Mrs. Penelope C. Inan
I first became interested in dog shows as a child, and attended my first show in the late 1950’s – an outdoor benched show – with an aunt who raised Pomeranians. In 1973, following a divorce, I moved in with my sister (Sandra Bridges) and her family in Northern California – bringing with me my companion Basenji and a show bitch I had been given by his breeder. As I wasn’t interested in handling, Sandy was drafted. I bred my first litter in 1974, but we lost all but two puppies. Sandy and I co-bred for the next few years – taking JATO as a kennel name in honor of our late aunt. In 1977, I married and moved to Hayward, but continued showing and breeding. In all I have bred or co-bred eight champions. I also put a CD on my companion dog – who was High Scoring Basenji at the 1976 BCOA Western Specialty. Later in the 1980’s, I put an ASFA field championship on my black and white Australian Ch. Balshah Allakazam. I was the original editor for the BCOA Bulletin Board, and am a past President of the Basenji Club of Northern California. In 1992, my late husband and I moved to Turkey (his native country) when he retired. He died in 1996, and my son and I moved back in with my sister and her husband. She and I co-bred our last litter in 1998, from which came Ch. Jato Jenrl’y Speaking (a National Specialty, group-placing bitch) and Ch. Jato Jenr’l Principles (the youngest group placing Basenji to date). In 1998 we began breeding and showing Chinese Cresteds. I am a member of the Santa Clara Valley Kennel Club, the Basenji Club of America, the Chinese Crested Club of Greater Los Angeles as well as member and Judges’ Education Chair for the American Chinese Crested Club. I became approved to judge Basenjis in 2003 and am currently provisional for Pekingese. This past February I judged the Sweepstakes at the ACCC Winter Showcase Specialty in New York.