Growing up, I always loved dogs and had a part Sheltie dog by the name of Sonny. I trained Sonny to do all kinds of tricks and we did pretend dog shows. I always dreamed of showing a purebred dog at a real show. I researched several breeds and was, of course, intrigued with the basenji. In the summer of 1981 I went to the Seattle Kennel Club dog show and met several local people and their dogs. Susan Coe took Best In Show with “Tut” that year.
A few months later I was the proud owner of the cutest, and naughtiest,
basenji puppy in the world. She was novice-owner handled (by me) to become
Ch Akuaba’s Ruffian.
A couple of years later I acquired my second basenji from Susan. In 1986 we
earned three titles: AKC Champion, Companion Dog (CD), and ASFA Field
Champion. We continued competing and also earned Companion Dog Excellent
(CDX), and Lure Courser of Merit (LCM). His name was Ch Daze-Dun
Akuaba Rascal Quita CDX, LCM.
Over the years I have produced many champions and placed several girls on
the Brood Bitch Honor Roll including:
Ch Akuaba’s Ruffian
Ch Quita’s Window of Time
DC Akuaba Quita Sizzler, MC, F.Ch
Ch Baru’s Gabrielle Of Jumoke
Ch Jumoke Baru Mischievous Sprite
I also studied photography in college and am now “going Digital”. You can visit my Photostream at www.flickr.com/photos/jumokephoto/
Where did my kennel name originate? Well, I am a cat lover. Before I had basenjis I had a gorgeous Turkish Angora by the name of Chiquita. She was still quite young when I brought Ruffy home and they became the best of friends. When I wanted a kennel name for my hobby breeding, Chiquita was shortened to “Quita” (kee-ta). When Bryan and I first co-bred a litter together we used the combined name of Jumoke-Quita. After we were married in 2002 I changed my name to Laurie Gregory and we decided to simplify our kennel name to Jumoke Basenjis.
