Leonberger Health Foundation Founder
Waltraut Zieher
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Waltraut Zieher emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1984. Her husband Klaus had accepted a professorship at Texas Tech University and the family of five with the addition one Leonberger enthusiastically followed. From 1984 until her untimely death from cancer in 2012, Waltraut devoted her life to her human and canine families.
In 1985 Waltraut joined eight other early adopters of the breed to found the Leonberger Club of America. Her kennel, von Stutensee, produced eighteen outstanding litters. Early on, two of her own dogs became the first certified Leonberger therapy dogs in America. She was vigilant about preserving and protecting the breed and as chair of the club’s Breeding Committee, was instrumental in writing breeding regulations and constructing a mandatory Breeding Acceptability program with nationwide evaluators and checklist. After she learned that her kennel’s founding dam was implicated in the appearance of Addison’s Disease, she became passionate about transparent communication among breeders and between breeders and puppy buyers. She worked with other prominent club members and her veterinarian daughter, Ute, to learn as much about Addison’s as possible and sought ways to contact and assist researchers participating in the early work of canine genetics. She pushed the Leonberger Club of America Board to establish a standing committee devoted to health.
Waltraut's oldest daughter, Ute, became a veterinarian, married and moved to Colorado. She took her mother’s love of the breed with her, joining the Leonberger Club of America’s Health Committee, freely sharing her clinical knowledge with Leonberger owners and helping to create a strong working network with canine researchers. Ute and Waltraut began collecting blood samples to share with scientists doing Addison’s research at the University of California, Davis and the University of Oregon. As other breed related issues became apparent, they established a program in 1997 to annually collect DNA samples at every Leonberger Club of America National Club Show and Specialty to share with relevant Universities and research institutes.
In 1997, the Leonberger community began contributing money as well as their dog’s DNA to help the research efforts. As donations accumulated it was clear that a nonprofit charitable foundation independent from the Leonberger Club of America needed to be established. Waltraut assumed responsibility for finding a Leo-loving attorney and arranged for the Leonberger Health Foundation (as it was originally known) to be incorporated as private nonprofit organization. She served as President and chairperson of the Board from 2000 until 2008. Her vision of improving the quality of life, health and longevity of the world’s Leonbergers continues to guide the officers, board members, and volunteers today.
In 1985 Waltraut joined eight other early adopters of the breed to found the Leonberger Club of America. Her kennel, von Stutensee, produced eighteen outstanding litters. Early on, two of her own dogs became the first certified Leonberger therapy dogs in America. She was vigilant about preserving and protecting the breed and as chair of the club’s Breeding Committee, was instrumental in writing breeding regulations and constructing a mandatory Breeding Acceptability program with nationwide evaluators and checklist. After she learned that her kennel’s founding dam was implicated in the appearance of Addison’s Disease, she became passionate about transparent communication among breeders and between breeders and puppy buyers. She worked with other prominent club members and her veterinarian daughter, Ute, to learn as much about Addison’s as possible and sought ways to contact and assist researchers participating in the early work of canine genetics. She pushed the Leonberger Club of America Board to establish a standing committee devoted to health.
Waltraut's oldest daughter, Ute, became a veterinarian, married and moved to Colorado. She took her mother’s love of the breed with her, joining the Leonberger Club of America’s Health Committee, freely sharing her clinical knowledge with Leonberger owners and helping to create a strong working network with canine researchers. Ute and Waltraut began collecting blood samples to share with scientists doing Addison’s research at the University of California, Davis and the University of Oregon. As other breed related issues became apparent, they established a program in 1997 to annually collect DNA samples at every Leonberger Club of America National Club Show and Specialty to share with relevant Universities and research institutes.
In 1997, the Leonberger community began contributing money as well as their dog’s DNA to help the research efforts. As donations accumulated it was clear that a nonprofit charitable foundation independent from the Leonberger Club of America needed to be established. Waltraut assumed responsibility for finding a Leo-loving attorney and arranged for the Leonberger Health Foundation (as it was originally known) to be incorporated as private nonprofit organization. She served as President and chairperson of the Board from 2000 until 2008. Her vision of improving the quality of life, health and longevity of the world’s Leonbergers continues to guide the officers, board members, and volunteers today.
