A Legacy which Unites

In 2008 I had the opportunity to meet two "Fila" people who became my friends and with whom I've exchanged emails and learned a lot from, since. I met them both through a very well regarded friend and Fila person, Ines Van Damme. One is Fransisco "Chico" Peltier, presently a well known and very accessible living public personality, part of Fila history. But, back then, I had heard of him only through Fila books and the "O Fila" Boletins, now out of print. His notoriety was due to his whistle blowing about the illegal mixed breeding that happened in the 70's and 80's and the  aiding, enabling and covering up the practice by official dog clubs of the time (still in operation), his efforts inspired a group of breeders, headed by the Fila Pioneer Paulo Santo Cruz, to organize and start an independent club called "Club for the Improvement of the Fila Brasileiro" known as CAFIB. At the time of our introduction he had been away from the breed for over a decade. His historically bold and thorough exposé of the misdeeds of breeders and authorities of those years, as well as the subsequent closing of his kennel and his withdrawal from active involvement in the Fila community, imbued him with a well-deserved status of a legend within the micro-cosmos of the Fila Brasileiro rare-breed community. To me, getting to meet Chico was pretty much like meeting a favorite writer, a sports idol or a celebrity.. As it turned out, he is a cool guy who has a great sense of humor, as well. 

Estrela Vale do Beraca ( Zulú do Engenho Velho x Aruaná de Bragança)
photo canil Vale do Beraka

Ines also re-introduced me to an American, (once) Fila breeder called Donna Valentine, whom I had personally met for the first time at a Fila Show in Itanhandu, MG, with some other american breeders  there at the time as well as her husband, Larry. I remember her being very nice to me and I enjoyed her critique about the dogs participating, including our mutual appreciation of a female called Estrela Vale do Beraka. Around 2004, I had received the very first "O Fila" bound xerox copies from her, through someone else. I was living in California then and had put up the first version of the Fila411 blog, about 9 years ago! Donna was never a huge Fila forum participant and kept a pretty private profile. A few years after that Itanhandu show we had met in, she had made the move from Colorado to Brazil, in the hopes of retiring to a peaceful, bucolic property, surrounded by Wildlife, Filas, cattle, horses, reptiles and insects. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out that smoothly. 

Coincidentally, both Chico and Donna had not been "professional" breeders. They produced 1 or 2 litters and had decided not to pursue the activity, each for their own very relevant reasons, but they remained dedicated to the breed, nonetheless. Both in their manner, also collected and organized a large and eclectic archive of the breed's history, and memorabilia which is a legacy that has the power to unite all people who admire the Fila breed.

...

Ray's Candy Store, NYC, 2008 "Obama Specials"

2008 was also the year that I was in NYC and when Barack Obama got elected (for his first term). The year I worked on 2 music videos in L.A. with Lady Gaga and most significantly, it was the year the big recession hit us. As much as my husband and I were happy about the election results and although I was still working for a hot celebrity, we started experiencing the first effects of the Great Recession; we both had dim prospects of future work. The direct result of that was that I spent a lot of time online, searching for job opportunities and networking.. To make things even more discouraging, It was a very harsh winter.

Among the few things that got me looking forward to another day were my conversations via email with Chico Peltier and Ines. At the time his archival website had just been put together and had recently been launched. He had hired a pro translator to put together some articles for the English language section of his site. A very well known Fila breeder had promised to translate some articles for his site, but had been put off for so long and taking way too much time, delaying the release of the site. So my introduction to Chico was made initially to get those translations finally moving.

Also at that time, Donna and her husband were hit by some very unusual and unexpected circumstances connected to the purchase of her cattle farm from a prominent Brazilian couple, it also involved her and her husband's naturalization in Brazil. The kind of stuff that would have been pretty terrifying for a native Brazilian, I can't even imagine going through what they did, without speaking or reading the language! They needed the help of a person that could translate things, also someone who was familiar with the Brazilian "way". I was concerned for them and made myself available to help. We kept in touch by email and Skype, until her communications started getting hacked later in the following year.

Prize Brahman at the expo 2009 Belo Horizonte

In March of 2009, I was back in Brazil. Donna and I made plans to meet for trip to an agricultural Fair in Belo Horizonte together, later in the day we would go to a lawyer for a consultation about her case, and I would be her interpreter. We learned about her situation in detail, and I realized, it was not going to be easy or quick for her to get justice in her case. Not to mention, they were pretty much on their own. Very few of the people they had known decades ago supported them or offered to be of service. The court case was promising to be long and drawn out as predicted.

Unfortunately, we lost touch over the email hacking and the telephone connection difficulties, but finally after almost a year, I received notice from a friend that they had prevailed with court case and all the appeals. Once again, her email was "hacker free" and we were soon in touch again. Throughout this saga, Chico and I remained corresponding as well, and I must have translated at least 30 articles and blog posts for him!

Fazenda Pedra Negra, Itanhandu, MG

As soon as Donna and I reconnected, I made a visit to their farm which is called Fazenda Pedra Negra  [Black Rock Farm],  they had finally won their case and they had also gained their Brazilian Residencies!

She picked me up at the Sao Lourenço Rodoviaria with her ranch-hand. She looked splendid and very active. I was also pleasantly surprised that she was speaking and understanding a little Portuguese, she had even hired a private portuguese teacher!

Faz. Pedra Negra, Itanhandu, MG (prop. Donna and Larry Valentine)

The farm is located in an incredible Valley surrounded by hilltops and breathtaking views. The kennel's facilities are like nothing I've ever seen before. 8 to 13 Filas living there currently, but there have been more. Each in their personal runs, having their individual personalities and some have tough health issues. Some are all older dogs now, and since Donna hasn't pursued breeding activities, there aren't any puppies running around.

Dedication and love for the breed not withstanding, the biggest reason why Donna and Larry haven't pursued breeding is their concern about the health issues that plague the breed; a direct result of health clearances not being made a priority in breeding decisions for this breed as a whole. As years go by and their dogs get older, they experience their dog's discouraging hardships of hip and elbow displasia, skin issues and behavioral issues, among others. They have also gradually and increasingly kept away from the Fila "world", its shows and expos of which they were once honored participants. However, they  still keep in contact with a handful of people they regard, coincidentally, some of which are also not involved in the Fila world for similar reasons.

Aside from the natural beauty of the location and the facilities, there is also a real Library building in the facility. A large building which houses shelves upon shelves filled with books on wildlife, reptiles, insects, horses and dogs. A very impressive sight!  A treasure made up of collectors items and at least two decades worth of Fila collectables, documents and photos. Among them, documentation and photographs of the early Fila days in the USA, early days of Cafib in the USA; trips to kennels in Brazil; historical Cafib Analyses; dog periodicals and magazines, trophies and other relevant Fila-related things.

All admirers and lovers of this breed of dogs, are fortunate to have this dedicated league of people among us as powers of example, they are: those who do historical research based on fact; those who collect authentic historical documents and photographs; those who participate in the organizing and edification of breed clubs and associations for betterment and conservation of the breed;  those who research about health, well being and reproduction including the science behind it in order to pave the way for responsible and healthy breeding. The common interest among these minds is in maintaining the legacy of this fantastic Brazilian dog breed, with that comes the responsibility of respect for its integrity. If not for this league of people, we wouldn't have had the information we have access to today, at the click of a mouse or tap of a finger. We might even have not had the dogs to begin with! Nor the possibility of breeding for correct type and temperament based on a historical and physical template, neither a proven system of evaluation and breeding based on a preservationist philosophy and most recently, a DNA databank of the breed (hopefully we may include a thorough  investigation of inherited diseases with that).

During my last visit to Fazenda Pedra Negra, I was entrusted with a part of this legacy and the oral history behind it, organized and collected by the Valentines. To me, it is a special privilege and I am excited to share this experience with others through this blog in segments starting with periodicals and magazines. It will include pictures and translated portions in the articles and other items of interest. I've also started a tumbler account for the hundreds of snap shots of dogs in the USA and Brazil!  

So let's start off here with periodicals..

© Copyright 2013 Fila411-USA

The Valentine Archives | Magazines & Periodicals

Caes e Compania | Dogs & Co.

#31 yr III - december 1981 - part I: 

Dogs & Co. Year 3, #31, December 1981

I was always curious to know how Americans first got to know and love Fila Brasileiros. For Donna Valentine it was from "seeing them in a Dog World Mag and liking the look". 

(D.V.): I inquired about them from the breeders listed, which were Copeland Shavers and Sue Armstrong (Fazenda do Indomito kennel). I preferred Sue and went with her.  They both had dogs from Clelia [Kruel], Flint do Camping for Copeland and Febo do Camping for Sue.

We got into Fila in 1988.  We even had to get on a waiting list to get our first one!!  She wasn't good at all.. She said laughing.

At our first dog show in Kansas, we met Pearl and Frank DeRidder from NY.  They had Filas from Brazil and they invited us to a show back East.  We went and as Frank sold airplane parts and he was dealing with Francisco Peltier, in Brazil. 

That was also when Donna learned about the CAFIB.

(D.V.): Frank invited CAFIB to come to the states for the show and we attended and that is how it all started. I truly believed in the CAFIB theory and still do. 

Although from Donna's pragmatic point of view, people get in the way of that.

(D.V.): Hard to say what came to mind when we first saw the difference in the "fila" types.  Brenda had Dictator and you know what he looked like. She was at that first CAFIB show. Also, and they told her he was a mixed-bred and advised not to breed him. She, of course, declined on that!!  He didn't even attack on the TT. It was a sad thing to watch.  

Clelia [Kruel] was not supportive and she was very unfriendly. She was less than pleased. 

Clelia' s "interesting comments" about the event are found in the Valentine's Archives in their correspondence. We may publish something on this blog about them soon.

(D.V.): When my friend, Beth Cepil, and Micki Smith and I first came to Brasil in 1995, I absolutely loved it.  I love rustic and primitive. I just didn't know how difficult it was to live with primitive.  We visited SP,  so that was much different from where we are now. 

... 

on the Cover Ch. Gr. Ch. Ch. Bugre do Kirimaua

An end of the year issue that features an article about the Fila. Curiously, the other feature article is "We will show you how to make a profit by breeding!

The magazines are in near perfect condition and as an added Bonus they came with hand written commentary about the dogs by someone in CAFIB. I am waiting for a confirmation on who this person is, because neither Donna or Sue can recall. Hopefully, someone acquainted can recognize the handwriting and update us on it! Nonetheless, the notes are guidelines about type, conformation and are a commentary on the breeders as well. Also, unfortunately, some of the pictures were cut out. Most likely to illustrate important context written in the notes. The photos seen here are mostly posted in the order on the written notes as well as a few other pages having other fila interest.

(D.V.): The magazines were sent to Sue Armstrong by a man who was one of the first to get on the CAFIB bandwagon, but I have forgotten his name. Those magazines are from the 80's.

hand-written note - front

Transcribed from the Handwritten notes:

Caes e Compania no.31

1)- Cover dog   Shows a "stop" too strong, small ears, but not bad at all!

2)- PAGE 23     A typical bastard. He is nothing! A mix of mastiff and others. Even the skin is different

3)- PAGE 24/25  try to cut the ears of the black one. You'll see a "Mastino Napolitano" Can't you see the difference on the muzzles

4)- PAGE 26/27  Camuri do Embirema Fila x Mastiff x Mastino, unfortunately

5)- PAGE 27  Ch Kalu dos Pampas  Fila x Dog Alemao (Great Dane) x mastiff

6)- PAGE 28  Cacique and Orixa. I like them both. Orixa is the father of your Guaira.
7)- PAGE 30  All colors on puppies - a good male dog (Boiadeiro) and a Monster (Atus)

hand-written note - back

8)- PAGE 32  Again Camburi and the King of Bastards: Thor

On page 35

THE only pure filas are [marked] with 3 x['s]

Can you see howw the head type of Quizumba do Samor and the bitch from Embirema are the same ?

that is mixs [that is a mixed]

credits & presentation | page 6

In the credits as consultants for the magazine and for the Fila specifically are Eugenio H.P. de Lucena president of the CBKC and Vania Brien from the Clube Paulista do Fila Brasileiro. Very likely they will editorialize to favor their club's interests. So it is no surprise that their associates kennels and dogs will be featured as well as advertised in the magazine.

page 19 - Regulating Breeding

On page 19, there is a section edited by the Clube Paulista do Fila Brasileiro about a proposal to implement Breeding Regulations for the Fila Brasileiro. It suggests regulating a minimum age for males at 18 months and 16 months for females; an evaluation by a technical committee which would issue a  temporary Certificate of Approval (CAR) for reproduction, and which would be permanent after an approval of 2 liters by this same committee. [Sound familiar?]. It also would make reproduction announcements and liter verifications by a technical committee mandatory, as well as a mandatory tattoo I.D.. This was intended to be proposed to become official in 1982. I have no information as to whether this was implemented at all in CBKC breeding guidelines or rules.

page 22 & 23 (bottom right is cut out)

Fila Brasileiro - New Direction for a breed in evolution. According to this editorial, the breed had a very rapid and successful assention as the second most bred in the country. However, according to the article: Fila enthusiasts have a challenge to overcome: an ideal type. There wasn't consensus on the ideal Fila type. Nonetheless, they still acknowledged then, the functional Fila as a guardian. According to José Maia (Abaetá da Cachoeira kennel) the Fila Brasileiro would substitute the GSD.

The premise of this article is a grand paradox, taken into consideration that the Commission of the Improvement of the Fila Brasileiro (CAFIB) started out in 1976 by elaborating a system of analysis of phenotype and temperament (page 19 has a watered-down version of CAFIB'S program as a "proposal for 1982"). The outcome of such an effective system is clearly shown in CAFIB's breeding stock today. While the CBKC, even after having modified the breed standard 3 times over the years and completely eliminated the temperament tests, is still plagued with a variety of at least 5 different types.

year III, issue#31, Oct./Nov./Dec., 1981

Starkly juxtaposed to the CBKC..
The CAFIB released its Bulletin having on the cover Pedrinho do Engenho, Paulo Santos Cruz and Jose Gomes - A historical encounter in Varginha. It is quite obvious, having these 2 publications in hand, how the directions are diametrically opposed.

typical list of Approved dogs showing their
numbers and names

 









Issue #31, of Oct./Nov./Dec., of 1981 the end of year results of the Specialized Show are listed, as well as an editorial about the Grand book of the Fila Brasileiro.



A month prior to the CBKC leaning publication's year end feature about the Fila Brasileiro, the Cafib publishes their bulletin having the article What the analysis of phenotype are  for. With an Course on the Structure of the Fila Brasileiro.


As of Dec. 24th, 2012, all the O Fila [The Fila] bulletins became available on the Cafib BR site (http://www.cafibbrasil.com.br) for a fee. Issues #1 and #7 are available for free.

continues on blog post Caes e compania #31, Dec., 1981 part II