Staffer often gets 'Peke' at championship

by Emily Laidlaw '02

Paraka and Serendipity in championship form

hen Lil Paraka, administrative assistant in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, bought her first Pekingese, Gizmo Sebastian, as a birthday present for her husband four years ago, she thought she was just introducing another member into the family.

Little did she think that she would own three champion dogs down the road.

Soon after Gizmo's arrival, Paraka contacted a local breeder, Ann Albright, to make sure Gizmo would get the proper diet, grooming, and other special care. Intrigued by Albright's own smaller Pekingese, Paraka asked if Gizmo would eventually look like them and was politely told that while Gizmo would make an excellent pet, he would never be "show quality."

The breeder then convinced Paraka to take on another Peke, Kuanyin's Tell It Like It Is, or Kallie, as she's called.

But Albright didn't stop there; soon she had convinced Paraka to begin entering Kallie in shows.

"It was really hard in the beginning," Paraka says. "I was completely nervous. But it was actually a lot of fun."

To become a better handler, Paraka attended special training classes and vigilantly watched some of the top handlers in the country. Her time and effort paid off last June, when Kallie became a champion in Stockton, New York, winning a ribbon and Best of Opposite, the highest award given to the opposite sex of the overall winner.

Paraka has gone on to own two more champions: Dragonhai Belfontaine, an International Canadian American Champion, and AngelPeke Serendipity, the son of Kallie, who became a champion in October in Romulus, New York.

While Paraka adores all her dogs, she can't help but play favorites with Serendipity.

"He was one of the babies who had a difficult time," she says. "I wound up hand feeding him. He was the smallest one of the litter, and getting his first championship really meant a lot. It's a great feeling."

And for Paraka, the "great feeling" is enough. She receives no money or prizes when her dogs win, just applause from the crowd and the satisfaction that comes with knowing her dog is a champion.

Unfortunately, not all participants share Paraka's good-natured attitude. She says it is not uncommon for some handlers to try to sabotage other dogs' chances of winning by dropping bait into the competition ring to distract them.

"People are people, and some of them continually do this sort of thing," she says. "You have to find out which handlers you need to avoid and which ones you don't."

Overall though, Paraka loves showing the breed.

"I never thought I'd be doing this in a million years," she says. "But I've met some great people along the way. It's a great hobby."

Paraka says she would encourage others to take up showing, but only if they can spare the time and money it takes to prepare for, enter, and travel to the shows, which are held all across the country.

For those not interested in showing, but who are willing to provide a good home to a Peke in need of rescue, Paraka recommends visiting the Pekingese Club of America's rescue Web site at www.pekingeseclub.org.

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