It’s hard to say when the exact moment happens that will not only change your life but affect the life of people you will never meet. For many, that impact on others never happens, but for some, that moment has ripple effects that continue for years to come. Such is the story of Elizabeth “Jane” (Derteen) VanValen. Who would have thought that a trip to a pet store would change her life and the life of others, in so many ways?
It was 1946. Jane (as her friends called her) and her husband who was still on active duty, Navy lieutenant Louis Derteen, Jr. were enjoying post World War II life. The stresses and uncertainties that the war brought for many, were gone. War criminals were being brought to justice, the country was transitioning away from war time production, and the country was in the beginnings of the Baby Boom era. And among this, Jane and her husband were looking for a puppy to keep her company, while she was living with her in-laws and he was away from home.
Entering the pet store in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jane didn’t know she was about to fall in love with an adorable red dachshund puppy. But she did and like many people have done before and since, she thought the puppy was perfect and brought him home. Her friends soon educated her that the cute puppy the Derteens had bought was bred by the well-known Grace B. Hill of De Sangpur Kennel AND that she had indeed bought a standard Longhaired dachshund. Longhaired Dachshunds were uncommon in the US in that era and had only recently been allowed to show separately as their own variety. But this was no average dachshund, longhaired or otherwise. This little puppy would become Champion Midas de Sangpur and they had no idea what Midas would inspire them to do.
Jane had a new passion…DOGS! As she showed Midas to his eventual championship, she had bought a standard longhaired bitch from Schwarzwald Hof Kennels. With her new bitch Mitzi von Schwarzwald Hof, Jane and Louis had the foundations of their new kennel and breeding program. Louis Derteen Jr. was now a civilian and he and his wife Jane decided to relocate back home to Fort Lauderdale. Jane had realized that the move south was going to greatly impact her new passion. The dog show scene in Broward County was non-existent. There was a slew of dog breeders in the area, including their new kennel Jandelo, so named from a combination of their names Jane, Derteen, and Louis. JANe-DErteen-LOuis. The closest dog clubs were the Greater Miami Dog Club (that had recently formed in 1947) and the Palm Beach Dog Fanciers Association was itself, in its infancy. But that wouldn’t do. So, Jane organized local breeders, holding the initial meetings at her parent’s home, and formed the Fort Lauderdale Dog Club in 1949.
Jane stayed intricately involved in the Fort Lauderdale Dog Club until she moved to North Carolina in 1973. But she would still return to the area to participate in the clubs shows and offer her years of experience and guidance to her friends in the South Florida area. Times had changed and life had twisted and turned, but she left the dog club in capable hands. The club has experienced ups and downs in the years that followed, but through it all it has continued with the same philosophy that Jane had instilled early on. A passion for dogs and the people that preserve historic breeds, and of course, the desire to spread the joy that dog ownership can bring to others.
