Most people who have been in the Lhasa Apso breed for a few years are aware of the fact that due to an unusual dream in which I was “given a mission” to go and get some Lhasa Apsos from the Orient, I imported several beautiful little dogs which I obtained from Lama Gyan Yeshe and from the Tibetan refugees of his Jorpati Khamba camp in Nepal, in the early 1980s.
Pictured left:
Lama Gyan Yeshe with Katu and myself
Registration
During the rest of that decade I tried to get my dogs registered with the Canadian Kennel Club. Unfortunately for some illogical reason, the “establishment” thought in their opinion that the coming of these dogs would be a threat to the breed - the results were that these dogs were never registered in Canada. It finally turned out that my own nation was a bad “landing place” for these nice little foreign dogs which would have been a good addition to the existing genetic pool of Lhasa Apsos in this country. Having said this, I must add that some of the blood of my dogs have managed to get into rare Canadian bloodlines by the “back door”!
During the 1990s, descendants of this unique genetic pool made their way to Germany where they were blended with some other Himalayan imports and possibly other lines to create the German Tibetan Line! Some other dogs also made their way to France into the hands of Mrs. Yolande De Zarobe, the “dean” of the Lhasa Apso breed in Europe!
At the end of the 90s, my dogs were finally registered in the USA with the United Kennel Club of Kalamazoo, Michigan at a time when Mr. Fred Miller, the President was still alive. They were duly registered with my Dharmapala prefix. Subsequently, a few specimens of this stock made their way to the States to the households of different individuals for their own pleasure.
The Partnerships
In the year 2000, a newly created partnership with Mrs. Cecile Clover was formed after her showing deep interest in the preservation of these holy dogs of the Tibetan monastic tradition. Hence, the majority of my dogs went to Mrs. Clover who was acting as a representative of the Tibetan Ligmincha Institute of Charlottesville, Virginia. Basically my entire breeding stock consisting of 18 Lhasa Apsos, being 12 females and 6 males, became American citizens ... and established residence in the best, as is claimed by its people, "dog loving country in the world"!
In the course of the following year, half of my dogs in Mrs. Clover’s care were moved to the hands of a second partner: Mrs. Debby Rothman of Conifer, Colorado.
In the beginning of this arrangement the partnership seemed to be respected. It was agreed that the ones born in Virginia would wear the Dharmapala (my prefix) with Lotus added to it, while the ones in Colorado would carry the Dharmapala Kunza name. However, soon after their arrival in Colorado, the dogs back in Virginia were said not to be producing any more!
In Colorado in the hands of a most experienced breeder, my dogs which had a reputation of good breeders only produced two litters in more than 42 months - being just five pups in total! This is what was declared as being born. I find this a little strange since it was written by a good source that Mrs. Debby Rothman had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on my dogs. This seemed like a lot of money for five puppies only and Mrs. Rothmann never complained in her letters to me!
The Sting
However, it was discovered during the summer of 2004 that the dogs in Virginia had in fact produced a substantial amount of puppies and that the entire profits from the sales of the progeny of my dogs had been absorbed by Ligmincha Institute!!
Since all news was fed to me by my “so-called partners” by ordinary mail and telephone only, it was decided that I would get back on the internet. The shock that awaited me, I could never have imagined…
Shortly after I was back on the internet, I discovered that even though to my face, my so-called partners were telling me that I was the owner of the "D'Aoust Dogs", behind my back, these two “lovely ladies”, Mrs. Cecile Clover and Mrs. Debby Rothman were both taking immense pleasure in telling the whole world that I had given them all my dogs!! The shock to me was immense!
But worse things were in store: I was also informed that both my so-called partners had managed (most likely due to the help of some good friends) to obtain registration of the offspring of my dogs without my signature as the registered owner of these animals! Such ingratitude and cruelty was almost beyond my comprehension!
On the 20th. of October 2004, some of my dogs were presented at the American Lhasa Apso Club (ALAC) National Specialty in St-Louis. From the report given by Mrs. Debby Rothman herself, it was as if my dogs were a kind of “blessing” to the breed in North-America – how strange that it was exactly the contrary 20 years earlier?
The Lhasa Apso List
At the end of 2004, I joined the Lhasa Apso list owned by Dr. Cathy Marley, but nobody spoke to me on that list and I was ‘removed’ after my second message to that list. Dr. Cathy Marley and I had different versions regarding the ownership of my dogs in the States – this seemed to be enough to remove me from this group. However at the beginning of 2005 I joined another list owned by great persons who would like to see the truth coming to the fore at any time about my Dharmapala Gompa Dogs.
What is the truth of how my dogs have been bred?
Some aspects of this might turn out to be detrimental (and contrary to the normal good keeping of breeding records) to some unscrupulous persons “playing with the destiny of these dogs” and, even to the reputation of some registries running the purebred “scene” in America. With the fact that DNA science is still a mystery to the vast majority of people, it seems that many “snake-oil peddlers” are profiting from this situation to improve their own lot, by playing with different databases in different DNA banks! What used to be a noble sport has obviously become in some places, a vicious activity. To openly discuss this a new discussion list has been created for that specific purpose!
Anyone who has any information or whatever in regard to my Lhasa Apso line which has been called Gompa Lhasa Apso or Dharmapala (and "Kunza" or "Lotus" by those who have taken my dogs) is most welcome to contact me and HELP US GET THESE DOGS BACK TO WHERE THEY BELONG - to me in Canada, or to those who are supporters of this cause.
