PCA Health and Genetics - Contact

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Committee Members Biographies

My husband Peter and I live in the beautiful Umpqua River country of southern Oregon.

Our first dog was an Airedale. Although I didn't buy her as a "Show Dog", with the

encouragement and tutelage of a mentor with much knowledge of that Breed-- I did finish

her championship.

She never had a litter as she was first and foremost the family pet. Our family also had

a Lab for 15 years and several Shih Tzu dogs. When my children grew up, I became

interested in showing dogs again. My search led me to the Papillon breed. I was impressed

with the intelligence, beauty, elegance and hardiness of the Papillon. In 1994 I was

fortunate to obtain my first Papillon puppy. She completed her championship in 1997 and

I was hooked on the breed and exhibiting. I also admire and co-own a Standard Poodle

(Ch. Kriscross Hallucination) with a dear friend. I have learned from the reputable Poodle

breeders that genetic and health testing is of extreme importance for the health of

that breed.

I am currently the President of the Umpqua Kennel Club, our local all breed club, a member

of the Papillon Club of Puget Sound and a member of PCA since 1996. My career has been

in human health care. First as an RN and then as a nurse practitioner. Canine health,

specifically of the Papillon Breed is of great importance to me. Since Papillons have become

much more popular, it is of extreme importance to recognize and understand some of the

genetic challenges that are facing us.

As a member of the PCA genetics committee, I want to be active and involved to improve

the overall health of our breed. I wish to encourage more health and genetic testing,

encourage openness among breeders, educate others and myself so that we may all become

more informed of the health issues facing the Papillon breed today. With health testing

and information, we will have the power and knowledge to become true "guardians" of

the Papillon breed that we all love so much.

I look forward to serving on this committee and perhaps develop some PCA approved

studies to identify problems that the breed is facing.

Elaine Zech ~ Chair, Genetic Research

E-mail : ezeepaps@charter.net

February 2004

Committee member

It was the morning after Kirby won Westminster that we boarded the plane for Portland

to pick up our fist Papillon puppy. I couldn’t help but wonder how Kirby’s win would affect

the future, popularity and health of the Papillon breed.

One of the deciding factors in choosing a Papillon over the other toy breeds was their

relative lack of health problems. Doug and I support the Canine Health Foundation and

Genetic research in our effort, in our small way, to ensure the future health of our breed.

Doug and I are members of the Sunflower Kennel Club of Olathe, Kansas and have been

the trophy committee there for the past three years.

I served on the committee for the 2002 PCA National in Kansas City, Missouri. Because we

have no Regional Club in our area, all of the committee members worked together whenever

needed. My goal as a new breeder and a committee member is to protect and improve the

health of our beautiful “butterflies” !

Linda Moret

E-mail : n2paps@prodigy.net

July 2003

Committee member

My "dog life" began with the purchase of a Miniature Schnauzer puppy and progressed for

35 years. Having been involved with the American Miniature Schnauzer Club's genetic

committee, I discovered congenital cataracts and ultimately test bred every dog I owned

for this recessive, genetic condition.

Owning a Papillon began a process for me of weaning away from hand stripping, chalk,

hair spray and intensive grooming . Papillons became the focal point about 1986 and

ultimately are now my only breed. I was asked to join the newly formed Genetic Committee

under the leadership of Sylvia Jung and have pursued this focus for the past 8 years.

Noting that the basically the "unknown" Papillon has now become much more popular ,it is

conceivable that we may begin to notice increased genetic problems as indiscriminate

breeding often follows popularity of a breed. My focus is to answer question, help educate,

and try to recognize developing problems. It is necessary to encourage openness among

owners of Papillons.

This is vitally important in the overall health of our breed ... The Papillon Club of America

is one of the original members of the Canine Health Foundation and also of the new health

registry, CHIC.

Leona Domino

E-mail : ldomino309@aol.com

Updated May 2004

Committee member

I grew up with Bassett Hounds, but had a long hiatus from dog ownership during the time

that I was in college and graduate school. Having earned a bachelor's in science in biology,

I realized that I wanted to learn more so I enrolled in graduate school at the University of

Maryland, College Park, where I earned my master's and doctoral degrees. My studies

focused on population genetics and molecular systematic, the study of relationships among

organisms using information from DNA and proteins. My dissertation focused on a group of

lizards found mainly in the West Indies, so I was fortunate (and still am) to be able to

include travel to exotic places as part of my research. In 1988 I came to Penn State, in the

heart of Pennsylvania, as a post doctoral fellow; currently I am a faculty member in the

biology department. My primary duties are teaching, but I still maintain a small research

program and stay current on new developments in molecular evolution, including the

determination of the molecular basis of inherited diseases, such as progressive retinal

atrophy, which is found in Papillons.

When my husband and I decided to take the plunge back into dog ownership ( he grew up

with Collies ), I did a lot of research to find a breed that would be the best fit for our life

style. I also hoped to be able to enjoy performance sports with a dog. The Papillon was

the ideal combination of temperament, size, and appearance I still catch myself just

watching my dogs because they are so beautiful. Both Gusto and Amy were retired

champions, and we felt so fortunate that the breeders entrusted them to us. I became

involved with the PCA, not only to learn more about the breed and to meet people who

share that interest, but to contribute what I can to support Papillons. Gusto and I have

enjoyed taking many agility and obedience classes; he earned his CGC at the 1999 PCA

National, as did Amy. However, I have come to realize that competing in dog sports, both

performance and conformation, is really more than a hobby, it is a lifestyle that my current

career does not allow enough time for, but definitely something to look forward to in

retirement. For now, I have chosen to contribute to the breed by serving the PCA, including

service on the Genetic Committee, which seemed a natural fit given my training in genetics.

This committee is of critical importance to the future of the breed and is a very active

committee. I look forward to continuing to work toward a better understanding of genetic

disorders in this breed and the application of this knowledge to ensure the health of

Papillons for generations to come. I have also served on the Constitution and Bylaws

Revisions Committee, and the Rescue Review Committee. Locally, I am president and

medical coordinator of Center County PAWS, an animal welfare organization involved

primarily in rescue and placement of companion animals, as well as promotion of

responsible ownership.

Carla Hass

E-mail : calisto@statecollege.com

March 2004

Committee member

My husband Neil and I live in Anchorage, Alaska, a place we love and where we raised our

family - a son and a daughter. Although I never had a dog as a child, I was fortunate to

marry a man who had raised and loved dogs since childhood. Early in our marriage, our

family pet was Labrador Retriever. Since I have always been a 'small dog person', I soon

added a small mixed breed dog to our family and then a Chinese Pug. Later my husband

added an English Bulldog.

We saw our first Papillons at an obedience class where we and our dogs were enrolled.

Although the Papillons never returned to class, we were intrigued and began to research the

breed. About 2 years later, in early 1994, I acquired my first Papillon. The breeder

encouraged me to consider showing her. After attending a few shows to learn and watch my

husband show his Bulldog, I took a deep breath and went in the ring with my Papillon. Turns

out my little Papillon girl was a natural 'show dog'. She strutted herself to her championship

in short order and I was hooked !

I have been a PCA member since 1995 and attended my first PCA National Specialty in 1998

in San Diego. Since then we have attended several more - specifically, Houston, Kansas City,

and Portland. I am also a member of the Papillon Association of Puget Sound and have

attended several of those specialties as well. We are active members of the Alaska Kennel

Club and enjoy showing our dogs in all of the Alaskan all breed shows across the state.

When we can do so, we like to travel to shows in Canada and the Pacific Northwest. We

hope to expand our travels to more shows in other parts of Canada and the United States.

In the last 10 years, we have enjoyed raising, showing and occasionally breeding our

Papillons and Bulldogs. We've shown 6 of our Papillons and 5 of our Bulldogs to their AKC

championships, with several of them also earning their Canadian and International

championships. We had our first Papillon litter in 1997 and have had 3 more litters since

then, along with 2 Bulldog litters. In all of our breedings, we strive to improve on what we've

got, including conformation, temperament, and especially health. To that end, I avail myself

of every opportunity to expand my knowledge and understanding of canine behavior,

structure, function, health and nutrition. Genetics is the scientific basis for understanding

our canine companions. By participating on the Genetics Committee, I hope to promote and

further that understanding for the fancy as a whole.

Stephanie Koeniger

E-mail : slknrk@gci.net

July 2003

Committee member

I obtained my first Papillon in 1985 as a pet, and then a couple of years later being

completely smitten with the breed I purchased a show male and started showing. I bred

my first litter in 1988. After the first couple of years of breeding I have bred approximately

2 to 4 litters per year. ( Sometimes more, sometimes less ! ). I joined Papillon Club of

America in 1989 and also that year attended my first National Specialty. Since then I have

attended all but two of the National Specialties and have attended every Specialty held by

Papillon Association of Puget Sound.

I attend 30 to 50 dog shows a year and am always at ring side observing our lovely breed

in all its various colors and styles ! I have held several positions with Papillon Association

of Puget Sound, and currently I am the historian of that club. I participate in conformation

and am just now training and competing with one of my Veteran dogs in obedience.

My husband, Chris, and I live in the beautiful state of Washington near the Columbia River,

within a short drive to scenic Mt. Hood or the Pacific Ocean. It truly is a lovely place to live

even though the winters are a bit wet. The area abounds with dog shows, with the Rose

City Cluster about 25 minutes from home.

I have had the fortune to travel to England and attend the Crufts Dog Show. While there I

met and conversed with as many of the English breeders as possible and saw many beautiful

Papillons. I am now a member of The Papillon ( Butterfly Dog ) Club in England.

I have had the opportunity to import several dogs from England and recently one from Japan

from the Queen Bless Kennel.

Janis McLaren ~ La Ren Papillons

E-mail : larenpap@aol.com

July 2003

Committee member

Growing up on an Iowa farm I have always had an active interest in animal husbandry.

I loved warming and bottle feeding the new lambs in early spring. I looked forward to raising

an orphan calf in the summer and selling it when it was old enough to eat on its own

then using the money to buy two more to hand raise.

My first foray into the field of genetics was with my horses and ponies. My father turned

their care over to me when I was still a preteen and encouraged me to read all of his books

on the subject. I learned all I could about their care and feeding. I had Quarter horses and

a Paint, but wanted a flashy Appaloosa like my neighbor. Breeding their Appy to my Quarter

horse mare produced a horse that looked exactly like my Quarter horse. It was through that

experience I began learning about genetics.

I acquired my first Papillon in 1992 for my daughter to show in 4-H. That was all it took to

convince me that Papillons were a very special breed. Within a year I started attending

shows and found my foundation bitch. I joined the Papillon Club of America in 1993.

I hold a Master's Degree from the University of Iowa in Special Education, Behavior Disorders.

I have taught animal care and responsible pet ownership classes in school to students grades

5-9. As a member of our local Tri-City Kennel Club I was the Education Chair. I enjoy

reading and learning all I can about Papillon care, history, and health. I know the importance

of public education and awareness. I feel that should be a continued emphasis along with

funding and supporting further research and discovery.I feel our current website does an

incredible job of making information available to club members and the public. I would like

to congratulate the current PCA committees and hope that I can contribute my help as

needed.

Wendy Rios ~ Trinket Papillons

E-mail : igoforpaps@msn.com

April 2004

Committee member

I have always been in love with dogs, horses, and my husband Dallas. I married by high

school sweetheart and along the 39 years together ; he too has shared his love with my

involvement in the Canine and Equine world. I graduated from Western Kentucky University

in 1975 with an Associate Degree in Nursing.

During my early years of riding, showing, and breeding horses - I worked eight years as a

personal assistant to Tom Johnson DVM & Equine Reproductive Specialist. I worked during

the day as an intensive care nurse to mares and foals and concurrently worked the evening

shift as an intensive care nurse at Kentucky Baptist Hospital.

It wasn’t until 1986 after the loss of our family dog of 12 years that my husband and I began

looking at purebred dogs. We fell in love with the Akita and over the course of 12 years

we bred several champions. We showed and bred conformation and obedience dogs,

including a National Specialty winner and with the collaboration of a very good friend Bill

Bobrow, we bred and trained Moto-Yori’s Cover Girl Dotti, CD who became the 1994 Delta

Society Guide Dog of the Year. Her owner, Dr. Jeff Fowler was going blind due to a genetic

disorder and I have been interested in PRA ever since my introduction to him in 1986.

During our Akita years, the genetics work, that I was involved with have included Von

Willebrands and CERF clinics. In addition due to the many breed problems the Akita has,

OFA and Thyroid tests were a must, and autoimmune disease is a serious problem.

It was during my active participation and work in Obedience from 1988 to 1994 that I fell

in love with a small, beautiful, and talented Papillon. I told myself then, when I no longer

can work with the big dogs, Papillons are the breed I want to have.

My first PCA National was in 2003 and shortly there after we bought our first companion,

Mollie. She was ours to spoil, love, and learn the behavior of the Papillon - We were hooked.

Our first show dog came in 2004. And we showed at the 2004 PCA National. I became a

member of PCA in 2004 and was eager to help the club and became the 2006 SW Regional

Specialty Show Chairman.

We actively show and now breed Papillons. All of our dogs we own are CHIC certified.

While I am new to the Papillon world, I know Canine genetics is a critical factor to the future

of any breed. I am ready and eager to serve PCA by working on the genetics committee.

It is the responsibility of us all to work toward Breeder and Owner openness to help promote

a better understanding of genetic disorders. By sharing knowledge and providing education

our Beloved Breed has a future.

The ground work that has been laid by the past and present guardians of our breed are the

building blocks for strong and healthy Papillons and Phalenes for future generations to come.

Andi Meloon ~

E-mail : ameloon@cox.net

May 2008

Webmaster

My name is Line, and I am from Norway. I am the webmaster for the PCA Health & Genetics

committee, I am not a member of Papillon Club of America ( PCA ). I have no experience

from showing dogs, and I am not into breeding, but I do love Papillons !

Here is the story how I become "involved" in the PCA Health & Genetics :

One day in May 1990 my life changed forever ... It was the day I met my first Papillon,

Speedy ... a beautiful male with a strong loving personality. At that time I didn't know

anything about the Papillon breed, the only thing I knew was that I was in love forever.

When he was about three years old, I started to notice that his sight was getting worse ...

my darling Speedy had PRA. To me this was a totally unknown genetic disease, so I had to

learn about it. At the same time I also learned about other genetic related

problems/diseases in the Papillon breed. Speedy died at the age eleven, in May 2001,

he died during a slipped disc surgery, his heart cold not take the anesthetics. The loss was,

and still is enormous, my heart will never heal again, and the grieve will follow me as long

as I live.

I met Nancy Miller Pinke through the Internet the summer of 2001, and the e-mails started

to "fly" between US and Norway several times a week. Nancy & I become close friends,

and she helped me through the grieve process, she opened my heart and learned me how to

combine grieve and love ... And through her help and support I was ready to get a new

Papillon again, my darling Rambo. He is now 3 years old, and I can't really tell how grateful

I am for being blessed with this incredible love again.

Nancy also introduced me for several of her long time Papillon friends, also the PCA Health

& Genetics' Chair at that time, Leona Domino. Leona needed to have some new graphics

done for the Genetics website ... Of course I said yes !!! Then one thing led to another,

and the ball started to roll ... and we decided about a brand new design of the site instead.

The new design based on Nancy's beautiful logo design, was "published" March/April 2003.

I feel very honored to be the PCA Health & Genetics' webmaster, it means so much to me

to be a little part in the important work to improve our darling Papillons health.

Line Leret ( a Papillon lover forever )

E-mail : l.leret@online.no

Updated May 2004

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