About Colliewoode Productions LLC
Owned by Joan L. Neidhardt and Cathy M. Schmidt

In 1994 Cathy and Joan met via the Internet when Cathy searched AOL for the keyword Lassie in AOL member profiles. Cathy lived in St. Petersburg, Florida at the time and Joan lived in Baltimore, Maryland. Collies and Lassie were the connections that started a partnership, a friendship and a journey that neither would have ever dreamed of. 

Through email and collie mail lists, Cathy and Joan got to know each other and discovered they had many things in common both personally and professionally. Both were professional managers in the Information Technology field.

Cathy was very active in collies; having started an organization in Florida called "Forever Friends of Collies", where collie owners gathered for monthly events that were sometimes fun, sometimes educational. The organization was very active in collie rescue as well. Cathy's love of collies goes back to her early childhood and watching Lassie on TV in the 50's and continuing through all the various changes of Lassie.

Joan was relatively new to collies. She always loved dogs but didn't settle in on any one breed until she fell in love with her first collie that she acquired in 1990. Joan watched Lassie as a child too, but her interest in Lassie was renewed when she got her first collie.

Through the power of the Internet, Cathy and Joan each separately met others that had the keys to access the kingdom of Lassie and each was able to meet Lassie and his owner. Within months, they formed the partnership of Colliewoode Productions for the promotion of Lassie through www.lassie.net, the Lassie Fan club, media outlets, assisting at personal appearances and sales of licensed Lassie merchandise.

The first www.lassie.net booth
at the first appearance
Colliewoode ever attended as
working partners with Lassie.
Big Spring Jam,
Huntsville, AL. 1998

Today's www.lassie.net booth-
Fully stocked with Lassie licensed products.

Cathy's skill in videotape editing and Joan's skill in entertainment and advertising promotion were a winning combination to produce videos for schools (Letters to Lassie), documentaries on various Lassie appearances and book tours (Lassie's Guide to a Family's Best Friend) and collie rescue organizations (Adopt a Collie for Southland Collie Rescue in southern California). Cathy also produced the opening video for the Lassie appearances at the Lousie Mandrell Theatre in Pidgeon Forge, TN.

Fate continued to take them on the ride of their lives, spending weekends traveling with Lassie to appearances around the US and learning more and more about the legacy of Lassie from Lassie's owner and trainer, the Lassie "Bible"- "Lassie, A Dog's Life" by Ace Collins, the various trademark holders (Broadway Video, Golden Books, Classic Media) and licensees of Lassie products, the cast and crew of the various Lassie shows and movies, and the family of the originator of Lassie, Eric Knight. Cathy eventually moved cross-country to California, which gave Colliewoode a multi coast presence. Their website www.lassie.net became world renowned for the place on the net to find Lassie news and merchandise. Their site has won many awards and been featured in many books. Cathy and Joan have been featured on TV entertainment and news shows, in print interviews and in TV collector shows and magazines around the world. They have earned the worldwide reputation of being the premier experts on all things Lassie.

Both Cathy and Joan are the owners of actual Lassie descendants. Cathy owns Gina, a sable and white daughter of Lassie, Java, a sable and white son of Lassie, and Lola, a sable and white daughter of Lassie. Joan owns Bailey and Laddie, sable males, both sons of Lassie. Although their dogs are not permitted to portray Lassie, they are all AKC Canine Good Citizens, Certified Therapy Dogs and in training as Service Dogs. Their 9th and 10th generation dogs frequently accompany Cathy and Joan during presentations and interviews about Lassie and therapy work.

Cathy and Joan are truly blessed and thankful to have the priviledge of working with Lassie all these years and to have formed lifetime friendships with Lassie's owner/trainer, cast and crew members, licensees, licensors, authors, media, and of course, many Lassie fans around the world.

Little known fact: Joan and Cathy were inspired by Rudd Weatherwax to begin therapy dog work. Whenever Rudd traveled, he had a contract clause to have time built in to visit the local children's hospital with NO publicity. Rudd felt blessed to have Lassie in his life and it was his little way to give back. Joan and Cathy wanted to carry on Rudd's tradition and began therapy work with their collies.

To arrange an interview or presentation, email LassieNet@aol.com