeders and owners.

Linda passed away in 2022. She is remembered as a devoted breeder, mentor, and steward of the Limerick name, who carried her mother-in-law Janet's legacy forward for over fifty years. The Irish Wolfhound Club of America renamed their AKC Sportsmanship Award to the Linda Souza Sportsmanship Award in her honor. She is deeply missed by all that knew her.