Beagles and coonhounds had been a part of the McVay family since Don Sr. was a boy, so it only made sense that Don McVay Sr. and Don McVay Jr. started Sundown Kennels in the 1970s. The kennel back then consisted primarily of coonhounds (this is the reason for "Sundown"), but they always kept a beagle around. As the years went by and Don Sr. began to develop health issues, the beagles began to take over. In 1987, Sundown Kennels adopted its current slogan, "Breeding with the Total Dog in Mind". Don Sr. and Don Jr. dreamed of having a kennel that bred show and hunting competition hounds as one. In 2001, Dave McVay became active in the kennel with Don Sr. and Don Jr. After the passing of Don Sr. in 2002, Don Jr. and Dave elected to carry on with Don Sr.'s dream of producing top-quality hounds. Sundown Kennels became Sundown Beagles, and the results of Don Sr. and Don Jr.'s breeding program were soon recognized in the competitions. To date, Sundown Beagles has raised some of the winningest beagles in UKC history through selective breeding and out-crosses. We welcome you to our site and encourage you to check out our list of accomplishments and other links.