A Little About Me

I live with my husband, Scott, north of Austin, Texas, in Round Rock. He’s a retired Air Force veteran and we are both retired teachers. I’ve been a dog lover all of my life. I had Dachshunds, an Irish Setter, and an English Springer Spaniel before I started breeding and competing with Australian Shepherds in 1995. (You can visit our Aussie website at ChaseAussies.com.) For 28 years, Aussies were my passion, but in 2014, I got some health news that made me realize I needed to find a smaller breed of dog, a breed I could handle physically, which led me to Havanese.

Havanese and Me

When I started looking for a smaller breed, one of my dearest friends tried to convince me that we should both get a Havanese. We would go to shows and watch them ringside, and I would say NO WAY- too much hair! She was undeterred and she made an appointment to go visit the home of a breeder we had visited with several times over the years. I reluctantly went with her…..and I fell in love with these charming, adorable dogs.
That breeder was Leslie Formolo of Forwest Havanese. Leslie laughs when we tell the story of that first visit. My friend had dragged me along, but I am the one who asked all of the questions and by the time I left, Havanese were in my future. However, it took me two years to finally get my foundation bitch, HavDiss Hallelujah, “Hallie.” Her breeder is Chris Disser of HavDiss Havanese. Leslie vouched for me and Chris let me have my pick of the litter and started me on my Havanese journey. Hallie has been the perfect first Havanese – she is sweet and smart and fearless. She is a born show dog – she loved to strut her stuff. She had a great show career, and now all of our Havanese will carry her name – HALLELUJAH!

I am a member of Red River Havanese Club, and I was honored to be accepted as a member of the Havanese Club of America this year. I believe strongly in giving back to the breeds I love, and I strive to be a contributing member of the Havanese community.

I am so grateful to have these dogs as part of our family. I thank God for the blessings of the friends I have made and the experiences I have had through Havanese – Hallelujah!

Please feel free to contact me via email.

Laura Gibson, Hallelujah Havanese