Board of Directors

Alaskan Klee Kai National Rescue Board of Directors

Lenor Lynas, Treasurer

Lenor Lynas, from Knoxville, TN, is a retired Lady of Leisure, happily owned by two AKK, Charmn and Kyli, whom she refers to as her “dogettes.” Lenor retired in 1992 after 30 years with the government in Washington, DC before moving to Tennessee to work for Lockheed Martin at Oak Ridge for a few years. She finally decided to call it quits for good in 1999 and now enjoys her dogettes full-time.

Lenor is no stranger to northern breeds, having owned keeshonds for over 20 years. Shortly before her last keeshond died in 2000 at age 13, Lenor read about the wonderful AKK in Dog Fancy. Since she had moved to a smaller house and could no longer have the larger keeshond, she decided to seek out the AKK, and later that year, her first AKK, Storm, a toy black & white, came to live with her. Through Storm, Lenor was introduced to a new world, and the rest is history! “Squeezably soft” Charmn, a gray & white long-hair, literally dropped into her lap at the 2001 AKK picnic in PA, but that is another story that she’ll be happy to share with you if you just ask her! Sadly, Storm crossed Rainbow Bridge in 2003, but in 2004 Kyli joined the family.

Although never involved in breeding or showing dogs, Lenor is a strong advocate of the AKK as a pet owner. She has been a member of AKKAOA since 2001. She served as Secretary for over 3 years and took an active role in a number of committees, either as chair or as a member. In addition, Lenor is the author of a “Meet the Alaskan Klee Kai” pamphlet, which she made available to anyone who requested it for their own use in publicizing the AKK.

Lenor’s favorite hobby is sewing, especially making doggie-themed quilts. Her second love was travelling with her husband, especially to AKK events, but, unfortunately, many of her activities came to a temporary halt in January 2009 when she had surgery on her spinal cord that left her paraplegic and in a wheelchair. She is hoping to get her sewing room into a wheelchair-friendly mode so she can resume sewing soon.

According to Lenor, “There’s not a greater nor more dedicated group of dog lovers than the people I’ve met in the AKK world. I’m proud to be associated with them.”

Kristi Dushek, Secretary

Kristi is a business owner and professional photographer for Reflective Canvas Photography which recently moved from Minneapolis, MN to the Washington DC Metro. Her background is in Marketing and Sales with a Bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She resides in MN with her husband Matt, two Alaskan Klee Kai, a Hahn’s Macaw, a Caique, a Leopard Gecko and a salt water aquarium.

As a breeder and exhibitor, Kristi is very devoted to the all around Alaskan Klee Kai. Each dog in the breed is unique and has special talents. Kristi’s goal is to encourage more owners to become more active with their Alaskan Klee Kai in sporting events and Therapy Dog programs. Her dog, UWP GRCH PR Naitok's Solar Storm has the distinction of being the first AKK worldwide to earn a weight pull title.

Kristi currently volunteers for the Minnesota Children’s Museum and Alaskan Klee Kai National Rescue. She is a member of Canon Professional Services, The Red Pine Kennel Club, The Washington, DC Area Marine Aquarist Society, and is a lifetime member with the Twin Cities Marine Aquarium Society. Formerly, she was an active member with the Alaskan Klee Kai Association of America, serving on the Public Relations, Show Planning, and Health Committees.

Lanie Crawford, President

Lanie is a Veterinary Technician and Pet Groomer that resides in Richmond, KS with her husband John and The Zoo (as her home has been affectionately termed). Lanie has three Weimaraners (one rescue), five Alaskan Klee Kai (one rescue), one Shih Tzu, five cats (all rescues), and two horses (both rescued). She is a student of Kansas State University, where she is working toward her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.

Lanie is active in dog show conformation, volunteers for many rescue organizations, does therapy work in nursing homes and hospitals with some of her dogs, fieldwork with her Weimaraners, and is working on competitive obedience, agility, weight pull, field trials and hunt tests with her various dogs.

Lanie is a member of Alaskan Klee Kai Association of America, United Alaskan Klee Kai Association, Weimaraner Club of Greater Kansas City, Weimaraner Club of America, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Sunflower Kennel Club, Lawrence-Jayhawk Kennel Club, Weimaraner Rescue Railroad, and is also the president and founder of RSTAR Rescue. Lanie was the chairperson for the Alaskan Klee Kai Association of America Rescue League, from March 2006 until June 2008, when Alaskan Klee Kai National Rescue was formed.