The Quiet Ones

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200 – May, 2021

By Sue M. Copeland

Passionate. Kind. Generous. Tireless.

Those are just a few of the words used by dog-show people to describe Dr. Duane Butherus and his wife, Connie.

“Duane and Connie are the epitome of what dog people should be,” says Ann Viklund, Director of Conformation for the Breeder-Enthusiast Group at Nestle Purina PetCare. “They’re breeders and exhibitors. They give generously of their time and experience. They bring new people to the sport.”

That a couple who grew up with no show-dog background could earn such respect in the fancy is a tribute to their character. That they continue to work tirelessly after devoting 50-plus years to dogs and dog shows—despite having had full-time careers—is a tribute to their passion.

THE START

“Neither of us had a dog-show background,” says Duane. “We got a couple of pet dogs when we were in grad school, just after we were married. They were ‘farm collies;’ my father’s family were farmers in Western Kansas. The first collie came from there. The second was supposed to be a Sheltie, but it wasn’t. We didn’t care—we loved them.”

The couple graduated, Duane with a PhD in chemistry, and Connie with a master’s degree in nursing, then moved to New Jersey, not far from New York City. Duane started his career with Bell Laboratories, and Connie continued hers teaching at a nursing school. On weekends, they savored the “Big Apple.”

“We decided we were going to take advantage of the fun the city had to offer,” says Connie. Adds Duane, “We went to cat shows. We went to horse shows. We went to art galleries and museums.”

Fate stepped in when the young couple heard about the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The year was 1967.

“That’s the first dog show we’d ever gone to,” says Connie. “We were spellbound.”

They returned the following year and learned about the benching area, where the public could meet the breeds. Connie had a childhood friend who bred Afghan Hounds, so they were aware of—and drawn to—the breed. “We knew we wanted to get an Afghan or a Sheltie,” explains Duane. “But it was the Afghan people who made our choice for us. They were very friendly. They welcomed us into their benching area and gave us wine. They were having fun! We said to ourselves, ‘This is a crowd we could join.’”

Says Connie, “The Sheltie people were nice, too. We just felt at home with the Afghan crowd. Plus, Afghans were very popular back then. It’s the breed of the aging flower child! That was our generation.”

Adds Duane, “We were learning that the dogs are very important. But so are the people.”

Their first Afghan was a rescue bitch named Taj. “We just loved her” says Connie. Taj cemented their attraction to the breed.

HOOKED!

Click here to read the complete article
200 – May, 2021

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Posted by AnthonyA on May 27 2021. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.