Cover Story: `The Gentleman`s Gun Dog`
Transcription
Cover Story: `The Gentleman`s Gun Dog`
October/November 2008 Vol 4, Issue 1 $4.95 Cover Story: ‘The Gentleman’s Gun Dog’ You’re A Breeder! The REAL Peta & HSUS The Power of Language JOPLIN, MO 64802 PERMIT NO. 111 PAID PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE 2 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 Ordering is easy online! See detailed product descriptions at revivalanimal.com 19A5.;;6C2?@.?F@.C6;4@ DR·cRPU\`R[f\b_favorite]_\QbPa`S\_aUV`\[PRNfRN_RcR[a ]_\QbPa`S\_aUV`\[PRNfRN_RcR[a up to Vaccine Special! Mix & Match Call for details Microchips As low as 30. $ HomeAgain Avid AKC 99 Frontline and Advantage Dear Friends and Loyal Cus tomers, 19 years! I can’ t believe it! It se ems like only yesterday that five of us started taking your orders an d shipping prod ucts out of the basement of my parent’s home. Since then we have grow dedicated to he n to a team of 50 people lping you. We could never have accomplis Throughout th he d this growth es without you. your friends an e years your loyalty, includin g recommendi d family, has m ng us to ade Revival wha important part t it is today. You of the Revival Animal Health are an us all I say, “T family. On be HANK YOU half of !” While we wor k hard all year to gi and great serv ice, we go to an ve you great products, grea t prices other level to and show you celebrate our an our appreciatio niversary n. I also want to thank our trus ted vendors fo year. In a time r their great re of increasing sponse this costs, I apprec worked to help iate how many us save you m of them on ey . We have severa l special buys and there are so specials too. Pl me one-week ease visit us at only revi 800-786-4751 to take full adva valanimal.com or call us at nt ag e of these opportun Once again, th ities. ank you! Doc Roy’s Forti-Cal & Nutri-cal Wormers Safeguard Panacur Pyran off Antibiotics Save on Clippers & Blades up to Roy, for the R evival Animal Health family Compare & Save 19 % 10 % off Milk Replacers A-33 2 for 19 ea $ 800.786.4751 revivalanimal.com Order today, sales end 10-31-08! Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 3 4 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 Cover photo: “Jabber” a male Clumber Spaniel owned by Becky Dewitt of Granby, Mo. See his pups on pg. 8 and read about the Clumber Spaniel Be sure to check out our new website www.kennelspotlight.com Featuring the latest articles, new releases and current events! Free subscription for USDA licensed kennels. PUBLISHER Bob Hughes (417) 652-7540 swkauction@swkennelauction.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Jim Hughes (417) 455-2230 jshughes1@sbcglobal.net EDITOR/AD SALES Kathy Bettes (417) 652-7219 kathybettes@kennelspotlight.com CONTRIBUTORS: John Yates, Carol Murphy, Dr. Bill Oxford, Alice Fix, Elizabeth Binkley, Dr. Rick Kelser, Roy Raber, Ron Hevener, Jim Hughes, Shelly Kuhn, Kathy Bettes Letters to the Editor inquiries/Story Leads & Questions should be sent to: Jim Hughes@ 1240 Stoneledge Lane, Neosho, MO 64850 Subscription, Classifieds and Display Ads should be directed to: (417) 652-7540 or email: kathybettes@kennelspotlight.com Southwest Publications, DBA The Kennel Spotlight P.O. Box 534, Wheaton, MO 64874 100 State Hwy 76, Rocky Comfort, MO 64861 Inside this Issue...... 6 8 10 12 18 20 22 27 28 30 36 38 42 44 Mailbox Cover Story: “The Gentleman’s Gun Dog” Dog Cloning? You’re a Breeder! When Vultures Rule, Part Two Giardia Editorial: The REAL PETA & HSUS The Power of Language Brucellosis Raber Kennels His Master’s Smile Blasted Exotic Disease! The Saddest Moment of My Life Moving Hay w/ a One Pronged Pitchfork The Kennel Spotlight is published by Southwest Publications, LLC, P.O. Box 534, Wheaton, MO Phone (417) 652-7540; Fax (417) 652-7019 To update Subcriptions call (417) 652-7540 or visit our website at www.kennelspotlight.com Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 5 Subject: Brain POWER!!!!!!! Hello Jim, We are relatively new to this industry and are doing our best to do everything right. In regards to you wanting to make the Kennel Spotlight a monthly publication, there is no doubt that you could do this. You may have to charge a subscription fee to readers but I know most will pay what you want because it is such a vital instrument to us. Hats off to you for finding an absolute need in this industry!!! As for NAPO, I do not know a lot about the organization but this is my theory of where you may envision it going. I am 26 years old and have spent my entire adult life working to serve others. I am a career firefighter in South Dakota and very proud of what I have accomplished. I am not Republican or Democratic but I am very, VERY pro-union. Myself and almost every firefighter I work with belongs to the local firefighter’s union. Our Local Union belongs to the International Association of Fire Fighters, IAFF. The Union is very important to us in order to have a negotiation for fair working practices with a City Council. Whether or not others agree with unions, they need to realize that the local breeder clubs are in a sense a union. NAPO could potentially be our IAFF. The local breeder clubs could potentially be the Local Unions. It would take a lot but can you imagine if every local breeder club and every breed club/organization joined with NAPO. What if the Dakota Pet Breeders Association, Minnesota Professional Pet Breeders Association, etc, had a certain monetary amount from dues that is collected to go to NAPO? In addition, the Parent Clubs of all the breeds could also join and pay a monetary amount from dues collected. And let’s not forget about the Registry organizations, pet food manufacturers, toy manufacturers and magazines, etc. Yes, this is a 40 billion dollar industry but remember those clubs that collect dues may not be added into this figure. If we can only grasp a little bit of this money to help 6 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 ensure that this industry continues to grow. This is how it works with the IAFF and Local Unions. If we choose to join the Local, we pay a certain amount for dues. Out of our dues, a certain amount goes to the Local and a certain amount goes to the IAFF. Not only are we persuing things locally, but belonging to the IAFF we are getting a very strong National Voice in D.C. When the IAFF was first formed, not every firefighter joined or organized a Local Union, and today it is the same way. There are still new Locals being formed under the IAFF and new members joining the Local Unions everyday. As I said, it would be an extreme undertaking to get everyone on board but it can be done. This is, after all, AMERICA!!! The land where it is only up to us to blame ourselves for limiting our potential!!!!! Maybe these things are already being done but I believe in the vision and feel strongly that this sort of “union” would be extremely beneficial to our future and those who have a pet and do not realize what is going on. I would be happy to help in any way I can. Please feel free to email me back with info regarding NAPO and what the future of the organization and industry is looking like. Thanks, Dan Great Plains Kennels mailbox cont. Dear Jim, First, I love your magazine and read it cover to cover multiple times. I am a small breeder (less than 50 breeding dogs) in Northeast Missouri. My husband and I are fairly new to the industry and look forward to some of the up coming seminar and conventions. My goal is to have a Blue Ribbon Kennel by next year. My question is about insurance for my kennel building and dogs. I recently called my home insurance company and they told me not only do they not cover dog breeders but also they are canceling my liability. Help! Do you have any advice? Thank you, Bev and Fred Christy Dear Bev & Fred, You might try Farm Bureau, their Ag max policy covers dogs and buildings. It is a little expensive. There is also Safeco Insurance through Brooke Ins. Company in Kansas. Thanks, Jim Runway Pets, Inc. (417) 452-PETS (7387) (417) 452-7000 (Fax) www.runwaypets.com runwaypets@runwapets.com Pets…A perfect example of GOD’s unconditional love. Competitive discount rates. We have contracts with major airlines. Superior Customer Service. Online booking available 24/7. Knowledgeable and Friendly. Timely service is our goal! Signing up is fast and easy. We never charge a FEE! The Leader in Pet Transportation Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 7 Meet THE CLUMBER SPANIEL, the ‘Gentleman’s Gun Dog’… As you can see, they are extremely playful and get along well with other dogs! pictured left ‘Tatonka & Punky’ The Clumber Spaniel, one of the heaviest varieties of the Spaniel family, is also known as the ‘Gentleman’s Gun Dog’. Originally from Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire, England, this handsome and majestic looking spaniel is a true aristocrat of long descent. In the 1800’s, the French Duc de Noailles presented a kennel of spaniels to the second Duke of Newcastle. It has been said that the Duke found these particular dogs to be too fast to hunt with and consequently, crossed them with a heavier breed, which may have possibly been the St. Bernard, although that is not a proven fact. It is also a theory that they may have origin to the Baron Cuvier’s Alpine Spaniel-a dog indirectly related to the St. Bernard. The stocky, slow moving Clumbers very soon became popular with the hunters for their keen nose and remarkable powers of endurance. The first Clumber Spaniel registered with the American Kennel Club is recorded for 1878, six years before the actual establishment of the AKC’s founding. Clumbers were among the first breeds to be recorded in Volume One of AKC’s Stud Book. In 2002, the AKC registered a total of 188 Clumbers ranking the breed as the 121st most popular breed. Although not classified as a rare breed, they are quite hard to find, but well worth the wait. The Clumber is a very lovable and highly intelligent breed and thrives on constant human attention. Very much a family dog, they adore 8 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 children and all family members, and are protective towards them. They love to carry things in their mouth, often picking something off the floor when greeting. They are also good mothers and as puppies, they love to play ball and fetch. Due to their extreme gentleness, they do not respond to harsh criticism or physical abuse. If treated poorly, the Clumber will simply ‘play dumb’ and some people will consider this dog an unintelligent breed which is most definitely not the case. When hunting, the Clumber is a rather slow worker, moving with a distinctive rolling gait that they can maintain at a steady trot for a long day’s work if necessary. They are particularly adaptable for use in heavy cover as they will hunt mute and are able to come up very close to the game. Anyone who has had a Clumber Spaniel will stay with the breed, even as uncommon as they are, as there are not many breeds that have the kind of devotion and kindness to their owners. By Kathy Bettes For more information on this breed, contact the AKC at www.akc.org/breeds/clumber_ spaniel pictured left: Tatonka’ top left picture ‘Luigi’ PetConnectOnline.com Internet puppy sales, service and shipping Marketing your puppies on the internet • $19.95 unlimited do-it-yourself listings • or FREE listings on a commission basis with photography, marketing, sales and shipping Drop off sold puppies, and we’ll do the rest!! • Discounted airline rates and transportation • Grooming and Bathing available Goodman, Mo: (417) 364-5900 or (417) 592-3318 •Made with chicken meal as the number one ingredient •Provides increased stamina for endurance Superpremium Dog Food •Fortified with Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids •Supplies high protein and high energy •100% Guaranteed Call 1-800-474-4163 ext. 450 • propacpetfood.com Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 9 DOG CLONING?? BIOTECH COMPANY AUCTIONS CHANCES TO CLONE A DOG BioArts International, a California based genetic research company, has started a dog cloning project aptly named ‘Best Friends Again’. The company was issued their patents in the 1990’s shortly after researchers in Scotland cloned ‘Dolly’ the sheep. Scientists consider dogs among the most difficult animals to clone because they have unusual reproductive biology, more so than humans. However, BioArts maintains that the technology is ready and they have proceeded with a string of online auctions to sell cloning rights for 5 dogs. They have arranged a partnership with Hwang Woo Suk from the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in South Korea to aid in the dog-cloning work. Dr. Hwang is known for his involvement with cloning a male Afghan hound “Snuppy” in the year 2005 for the Seoul National University. A team led by Dr. Hwang was also reported in 2004 that it had made cloned human embryos and stem cells but those claims were found to be fraudulent. “I know the association with Dr. Hwang is going to be controversial due to his mistakes on his human-cell research but his dog-cloning work has been independently verified,” stated Lou Hawthorne, the chief executive of BioArts. Mr. Hawthorne had hoped to clone a dog—a dog named Missy, who was ¾ Border Collie and ¼ Siberian husky—since the 1990’s. He was the chief executive for another company at the time that concentrated on the cloning of cats for about $50,000 each. That particular company suffered some hardships and ended up shutting down in 2006. His new company, BioArts, began work last fall to clone Missy who had died in 2002 at the age of 15. Hawthorne had taken genetic samples from Missy in 1997 and had more taken after she died. In December of ’07, the first clone ‘Mira’ was born from Missy. Two more clones from her, ChinGu and Sarang, were born in February this year. Tests by the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of California, Davis, indicated that the three dogs were clones, not just relatives. Mr. Hawthorne stated that BioArts would not spend the money they received from the auction until they delivered a cloned dog that the customer would sign off on and that the company would guarantee the resemblance between the customer’s dog and the clone. He also went on to say the company would guarantee the dog’s health for a year and could have a preexamination by a veterinarian prior to delivery to the new owners. The BioArts Company adds that cloning 10 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 techniques have become more efficient over the years. “Twenty-five percent of embryo transfers now result in a puppy, and the survival rate of the puppies is greater than eighty percent,” states Hawthorne. “That’s within the range of what conventional dog breeders expect.”The online auction, called ‘Best Friends Again’ offered five slots that the general public could bid on to have their adored canine companion cloned. The first slot opened at $100,000 and sold for $170,000. The other bids came in anywhere from $140,000 to $180,000. Much controversy has been stirred up over this project and while many pet owners envision having a perfect replica of their best four-footed friend, what they see is not always what they get. Despite the cloned animals being nearly genetically identical to the original, there is a chance of nonresemblance and more importantly, they will not have the same personality and behavior. The strides made in the field of biotechnology over the past 10 years may be remarkable, but they have also raised questions and issues, as the ethics of cloning attempts to keep up with innovation. In Jan. ’08, the FDA approved the safety of meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring to consumers. The report concluded that “meat and milk from cow, pig and goat clones and the offspring of any animal clones are as safe as food we eat every day.” Products from cloned farm animals are not yet sold in stores, however. Dr. Robert Lanza, the chief scientific officer of Advanced Cell Technology, has his own opinion on the subject, “If anyone thinks they’re going to get Fluffy back,” Dr. Lanza said, “they’re gravely mistaken. A cloned dog is ‘likely to be a totally unknown dog’, just as if you went to the pound and adopted another unknown animal.” By Kathy Bettes At the International Genetics Meeting; An American reports: “We crossed chickens with cows. The new breed simultaneously produces milk, meat and eggs.” A Frenchman reports: “We succeeded in cross-breeding flies and bees. The hybrid flies over the trash fields and produces honey.” A Russian reports: “And we crossed a melon with cockroaches. When you cut this melon, seeds run away by themselves.” Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 11 “You’re a dog breeder!!!!! by John Yates In today’s world, that is a very loaded statement. It’s more like an accusation. “I told the television news reporter that I breed dogs,” a friend from Dallas told me recently. “He looked at me like he thought I was a harlot.” Dog owners have allowed the animal rights movement to redefine our language in order to paint everything we do in the worst possible light. If we say that we breed dogs, the looks we get ask us if we own a “puppy mill” or if we are a “backyard breeder.” If we reply that we are a “hobby breeder,” someone immediately asks how we can consider living creatures a hobby. Some of us try the word “fancier.” We fool no one. The most pathetic response to the question is when we call ourselves “responsible breeders.” Responsible to whom? Who defines “responsible” and “irresponsible?” Some bureaucrat? A politician? Animal rights cretins who say there is no such thing as a responsible breeder? Animal rights fanatics would rather kill all animals than see someone love them. In fact, that’s their plan. If we say we are not breeders, it makes us “pet hoarders.” We are tarred as mentally ill people in need of psychotherapy. The entire language about dog ownership has been hijacked by the rhetoric of the animal rights movement. The worst part is that we have allowed it to happen. We are too fearful and wimpy to stand up for ourselves. We keep searching for inoffensive euphemisms to describe what we do, so that we don’t open ourselves up to attack. By doing that however, we have engineered our own demise. The animal rights movement will not go away. It’s agenda is to destroy our right to own or raise animals. Animal rights groups have declared war on all animal ownership, and they won’t stop until they either win or we finally have the courage to stand up and defeat them. They have not taken that kind of power over us. We have given it away. We have surrendered our beliefs to the enemy. We apologize for what we do. We make weak excuses for things like animal shelter euthanasia, accidental matings, dog fighting and dangerous dogs. We take at least part of the responsibility for these problems onto our own shoulders, when in truth we have no responsibility at all for creating them. None whatsoever! I am sick and tired of watching dog owners constantly apologize and grovel, and allowing themselves to be put on the defensive. Enough! It’s time to stop sniveling about who we are and what we do. Let me state clearly and for the record: I am a dog breeder. I breed dogs. I raise puppies. I like it. I’m very proud of it. If you don’t like it, you are free to take a flying leap. I don’t care what you think of me or what I 12 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 do. I raise two or three litters of English setter puppies a year. I wish I could raise more puppies, but can’t figure out how to do it without driving myself into bankruptcy. My dogs work for a living, just like I do. They have to be good at their jobs, just like I do. If they aren’t good at their jobs, I don’t keep them and I certainly don’t breed them. They are hunting dogs, and they have to be able to perform to a very demanding standard of excellence to be worthy of breeding. They have to meet the exacting standard of championship- quality performance in the toughest competition. They are professional athletes. Most of them don’t make the cut. Those dogs make wonderful hunting companions or family members. I have never had a dog spayed or neutered, except for medical reasons, and I don’t intend to start now. If a dog is good enough for me to keep, it is good enough to breed. Nor have I ever sold a puppy on a spay/neuter contract. With performance dogs, it takes two or three years to know what you have. There is no way that anyone can know the full potential or worthiness of a young puppy. I hope every puppy that I sell will become a great one that is worthy of being bred. I do not feel bad (and certainly do not feel guilty) if someone decides to breed a dog from my kennel that I did not choose to keep for myself when it was a puppy. It still will be a very nice dog, and I have worked very hard on my breeding program for 35 years to assure that very high quality genetics will be passed along and concentrated in any dog that I sell. On occasion, I have a puppy that has a serious flaw. I don’t sell those puppies, even though they would make many people very happy. I give them away free to good homes, and the definition of a good home is mine because it’s my puppy. I own it. You don’t. My responsibility is to the puppy. It is not to you, and it’s not to some gelatinous glob called “society.” I consider myself to be personally responsible for every puppy I raise, from birth until the day it dies. It always has a home in my kennel, if its new owner can’t keep it or no longer wants it. That’s a contract written in blood between the puppy and me. It’s a contract written with a handshake with the puppy’s new owner. I laugh cynically when someone from the Humane Society of the United States or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ask if I am a responsible breeder. HSUS and PETA are two of the most vicious, bloodthirsty and dishonest snake pits on Earth. Their moral credibility is a negative number. PETA butchers more than 90-percent of the animals it “rescues” every year, and HSUS supports programs and policies that result in the needless deaths of hundreds of thousands of animals every year. By now, I assume that I have pushed all of the buttons of the animal rights crazies. I can hear them snort and see their pincurls flapping in indignation. story cont. on pg. 14 Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 13 You’re a Breeder cont. from pg. 12 It makes my day. Can’t you hear them, too? They are calling me an exploiter of animals. They are saying that I ruthlessly cull and manipulate the genetics of my dogs. They are saying that I make the exploited poor beasts work for a living and live up to impossible standards. They will say that I do this to feed and gratify my own fat ego. They will say that I sell them for money and exploit them for personal gain. Then, of course, they will say that I use them to viciously hunt innocent wild animals. Terrible, terrible me! My mother should have a son like this! She was such a nice woman. Well, I plead guilty to all of the charges. Know what else? I don’t feel guilty, not even a little bit. I do it. I like it. I feel good about it. Now I will speak in my own defense – as a dog breeder. I happen to love dogs. I love being around them. I love working with them. I love watching a puppy grow up and discover its potential. I love having the priviledge of experiencing a truly great dog in its prime. I love sharing supper with my dogs, wrestling with puppies, and sacking out with them on the couch. I lose sleep when they get sick, and work myself unmercifully to care for them. I spend almost all of the money I have on them, and some money that I don’t have. My heart breaks when they grow old and die. I have a dozen lifetimes worth of beautiful memories. What do the animal rights freaks have? They have their ideology. They look in the mirror and feel smug and self-righteous, as if God has personally anointed them to protect animals from the likes of me. What they have is nothing at all. Utter sterility. A world devoid of life and love. They can keep it. My life is filled with love and joy and beauty, and I owe most of it to my dogs. They have helped to keep me sane when sanity was not a given. They have given me courage on the days when all I wanted to do was lie down and quit. They have given me strength to endure on the days when all I wanted to do is run away and hide. I owe them my life. The animal rights folks are right. I ruthlessly cull and manipulate genetics. To make the cut, my breeding dogs have had to live up to the most exacting possible standards and pass the most strenuous tests. I am very proud of doing that. The result is that the vast majority of people who buy a puppy from me, love it. When I sell a puppy, chances are it has found a home for the rest of its life. The puppy will have a great chance of leading a wonderful life. I produce puppies that make people happy to own them and want to keep them. That’s my job as a breeder. I have done this through rigorous selection. My puppies today are the result of 35 years of my stubborn insistence about never breeding a dog that does not have a wonderful disposition, perfect conformation, great intelligence, exceptional natural ability, breathtaking style and that mysterious ingredient 14 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 called genius. Every puppy born in my kennel has six or eight or 10 generations of my own dogs in its pedigree. All of those ancestors possess a high level of each of those desirable traits. I have raised, trained and grown old with every dog listed in several generations of each puppy’s pedigree. Simply put, my puppies today are a lot nicer than my puppies of 35 years ago. Today, there is a much higher percentage of good ones, a much lower percentage of deficient ones, a much higher average of good qualities, and a much higher percentage of true greatness emerging from my kennel today. That’s what it means to be a breeder. Does that feed my ego? Yep. I like having my ego stroked. Don’t you? If you don’t, you are in very deep trouble as a human being. But I’ll tell you what else it does. It makes for happier dogs. It makes for dogs that lead better lives, find permanent families and homes, and get to experience love in many forms. It also makes for healthier dogs. Generation after generation of perfect functional conformation means that the dogs are less likely to get injured, wear out or develop arthritis. Many generations of selection for vigor, toughness and good health means that they are able to laugh at the extremes of climate, weather and terrain. I also have virtually eliminated genetic health problems from my strain of dogs. For example, hip dysplasia is the most common genetic problem in English setters, afflicting a reported four-percent of the breed. In the past 20 years, I have had only two questionable hip x-rays, which both would be rated “fair” by the Orthopedic Foundation of America (OFA). The last one was 10 years ago. Yes, I am very proud of being a breeder. I did that. I am proud, too, that I am producing dogs that are so intelligent that it’s scary, so loyal that they can be your complete partner in the field while also possessing the extreme independence needed to do their job well, so loving that you want them with you every second of the day, so bold and brazen that nothing bothers them, and just plain drop-dead gorgeous to boot. They make me smile a lot. I think I make them smile, too. But, the animal rights whackos say I am doing it for the money. They accuse me of exploiting animals for profit. Yep. Every chance I get. I am very happy when I am able to sell a puppy for cold, hard cash. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel good because it shows me that someone appreciates the work I am doing. It makes me feel good because I have earned it, and earned it honestly. My only regret is that I have not made more money as a breeder. With all of the sacrifices I have made and the hard work I have done, I should be rolling in money. Alas, I am not. It has been years since I actually made money on a litter of puppies. Usually, I lose my shirt. For every puppy I sell, there is another one that I keep to evaluate, and a couple of other ones that I am keeping for two or three years to evaluate for their worthiness to breed. Then there are dogs that are in competition, and that costs bushels of money, not to mention old dogs that are retired and have a home here until they die of old age. Almost a third of the dogs in my kennel are elderly and retired, and it takes a lot of money to care for them. It takes money for dog food, supplies, veterinary bills, kennel licenses, repairs, vehicle use for training and field trials, advertising, internet, phone bills, and four pairs of good boots a year. It takes money. Lots of money. Bundles of money. Oh, Lord, please help me to sell some more puppies! Besides, what’s wrong with making money? It is a rather fundamental American value. Making money is something to be proud of, as long as it’s done honestly. Even animal rights bozos have to eat. Someone has to make money to stuff veggies down their gullets, and organic veggies are rather pricey. Most working folks can’t afford them. I also can’t help but notice that most animal rights activists over the age of 30 drive pretty fancy cars (we are talking about the Beamer set, folks), live in rather fancy houses and dress very well indeed. I can’t help but notice that many of the leaders of animal rights groups have pretty cushy gigs, with high-end sixdigit salaries, fancy offices, and all the perks. I guess they are saying that it’s ok for them to make money by the truckload, even if making money turns dog breeders into immoral greed bags. There is no one in America who exploits dogs for as much money as the paid leaders of animal rights groups. Their fat salaries depend on having animal issues to exploit. If there were no animals for them to exploit, they would have to get a real job. It’s a rather perplexing dual standard, don’t you think? Well, maybe it’s not perplexing after all. The only thing perplexing about hypocrisy is that so many people can’t see through it. My next sin is making my dogs work for a living. The animal rights people try to paint a picture of whipping dogs beyond endurance, exploiting them, creating misery and causing unhappiness. The poor, downtrodden, huddled masses. You know the tune. Only problem is, my dogs don’t agree. They love to work. They love their jobs. The only time they are sad is when it is not their turn to work. For my dogs, working is sheer joy and passion! They love every second of it. What animal rights groups live for is creating imaginary victims. Helping victims makes some people feel better about themselves and, of course, it helps them to part with their money so that animal rights leaders can live high on the hog. Oops. I mean high on the carrot. How callous of me. I guess I’m just not a sensitive kind of guy. Back to the exploited masses of bird dogs. Try an experiment sometime. Read an animal rights essay, and substitute the word “proletariat” for the word “animal.” You will find that animal rights philosophy actually is pure and straightforward Marxian doctrine. I guess my dogs are not natural Marxists. They love their jobs. They are excited about their jobs. Their jobs make them very happy. Animal rights people can’t seem to grasp that people can feel that way about their work, too. It’s how I feel about the very hard work of being a dog breeder. It makes me happy. Another way of putting it is that both my dogs and my own example provide proof that life is not pointless drudgery and exploitation. We provide living proof that joy, beauty and personal fulfillment are possible in life. I just don’t think of those qualities when I think of the animal rights fanatics I have known. They seem a rather sad and sorry lot to me. I’ll take my dogs’ company any day. Oh, but the icing on the cake is that I use these poor exploited creatures to hunt innocent birds. How terrible! Hunting, of course, is a subject of its own, and I won’t attempt to cover it here. Suffice it to say that opposition to hunting flies in the face of a few million years of human evolution, the entire balance of nature everywhere on Earth, and common sense. I know one thing for certain. The fact that we have healthy populations of most species of wild birds and animals today is only because hunters have cared enough to support strong conservation measures. We have preserved millions of acres of habitat that is vital to the survival of many species, saved more millions of acres of wilderness from development, supported the protection of endangered species everywhere, and put our money where are mouths are. Animal rights groupies do nothing but blow hot air, when they aren’t too busy destroying the land and the animals that live on it to create vast wastelands of industrialized monoculture. I am proud to be a hunter, too. It’s time for every dog owner and breeder to stand up proudly and be counted. Each one of you has done far more to enhance the quality of life of both people and dogs than all of the animal rights activists put together. So stand up and shout it to the rooftops! Stop crawling around on your bellies and apologizing. Your dogs deserve better from you. You will just have to get a little tougher if you want to live up to your dogs. What you are doing is right. It’s just that simple. The American Sporting Dog Alliance represents owners, breeders and professionals who work with breeds of dogs that are used for hunting. We are a grassroots movement working to protect the rights of dog owners, and to assure that the traditional relationships between dogs and humans maintains its rightful place in American society and life. Please visit us on the web at http://www. cansportingdogalliance.org. Our email is ASDA@csonline.net Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 15 We feed Royal Canin We feed Royal Canin We feed Royal Canin Tracy’s K & J Pets WE DELIVER LOVE ! 1024 State Highway AA Fairgrove, MO 65648 (800) 786-2513 Our extensive and comprehensive “Quality Control Program” means your pets are loved and cared for continously, until they are delivered to our customers. We believe “NO OTHER PET DISTRIBUTOR DOES IT BETTER!!” Breeder References Available We at Tracyís K & J Pets would like to take this opportunity to ëThank Youí for your patronage and support. We count on the health and welfare of your puppies as our ëNumber 1 goal! We feel that working closely with YOU the BREEDER brings us the BEST PUPPIES!!! 16 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 For ALL your pet supply and kennel needs, be sure to check out CountrySide Supply in Fair Grove & Southwest Kennel Supply in Wheaton, 2 convenient locations to SERVE YOU!! We sell Royal Canin We sell Royal Canin We sell Royal Canin www.countrysidesupply.com We can supply all your Kennel cleaning needs! • Neutral Q Disinfectant • TimeMist Dispensers &Cartridges • Orange Essence Cleaner • Spill-B-Gone We carry full lines of: • Urine-Off • Frontline Plus • Kenic Products • TropiClean We also carry a wide variety of vaccines from: Pfizer, Fort Dodge, Schering Plough/ Intervet & NeoTech Selling Supplies for your Dogs, Cats, Cattle & Horses 4 Redbud Cabin Lane Fair Grove MO, 65648 SOUTHWEST KENNEL SUPPLY S S K Phone: 800-462-4562 Fax: 417-759-7653 www.southwestkennelsupply.com S P r e m i e r We will custom build a kennel to fit your needs!! financing available with approved credit K S AllSizes! ‘ON SITE’ REPAIR OR REMODEL ON YOUR KENNEL. CUSTOM BUILT PLASTIC WELDED PET CAGING FOR DOGS, CATS, FERRETS, RABBITS AND MORE! CUSTOM DOG BOXES! WE EVEN DO BAIT TANKS! Draminski Heat Detectors, Microchips, Stainless Steel Inserts, Stack Cages, Wormers, Vaccines, Cleaning Supplies, Kennel Equipment, Pet Carriers, Feeding & Watering Dishes and much, much, More!!! CALL TODAY TOLL FREE* 1-866-361-7387 Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 17 Your Fastest Growing Plastics Manufacturer! LOCATED AT THE JUNCTION OF HWYS, 76 & 86 * P.O. BOX 548 WHEATON, MO 64874 When Vultures Rule - - A New Day For The People by Carol Murphy Those of you who have followed the “When Vultures Rule” series (Kennel Spotlight, Feb ‘08 issue), may have wondered what happened that no further entries were posted. I have been helping victims – and myself to stay afloat against the corrupt courts. I am very happy to announce that the national group to which I belong has uncovered some very interesting law that should allow us all to win. However, this is not a “shoe in”. In order for the paperwork to give you remedy, you MUST learn the information that makes this paperwork work. You MUST be able to defend your filings in the courtroom. You MUST NOT deviate from the prime argument of “No Jurisdiction”. You CANNOT file any paperwork of any kind into the court once you begin filing the series of paperwork that is listed on the national group’s site or you will NEGATE what you are filing and you CANNOT file it again! The national group has made it extremely simple for you to learn what you need to learn and the filing documents are provided for you. Just pay attention to the number of days you must give the Plaintiff to answer and to the people you must file this paperwork with. The site gives you every law mentioned in the paperwork. You need only listen to the audio explanations and print off the laws. Read the material until you understand it fully and can reel it off if needed. Take the printed material into the courtroom with you and read from it if necessary. Make VERY SURE that you DO NOT bring up anything about your Constitutional Rights or what the court did to you. YOU MUST stick to the issue of jurisdiction and you CANNOT deviate from it or you have placed yourself under the jurisdiction of the Court forever, and they have won. The national group has a weekly telephone conference for those who wish to learn about this paperwork. Calls are at 9 p.m. EST on Friday and Saturday nights. At that time, you may ask any questions you have about the laws and the paperwork. To get access to the site where the filings are located and where the backup information is located, just send an email (do not put anything inside the email), to: coram_nobissubscribe@yahoogroups.com.The site will send back an email to you. Just click on the site it gives and when you get there click on “Join”. Fill out three questions and you are a member with access to the site. It’s free. This paperwork can be used REGARDLESS of the charges against you. Whether they are Civil or Criminal is irrelevant. Whether it is a new case just being brought or one that finished three or 10 years ago is not an issue. 18 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 You can still file the paperwork. You can still get justice if you learn what you need to know and use it in court. Cases across the country have been dismissed because the courts DO NOT have jurisdiction. Here is the short version of what is going on: •In 1933, Congress relinquished state statutes to international law. •In 1945, International Organizations Immunities Act relinquished all offices to the U.N. Are you aware that anyone who is a member of the Bar Association is a member of a Communist party??? They are. Did you know that under Title 8 USC 1481 when a judge takes an Oath of Office and Undertaking that he gives up his citizenship? He does and he therefore has no immunity to prosecution. Did you know that the Courts are defined under FRCP (Federal Rules of Civil Procedure) Rule 4(j) as a FOREIGN STATE as defined under 28 USC 1602-1611 FOREIGN SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY ACT (FSIA)? They are. The Court CANNOT bring in a living, breathing person and have jurisdiction over them. The Court may only bring in a CORPORATION. Hence, when you are served with paperwork from the court, your name is listed in ALL CAPS which denotes you are a CORPORATION. The law says that if you do not declare that you are a Non Corporate Entity, you are a CORPORATION. Now for the biggie: If you truly are a CORPORATION, the Court MUST file with the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. and they MUST then file any court actions with the Corporate officer of YOUR CORPORATION. Since the Court has never done this, they have no jurisdiction even if you are a CORPORATION. Second, and more important to living, breathing people such as us: The Court has no jurisdiction to bring a living, breathing person before it. The Court knows this. Because they failed to tell us they had no jurisdiction, they have committed fraud. Plus, living, breathing, Non Corporate Entities have immunity from prosecution under the Eleventh Amendment which says: “The judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by citizens of another state, or by citizens or subjects of any foreign state.” Now to go back for a moment. All Courts (except those in Washington, D.C.) are FOREIGN STATES. Yes, that includes U.S. District Courts (federal courts) and Circuit Courts. So, moving along, the Coram Nobis which is filed first into the Court tells the Court that it has made an error in bringing into their Court a Non Corporate Entity, American Citizen, Living, Breathing Person. It requires the PLAINTIFF (i.e., the one bringing the charges against you - - typically the Prosecutor’s Office) to PROVE that the Court has jurisdiction. Please understand that the Judge MAY NOT tell you he has jurisdiction. The Judge DOES NOT establish jurisdiction. The Plaintiff (your accuser) MUST establish jurisdiction of the Court and they cannot do that because they never had jurisdiction per the laws. Note that the Plaintiff (accuser) MAY NOT tell you that the Court has jurisdiction. The Plaintiff MUST provide WRITTEN proof of jurisdiction and MUST file that WRITTEN PROOF into the CASE. Jurisdiction may be challenged AT ANY TIME. So if your case is already finished and you were found guilty of something in the Court, you can still file the paperwork and challenge jurisdiction. When the Plaintiff fails to provide jurisdiction, it means that the Judge in the case had NO JURISDICTION and therefore any sentence or finding of the Court is VOID. When a thing is VOID, it simply means that it has NEVER EXISTED in the eyes of the law. What you need to know when appearing in the Court - a possible scenario: Let’s assume that you have filed the Coram Nobis and the Coram Non-Judice. The Court and Plaintiff ignore your filings and send you a summons that says you MUST appear in Court to be Araigned on charges being brought against you. You MUST appear. You must tell the Court that you are there on a “Special Appearance” to address the Court’s lack of jurisdiction. You explain that the Plaintiff has failed to answer your demand for proof of jurisdiction. The Judge tells you that he (the judge) was appointed to his judgeship by the President of the United States and that gives him jurisdiction. If your response is “DUH”, you have just lost. You have just given the Court jurisdiction and you CANNOT refile your documents to get back the demand for jurisdiction. What you should say to the above. “I’m sorry your honor, but you CANNOT give yourself jurisdiction. No matter who appointed you, they did not give you jurisdiction they simply gave you a building to work in. Plaintiff is the only one who can provide jurisdiction to the Court and Plaintiff has failed to provide it. The Court therefore has no jurisdiction to require me to plead. According to the U.S. Supreme Court, once jurisdiction is challenged, nothing may proceed until jurisdiction is established.” (Look at the Coram Non Judice ADDENDUM listed on the above mentioned web site and print off the Jurisdiction section which contains tons of cases that uphold that nothing goes forward until AFTER jurisdiction is established.) Start reading the cases from the ADDENDUM into the Court record. VERBAL jurisdiction does not cut it. The Plaintiff MUST provide WRITTEN jurisdiction and file it into the case. Now, what if the Judge persists and tells you that you MUST plead guilty or not guilty? You again quote that the Plaintiff has not provided the Court with jurisdiction and in the absence of jurisdiction nothing can proceed. Let’s assume that the Judge now tells you that he is entering a plea FOR YOU and that he is entering Not Guilty. You MUST stop him. You can say something like: “Excuse me, your Honor but for the Record I have not made any pleading because this Court has no jurisdiction. Your Honor may NOT enter a plea for me as that indicates that you are my Counsel which is not the case. Is your Honor practicing law from the bench because Title 28 USC 454 says that a Judge cannot practice law from the bench or he is guilty of a “high misdemeanor”.” In other words, you MUST know the laws that back up what you have filed. So if you wish to extricate yourself from a Court that has no jurisdiction over you, you must know some law and you can learn what you need to know on the site mentioned above. Good luck to us all. By Carol Murphy of the “American Chronicle”, New Sharon, Maine From a New Puppy owner....... Don’t smell crotches, don’t eat plants, Don’t steal food or underpants. Don’t eat my socks; don’t grab my hair,,, DON’T RIP THE STUFFING FROM THAT CHAIR!! Don’t eat those peas, don’t touch that bush, Don’t chew my shoes, what IS this mush!?! Eat your cookies, drink your drink, Outta the toilet! Outta the sink! AWAY FROM THE LITTER BOX, IT’S FOR THE CAT! (and must you kiss me after that!?!) Raising a puppy is not for the lazy, Those rugrats are funny, but also quite crazy. Don’t despair through the toil and the strife. “Cause after three years you’ll get back your life! So lets go for walkies, so you can do your “thing” And maybe I’ll get back my diamond ring! -Author unknown Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 19 Giardia by Bill Oxford, DVM The Hunte Corporation Background: Giardia is a protozoan parasite commonly found in the intestinal tract of most mammals around the world. While the parasite is prevalent in dogs and cats, the incidence of clinical disease is rare, usually occurring only in stressed, very young, and immunosuppressed animals. Most infections are acquired from contaminated water sources such as unfiltered municipal water, streams, or lakes where Giardia cysts can survive for weeks. The trophozoite form can also be infective along with the cysts in a direct fecal-oral route by ingestion of freshly contaminated water, food, or any other freshly contaminated object. The time between infection and clinical signs is 5-12 days. The clinical sign associated with Giardiasis is malodorous, pale, steatorrheic diarrhea. Some weight loss associated with the diarrhea can occur; however, Giardia in itself does not produce vomiting or fever. Zoonotic potential: It was long thought that the Giardia species that infected dogs was also infective for people largely because under the microscope they look the same. However with the application of molecular methods (e.g. PCR) it has been shown that there are many different genotypes or assemblage groups and direct transmission from one host species to another is very rare. Cross species transmission is usually only found involving individuals with a recognized immunodeficiency disease. Diagnosis: Diagnosis is made by finding cysts or trophozoites in the feces. The direct smear or zinc sulfate concentration tests are the preferred methods to make a definitive diagnosis. Commonly used commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits have been found to be less reliable and to have a slightly relative specificity, versus the zinc sulfate concentration test, when used to test dogs. In addition, the ELISA test is more technically demanding and more expensive. Treatment: Since none of the above diagnostic methods can differentiate between the presence of a genotype capable of causing clinical disease and 20 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 one of the many others that may be present but not causing disease, it is not recommended to treat an asymptomatic individual solely on the basis of a positive test. Common treatments are Metronidazole at 15 mg/kg daily for 5-7 days, or fenbendazole for three consecutive days at a dose rate of 50 mg/kg. The use of fenbendazole not only helps prevent giardia but also helps prevent other intestinal parasites as well. Both of these drugs can have side effects which should be discussed with you veterinarian before use. Containing the spread of any infectious condition needs to always be a top priority in the kennel environment. Special care and strict attention to sanitation by all people handling the puppies (employees as well as customers), and an effective sanitation program for your kennel environment will help to insure that if a single incidence of clinical Giardia does occur, it will not become a kennelwide problem. Dr. Bill Oxford is Director of Veterinary Services at the Hunte Corporation and can be reached at (800)829-4155. VS SUPPLIES vs supplies ad St. Joseph, MO www.vssupplies.com Call: (800)708-7534 smart solutions. great prices. 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM CST Mon-Sat Kennel Buildings, Equipment & Supplies WE BRING CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY TO YOU KENNEL BUILDINGS “Best Kennel Buildings in the Market” Thats what the people who own our buildings say. Lots of References Available from all over the country. KENNEL EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES Plastic Supplies Our own Brands KLEER© Kleer Kennel Doors. Allows a lot of natural light in your buildings PEXMET © Sheets/Rolls Plastic Welder/ Supplies INJECTIWELD Plastic Lumber Our own brand of Expanded Metal Flooring. Durable, long-lasting floors! LOTS OF NEW INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS Here is a small list of them - Cleaning Supplies Building Products Inbuilt froamer to disinfect while you are washing down Energy Efficient Tiger foam spray insulation. Remote controlled washdown. Washdown while on vacation Remote controlled Lighting Total Kennel Automation Monitor your Surveilance, Lighting, Thermostat remotely and securely over internet or telephone. Plastic Welded Products & Smart Caging Air Quality/Ventilation Systems Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 21 CALL FOR A FREE CATALOG Do You Know the Real PETA and Humane Society of the United States? An Editorial by Alice Fix You will not often see negative articles in our newsletters, but every now and again we are forced to make a stand, and to speak out about what we know is for the better good for all involved. This is one such instance. We can no longer stand back and watch to see what will happen. I think that it is past time to publicly expose the real agenda of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and their cohorts in crime, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and the animal rights agenda. For many years we have all enjoyed the companionship of our dogs and other animals. We have been busy playing with them, taking care of them, finding fun things that we could do with them, and generally just having a great time with all the animals that live in our houses. While we have been enjoying the love and fun that our animals provide to us, there have been groups out there organizing on a grand scale trying to get our rights to own those animals taken away. Yes, that is exactly what I meant. Make no mistake about it. These people have organized on a large scale to infiltrate many major city councils and governments in the country to spread their propaganda. Their agenda is easily defined and simple. Their main objective is to take away your right to own animals. They do not want you to have the companionship of any animal, whether that is a dog, cat, horse, mouse, frog, fish or any other animal that you can think of. They are pooling their resources to get this accomplished, and have millions of dollars in their war chest for this effort. This is a statement made by Ingrid Newkirk, the President of PETA: “I don’t use the word ‘pet.’ I think it’s speciesist language. I prefer ‘companion animal.’ For one thing, we would no longer allow breeding. People could not create different breeds. There would be no pet shops. If people had companion animals in their homes, those animals would have to be refugees from the animal shelters and the streets. You would have a protective relationship with them just as you would with an orphaned child. But as the surplus of cats and dogs (artificially engineered by centuries of forced breeding) declined, eventually companion animals would be phased out, and we would return to a more symbiotic relationship – enjoyment at a distance.” — The Harper’s Forum Book, Jack Hitt, ed., 1989, p.223. It is interesting that Ms. Newkirk used the word “speciesist”. Allwords.com defines that word as follows: • The discrimination against, and exploitation of, animals by humans in the belief that humans are superior to all other species of animals and can therefore justify putting them to their own use. One of the animal rights mantras is that all animals 22 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 are created to be equal to all humans, and should have the same rights as humans. Just in case it still isn’t clear to you what their agenda is, here are a few more quotes from Ingrid Newkirk: “One day, we would like an end to pet shops and the breeding of animals. [Dogs] would pursue their natural lives in the wild ... they would have full lives, not wasting at home for someone to come home in the evening and pet them and then sit there and watch TV.” — The Chicago Daily Herald, 3/1/90 “In the end, I think it would be lovely if we stopped this whole notion of pets altogether.” — Newsday, 2/21/88 Who is Ingrid Newkirk, and why should we care what she has to say about anything? In the 1970s, Newkirk worked for Montgomery County (Maryland), and then for the District of Columbia, as an animal protection officer and deputy sheriff, before becoming DC’s first female Poundmaster in 1978. She co-founded PETA in 1980 with established animal-rights activist Alex Pacheco. (1) PETA stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, but in my opinion, there is nothing ethical in what they do. Ms. Newkirk has very close ties with several groups identified by the FBI as known terrorists groups, such as Animal Liberation Front (ALF). The animal rights groups are very well organized, and when you check closely, you will see many of the same names sitting on the boards of these radical groups. They are intertwined and closely linked through their finances, and the work that they do. PETA operates on an annual budget of $ 29,000,000. Most of this is from donations made by ordinary citizens that don’t know the real work of PETA. Many people think that they are out to save the lives of animals after seeing all of their ads on TV and in the newspapers. That is why millions are donated to them each year. In Virginia, the home state of PETA, in 2004, PETA adopted out 361 animals, and euthanized 2,278, according to their records. (2) Those figures aren’t good. That means that they euthanized 86.3% of their animals and only adopted out 13.7%. These figures come directly from PETA’s Annual Report and from their 2004 Tax Return. It doesn’t seem like they used that $29 million for the betterment of the majority of the animals that they came in contact with. So where is the money going? It is being spent for publicity to raise more money for one thing. It is also being used for legislative purposes. They have placed key people in city governments all over the country to try to influence legislation to take your pet ownership rights away. And they are having a lot of success with it. You need to understand the basic difference between the “animal welfare” groups and “animal rights” groups. Although the names might sound like they have the same objectives, there is a big difference. Animal welfare groups are working to see that all animals are treated humanely. Animal rights groups are working to see that all ownership of animals comes to an end. As I said, PETA has close ties with many other organizations. One of those organizations is the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). People donate millions to the HSUS each year, thinking that their money is going to save the lives of millions of animals. Nothing could be further from the truth. The HSUS does not own a single animal shelter anywhere in the country. Although many shelters have the words Humane Society in their names, they are not associated in any way with the HSUS. The HSUS does not sponsor any spay or neuter clinic anywhere in the country. They do donate a very small percent of the annual budget to a few local humane societies, around $2 million annually, which just happens to be less than the amount that they spend in travel each year. Their major money is sent on fund raising and legislative activity. In 2005 they spent $28 million for public mailings, $6 million in vegan education, $10 million in legislative campaigns and litigation. Their income for that year was close to $125 million. The HSUS was founded in 1954 as an animal welfare organization. But in the early 1980’s, just about the same time as PETA was founded, they began to change to an animal rights organization. In the 1990’s the personnel began to change to better fit with their new purpose, and today many of the personnel at HSUS have ties to PETA, including the current President, Wayne Pacelle. This is an interesting quote from Wayne Pacelle: “We have no ethical obligation to preserve the different breeds of livestock produced through selective breeding ...One generation and out. We have no problems with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding.” Animal People News (May 1, 1993) (3) When you combine other statements that he has made, with the above statement, in my opinion the meaning of this statement is that if we could spay and neuter all animals, we could eliminate pet ownership within one generation. “One generation and out” would mean to me that they are gone and are eliminated in only one generation. Quietly sitting back and maybe not being aware, we are now allowing the HSUS to make presentations at our local schools, with the definite purpose to educate our children about how bad pet ownership is, to indoctrinate children to the thought that animals should be free and not kept as pets. They are doing this in the same way that they have infiltrated city councils and local governments all across the country, quietly and matter-of-factly. “Shortly after taking office, Pacelle announced a merger with the Fund For Animals which have assets of over $20 million, and the Doris Day Animal League. The combined group estimated its 2005 budget at “over $95 million” and also announced the formation of a new “political organization,” which will “allow for a more substantial investment of resources in political and lobbying activities.” (4) So that is where we find ourselves today. With the HSUS and PETA combined annual budgets of over $124 million for political and lobbying efforts to take away our rights to own animals. And that figure does not include the many splinter organizations that have been formed from these two major organizations. We are in an uphill battle now, and it will be the fight of our lives to keep our rights to own pets. They are going at it from many different angles. One way is to get Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) passed. The banning of Pit-Bulls all over the country is a good example. That has caught on like wildfires. The animal rights groups have said if they can just get one breed banned, then it will be easy to add others to it at a later date, until eventually all breeds are banned. Another way that they are going about it is to have a mandatory spay and neuter law in place. Just think about it, if all domestic animals are spayed and neutered, when they die, there will be no more domestic animals. Those same words have been said by Wayne Pacelle, the President of the HSUS. They have a very well thought out and planned agenda, and they are counting on the ignorance of the American people to get their agenda accomplished. Well guess what? Ignorance can be overcome by education. The American people may be ignorant about the facts, but they are not stupid. They can be educated. We were ignorant before 9-11, and look what effect that had. It caused all Americans to become educated and unite and fight to prevent that from happening again. The difference here is that we are being attacked from within our own country. We are under strong attack by the animal rights groups, and I hope that we don’t just stand by and allow it to happen. The animal rights groups are publicly stating that we need to get laws passed so that they can close down all the puppy mills and commercial breeding facilities that have their animals living in inhumane conditions. Just about everyone would agree with the idea that animals should be treated humanely. But that is just the vehicle that they are using to try to do away with all animal ownership, period. And that is not a statement that they are being all that public about. You can become active in this fight by telling your friends and neighbors what is going on. You can be an instrument of education. You can also fight this kind of legislation when it is presented in your area. Go to the City Council meetings and make your voice heard. Write letters to the state and federal government officials to offer your services to be on any animal related committee. In short get the story cont. on pg 26 Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 23 Free Litter Registration! • • By submitting your Breeder Enrollment Form you will have completed the first step toward being a preferred breeder with the nations ONLY: BONDED PEDIGREE CERTIFICATION COMPANY Step two toward improving your puppy’s value to your customers while maximizing your profit and flexibility is very easy. The NPCR must receive copies of your brood stock’s current registrations in one of two ways: (1) Fax registrations to 901-471-4038 or (2) Call our office toll free at 877-476-9503 so that we can schedule a secure document pick up by Fed-Ex of your brood stock registration copies to be submitted for bond certification. • The final step; Once your brood stock has been certified for bonded registration, you will receive your Start-Up Paper Work (complete with: brood stock registration lists, puppy registration forms and self addressed envelopes complete w/document check list) Now you can start to enjoy knowing that YOU control the paper work in-house on your market ready puppies. Never waiting on litter registration forms or having to afford unnecessary litter fees ever again! • The NPCR Promise: The National Pedigree Certification Registry will always maintain the highest possible level of customer satisfaction and professionalism for our breeders, brokers, pet stores and most importantly, the final puppy owner. Insuring our breeders the best quality and representation for now and in the future. National Pedigree Certification Registry, LLC 107 East Pleasant Ave. Covington, TN 38019 24 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 BREEDER ENROLLMENT FORM Date:__________________ Company Name:____________________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________________________ City:____________________________________________ State:______ Zip:____________ Phone:_________________________ Fax:_________________________ Cell:___________ E Mail:_____________________________________________________________________ Owner:____________________________________________________________________ Owner:____________________________________________________________________ Number of Breeds Raised:________ Breeds:______________________________________ ______________________________________Number of Puppies Raised Each Year:_____ Number of Sires:________________________ Number of Dams:_____________________ Registries of puppies being sold: (1)____________ (2)____________(3)________________ Approved By:________________________________________ Date:__________________ Always 100% free to our preferred breeders! The Nations Only Bonded Registry: NATIONAL PEDIGREE CERTFICATION REGISTRY National Pedigree Certification Registry 170 East Pleasant Ave. Covington, TN 38019 Phone (901) 476-9503 Toll free (877)476-9503 Fax (901) 471-4038 E-mail: NPCR@pedigreeregistry.com Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 25 PETA story from pg. 23 word out to any and all of your friends that own pets. Let them know what is going on. If enough people stop funding the animal rights organizations, we can put them out of business. There is not much that they can do without operating funds. The next time you think about making a donation to any of these organizations, you had better think long and hard about whether you really want your money being spent to take away your rights: PETA HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES FARM SANCTUARY FUND FOR ANIMALS DORIS DAY ANIMAL LEAGUE EARTH SAVE GREEN PEACE PHYSICIANS COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE MEDICINE ANIMAL LIBERATION FRONT (ALF) FRIENDS OF ANIMALS IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS Right now the HSUS has started their “First Strike Campaign”. I find that an interesting choice of names. At visualthesaurus.com they define first strike as follows: First strike: An attack that is intended to seize or inflict damage on or destroy an objective. Most people think that attack is on inhumane treatment of animals. They still don’t know it is an attack to take your animals away from you. Last year over 10 million people donated money to the HSUS because of their massive spending on advertising. Most of those 10 million people had no idea what their money was actually going to support. Better places to donate your money that will fight for your rights to own animals are listed below. These groups are working hard to protect your right to own animals, and to expose the true agenda to much of the animal legislation going on all over the country: - Purina: St Louis (Jan 2005), “Six out of 10 pets in the United States were overweight, according to a recent Purina study, yet almost half of their owners thought their overweight pets were in ideal shape.” Examinations also revealed that 12% of the overweight dogs and cats in the study suffer from weightrelated health conditions like osteoarthritis. Kennel or house mount Mounted Models • Good for dogs up to 20” shoulder height • 36”, 48” diameter by 24” tread width • Endless running and exercise surface • Dog can come and go at will • Durable steel construction • Durable polyester coated surface • Optional running mat • Weather/mildew resistant • Optional door • Sanitizeable surfaces Stand Models • Good for dogs up to 20” shoulder height • 36”, 48” diameter by 12” tread width • Endless running and exercise surface • Dog can come and go at will • Durable steel construction • Durable polyester coated surface • Optional running mat • Weather/mildew resistant • Optional door • Sanitizeable surfaces The GoPet Exercise Wheel Allows you to: • Provide dog with adequate exercise • Provide an energy release option • Walk the dog when you can’t • Increase dog’s muscle tone NATIONAL ANIMAL INTEREST ALLIANCE http://www.naiaonline.org/ SPORTSMEN’S AND ANIMAL OWNERS’ VOTING ALLIANCE http://saova.org/ AMERICAN DOG OWNERS ASSOCIATION http://www.adoa.org/index.cfm U S SPORTSMAN ALLIANCE http://www.ussportsmen.org/ THE AMERICAN SPORTING DOG ALLIANCE http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org You can either make your donations work for you or against you. That decision is yours to make. Published by the Rocky Mountain Wrinkle, the newsletter of the Centennial Chinese Shar-Pei Club, Inc www.centennialsharpeiclub.org 26 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 GoPet LLC %JWJTJPO)JHIXBZt&QISBUB1" tXXXHPQFUVTBDPN ‘Yes-I own dogs who live in a kennel and I am a breeder’. The Power of Language.... by Elizabeth Brinkley What’s in a word? A lot of power for good or bad. When did being a breeder become a “bad” thing? When I first got into Shelties, my mentors proudly had a sign out front proclaiming _______ Kennels. They knew they sold (yes I said SOLD - not placed or adopted) quality show dogs and healthy pets. They were proud of their dogs and their hobby. I was so looking forward to the day when I could have a couple of acres out in the country and do the same. Now I feel cheated. I have a sign out front - in very small letters it says my kennel name but ONLY the name not the word “kennel”. There’s another sign nearby. It says “Posted - No trespassing” . Guess that’s a sign of the times. Friends tell me they don’t have a “kennel”. Their dogs are kept in “dog rooms” not kennel rooms. Others say “ALL my dogs are house dogs”. When did keeping dogs in a kennel become a bad thing? When did keeping multiple dogs become bad? Several of our founders made a substantial part of their income from the sale of pet puppies. Now people hide their numbers and won’t even tell other breeders exactly how many dogs they have. Others say “I only breed for myself”. When did it become a hateful thing to breed a pet or two? Or even (horrors - gasp) make a profit from puppy sales? I know I am always proud when I sell a puppy to someone who will show it but that’s not because I am ashamed that I may have produced a “pet quality” puppy but because I am proud that my pups are going to a home where they will be active mentally and physically in breed and performance rings. I am proud that someone who shows would want a puppy I produced. I am equally pleased and proud when I place a healthy pet with someone who will cherish and spoil it for a lifetime. In the last twenty years, there has been a gradual mind change in our country. Part of it is simply that we are becoming a more urban/suburban country and far less rural. People don’t grow up on farms working with animals on a daily basis. Pets have become the replacement for children for many upwardly mobile people who spoil them and treat them as “furkids” and “furbabies”. I cringe every time I hear those words - especially from a breeder. The pet industry is a multimillion dollar money machine with clothes, and soft crates and designer treats for pampered pooches. Celebrities use them as accessories. And the fact that they are ANIMALS is forgotten. No wonder people raise such a fuss when a dog “bites” someone. An animal did what animals do and most likely some where a human made a mistake with that animal either the owner in training it or the person who approached it. When I was a child it was drilled into us - NEVER approach a strange animal. Wonder how many kids get any training in that today? If you want to know the true facts on the “dog bite” epidemic in our country read “Dogs Bite But Balloons and Slippers Are More Dangerous” by Janis Bradley. You are more likely to get hit by lightening or slip and fall in a bathtub than you are to be killed by a dog attack. But people have forgotten they are animals. They think of their dogs as their “fur child” and they feel a sense of betrayal and rejection when they get bitten by their dog or it bites someone else. The other part of this equation is far more insidious. The animal rights cult has grown and spread and is fast becoming part of our mainstream thinking. With them comes the use of words such as “puppymill”. Every time I hear some breeder pointing at another breeder and calling them a puppymill I want to smack heads and take numbers. I don’t feel a need to go into depth on this issue since Charlotte Clem McGowan has done a fabulous job covering the subject in her recent article. I will simply say that in thirty four years in this breed, I have NEVER gone to visit a so-called “puppymill” breeder in Shelties that actually turned out to be a “puppymill”. Sometimes they had more dogs than some people approved of and sometimes they didn’t “keep” their dogs the way others think they should, but never have they turned out to be “puppymills” such as the AR groups love to show on TV with the filthy wire cages and sad-eyed dogs wallowing in their own filth. In fact two breeders that someone called a “puppymill” have ended up being among my best friends. Jealousy was the reason for those accusations. I have visited horrible breeding situations with rescue but never was it someone who was actually a Sheltie show breeder. Maybe I have just been lucky - or maybe it’s not as common a situation as the AR groups would have us believe. The Humane Society of the United States has just announced to the media that there are 900 puppymills in the state of Virginia, many of them “unlicensed commercial kennels” and selling puppies through the Internet. You couldn’t hide 900 unlicensed puppymills in the entire state of Virginia. Most likely some of those “unlicensed and selling through Internet” breeders they are referring to are US - show breeders who keep our numbers down so we don’t have to be licensed as commercial and have fancy websites to show off our dogs. The Cont. on pg. 32 Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 27 Brucellosis Don’t Let It Destroy Your Kennel! C Dr. Rick Kesler, DVM has been addressing professional dog breeders throughout the Midwest on a variety of kennel health management topics. This article features information about Brucellosis. Dr. Rick Kesler, DVM is a 1985 graduate of Iowa State University School of Veterinary Medicine. A member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and is licensed to practice in thirteen states. Dr. Kesler’s career has included small animal and equine medicine and surgery both in private practice and as an emergency room veterinarian. Currently, Dr. Kesler is employed as the staff veterinarian for Lambert Vet Supply. Dr. Kesler is available to speak at professional breeder seminars. Contact Dr. Rick Kesler, DVM at drkesler@lambertvetsupply. com. anine Brucellosis is disease caused by a bacteria, Brucella canis. It is the major clinical cause of abortions, stillbirths and male reproductive problems in kennels. As we speak, there is an ongoing outbreak in one upperMidwestern state and is the cause for much concern among kennel owners. Brucellosis usually ends the reproductive career of the affected dog and in some cases, destroys entire kennels. It is also probable for kennel operators to become infected, thus, proper handling of infected dogs and treatment of the environment are key issues, as well. Brucellosis in adult dogs can be present with a wide variety of clinical signs that may confuse the diagnosis. Brucella can be transmitted one of three ways; spread through contact with aborted fetuses and discharges from the uterus of infected bitches via broken skin, into the uterus through the semen of the male during mating, or through ingestion of maternal milk. It is also found in urine, feces, saliva and tears. Dogs can become chronically infected and may serve as a source of infection for years. Brucella canis in the female dog will live in the vaginal and uterine tissue and secretions for years and except in rare cases, for life. The infected female usually appears healthy with no signs of disease or indication that she is a “carrier” of the organisms. In female dogs, infection leads to abortion or early death of infected puppies. Abortion commonly occurs during days 49 through 63 of gestation. Usually the fetuses are partially decayed and accompanied by a gray to green vaginal discharge which may persist up to 6 weeks. Early embryonic deaths that occur can be mistaken for decreased fertility or failure to conceive. Some pups may be born alive but soon die. Other pups may survive only to become infected at a later date. In male dogs, infection of the testicles can lead to infertility due to anti-sperm antibodies developed as the body attempts to fight off the bacterial infection. Blood tests are used for a presumptive diagnosis. There are multiple tests found on the market and through veterinary labs as well. As a preventative measure, all new breeding stock should have two negative tests, spaced 30 days apart before entry into a kennel. Blood tests can have false positives if other gram negative organisms such as kennel cough bacteria are present. A definitive diagnosis is made if Brucella is cultured from the blood. Treatment of affected dogs is controversial, especially in a kennel situation. Long term antibiotic therapy is necessary and does not guarantee success. Euthanasia has been an option if the expense of treatment cannot be met or the risk to other dogs is too great. There is no available vaccine so prevention is a must. Brucella can remain in the environment anywhere from a few short months up to a year. It can even survive for months on contaminated clothing and syringes, proving hygiene is essential. Survival of the organism increases with a combination of low temperatures, high humidity and little sunlight. Disinfectants, such as Trifectant, can destroy the organism, but you must degrease your kennel before disinfecting. I recommend AlphaZyme Plus for kennel degreasing. Trifectant and AlphaZyme Plus are available from Lambert Vet Supply by calling 800-344-6337 or online at LambertVetSupply.com. 800-344-6337 ÓÊEÊ{Ê>Ê >}iÊ1Ìà nÊ`iÃÊÌÊ ÃiÊÀÊUÊÃÊLÕÌÊ ÕÃÌÊiÃ} >ÌiÊ ÌÀÊEÊÀÊÝV >}iÊ-ÞÃÌiÃÊUÊiÀ}iVÞÊ*ÜiÀÊ*ÀÛà Delivered FREE on LVS trucks Many options available *Call for Details 800-344-6337 www.LambertVetSupply.com Dr. Rick Kesler, D.V.M. One Stop Shopping for the Professional Breeder 6>VViÃÊUÊi`V>ÌÃÊUÊ6iÌÊ-Õ««ià iiÊÕ`}ÃÊUÊÀ}Ê-Õ««iÃÊUÊ}Ê` Prescriptions, Kennel Visitations, Consultations Dr. Rick Kesler, D.V.M. Call us today to order these Vet-Recommended Products Trifectant 10 lb Tub $77.47 AlphaZyme Plus 1/2 Gallon $23.95 6-ÊÃÊ«i>Ãi`ÊÌÊ>ÕViÊÌ >ÌÊÜiÊÜÊLiÊÜÀ}ÊÊVÕVÌÊÜÌ Ê7ÃÊ*iÌÊ -Õ««ÞÊ>`Ê,ÊÃÌÀLÕÌ}Ê>ÃÊÞÕÀÊiÜÊ`ÃÌÀLÕÌÀÊvÊ>ÃÉÕ>ÕL>Ê«À`ÕVÌðÊ7iÊÊ vÀÜ>À`ÊÌÊLi}ÊÞÕÀÊ«ÀÛ`iÀÊvÊ>ÃÉÕ>ÕL>Ê>`ÊÜÕ`ÊiÊÌÊÌ >ÊÞÕÊvÀÊÞÕÀÊ VÌÕi`ÊÃÕ««ÀÌ°Ê >LiÀÌÊ6iÌÊ-Õ««ÞÊÜÊ`iÛiÀ}\ UÊ>ÃÊÊ Õ UÊÕ>ÕL>Ê->ÊÀii`Ê*Õ««Þ UÊÕ>ÕL>Êi`ÕÊÀii`Ê->ÊÌià UÊÕ>ÕL>Ê*ÀiÕÊ*iÀvÀ>ViÊ-«ÀÌ} UÊÕ>ÕL>Ê>À}iÊÀii`Ê*Õ««Þ UÊÕ>ÕL>Ê>À}iÊÀii`Ê`ÕÌ UÊ>ÃÊ6iÌÊÀÕ>ÊÜ,iÃ`Õi 800-344-6337 Call for delivery details Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 29 FROM THE ROLLING HILLS OF HOLMES COUNTY RABER KENNELS & SUPPLIES Hello to all of my Kennel Spotlight friends, known and unknown! This finds me at my desk of Raber Kennels & Supplies. This article will be about my kennel and dog breeding business. I am not a very good writer so bear with me! My wife and I have been blessed with 8 children; Sarah 18, Lena 17, Ivan 14, Ruby 12, Lovina 11, Norman 8, David 4 and Milan who is 3. They are all involved in our kennel business except for Sarah, who is a school teacher in our one room Amish school. I started out with a Sawmill business when I was 21 at a local lumber company, and after 8 years of sawing, getting married and having a family, it was time to start a business at home. We sold that sawmill business and started doing small furniture building at home. In just a short time, we got pretty busy and had to hire our neighbor, Freeman Raber, to help out in the winter months. Freeman had been a long time dog breeder and after we started talking about the dog business, I decided that was what I wanted to do as well. All the dogs we ever had we called ‘sooner dogs’ (they would ‘sooner’ eat then anything else! Ha! Ha!) So now it was time for one that we could raise a few puppies to sell. We looked in the local paper and found a UKC Toy Fox Terrier for a $100.00. We thought that was too much for a little black and white puppy, but this little pup soon grew up and payed for itself over and over. We built our first kennel building, a 10’x20’ with a whelping/run combination and bought a Miniature Schnauzer breed sell out to fill it. We then purchased some Golden Retrievers and added 2 more 10’x14’ 30 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 kennel buildings to house them. Since that time, we now have Dachshunds, Shih Tzu’s, Cavaliers, Papillons, Min Pins and teacup Chihuahuas and have built a 20’x32’ whelping and weaning building to help house them. With having the ‘teacup’ Chihuahuas, we knew we had to have a vet close by so we enlisted the services of Dr. Teresa Hoxworth of the East Holmes Veterinary Clinic. Dr. Hoxworth is an excellent specialist when it comes to c-sections and any of our medical emergencies. Between her and my neighbor, Freeman Raber, we have learned a lot. Our puppies are fed Royal Canin Puppy and are on a strict vaccination program which starts with the Kennel Cough vaccine at 3 weeks, NeoPar at 4 & 6 weeks and finally a 5-way vaccine at 7 weeks right before we sell them at 8 weeks of age. All of our puppies are dewormed with Pyrantel starting at 2 weeks of age and every 2 weeks after that. We sell our puppies at 8 weeks of age to a few select brokers. One of our top buyers is Julia Martin from S. Carolina who drives 840 miles one way to pick them up. She sells several puppies a year and is a true dog lover! Our kennel is USDA licensed and we are also a member of the Ohio Professional Dog Breeder Association. We encourage all breeders to join your local clubs and state organizations. As the saying goes, “United we Stand, Divided we Fall.” Our association has been a big help in standing up for our rights to raise dogs responsibly. About 6 years ago, we started building dog kennels for other breeders. We built our first kennel without even an actual order placed! We advertised in our local paper, the Bargain Hunter, and had it sold the very first week. It didn’t take long before we had orders for several more and at one time, we put out one building a week. With the help of our neighbor, Freeman, we have sold over 150 kennels nationwide. Soon after the buildings took off, we started a supply store featuring a full line of kennel supplies. We stock a full line of pvc coated wire and have a mail order catalog. My son, Ivan and my father, John, help us build all kinds of cages to sell in the store as well. With having the store, we get to see a lot of breeders and have made a lot of good friends. It is a good learning experience too! In July of this year, we had what we call a ‘kennel walk’ for the local breeders. We had about 85 people show up and gave a 10% discount on products in our store at that time. Breeders came from all over to look at our dogs and the kennels. We had everyone wear disposable booties when going through our dog kennels. Michael Glass from APRI helped to sponsor the refreshments and we served pie, ice cream and cookies to everyone. Our veterinarian, Dr. Teresa Hoxworth was also there to answer any questions the breeders had. There was lots of discussion about experiences in the various kennels and what works best in each of our breeding programs. We gave door prizes and had a very exciting night! In closing, we would like to thank God for His unconditional Love and YOU, the breeders, for your support in helping make us a successful business. Lets all be united and help each other be successful in raising puppies. Thank You and God Bless you richly and stop by and see us sometime!! Raber Kennels & Supplies 2190 Township Rd. 152, Baltic, OH 43804 (330) 8939101 Meet the New Mid America Pet Owner..........................................Bud Terrill General Manager................................Chris Fleming Breeder Coordinator...................................Trish Pointer Buyer & Registration..................................Kim Parsons Accounting....................................Angela Baker We understand the needs of the professional breeder, because we employ professional breeders! M ore M Get !! y one Meet a Better Distributor!! Get Mid America Pet 11474 Hammer Road Neosho, MO 417-451-9800 or fax: 417-451-9803 Bet ter Ser vice !! Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 31 Power of Lang. from pg. 27 animal rights fanatics consider ANYONE who breeds even ONE litter to be a puppymill. Their motto is “don’t breed while others die” meaning the dogs put down in shelters. You can read Nathan Winograd’s excellent new book “Redemption, The Myth of Pet Overpopulation” for a commonsense approach to this “problem” that the shelters and AR groups are using as a weapon to attack breeders. Other word changes brought into common usage by the AR groups is that of “rescue” and “adoption” and “placement” and homevisits. It has become harder to take in a stray than to adopt a human child. I wonder how many people have gotten turned off by some of the attitudes found in the more radical “rescue” groups and gone away when they would have been an excellent home for an animal but didn’t feel like being subjected to an inspection process that requires a life history before they can have a pet. I was refused an “adoption” on a cat a few years ago. The reason - I had intact dogs! What did they think - the dogs are going to breed the cat? Or I am a bad person because I have intact dogs that I show? This goes hand in hand with the move among the AR groups to change the language of the law from animal “owners” to animal “guardians”. I am sure a lawyer could address this in far better detail than I but I do know that the word “guardian” has well established 32 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 limits and definitions under current law. Do you really want some AR slanted animal control officer able to come into your home at anytime without a warrant and tell you that you can’t remove dewclaws or write you a ticket because your dogs don’t have water bowls in their crates 24/7? That could be our future if we become the “guardians” of our dogs instead of proud owners. There comes a point where we have to start drawing lines in the sand and refusing to give in to the politically correct language that has infiltrated society from the far out AR groups who really don’t seem to like animals all that much. Mostly they just seem to hate people. To Ingrid Newkirk of PeTA “A rat is a pig is a boy.” To me “a dog is a dog is an animal”. I am proud to say that I am a breeder of purebred Shetland Sheepdogs. Shakespeare said “that which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet.” And dog poopis still just as stinky. I own dogs who live in a kennel and I am a breeder. And that’s my final word. Elizabeth Brinkley, Legislative Liason Three Rivers SSC of Greater Pittsburgh A Lobbyist is the fellow you Hire to protect you from the fellow you Elect! Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 33 A n old man lived with his hound-dog, Mace, in a run-down shack on the outskirts of town. He had no family and only a few meager possessions: a table and chair, a bed, a bag of hand tools and his dog. He used the tools to do odd jobs in town, for which he usually would be paid enough to get food for the next day. Mace and his master lived from one day to the next on what little these jobs would bring in. The dog was just a normal hound, with one exception: while most dogs like to chew on grass occasionally, Mace loved it. When the old man was in town, Mace would spend the day in the yard in front of the house, chewing away on the lawn. One bright, sunny day the old man said goodbye to his dog and headed in to town to work. He had a plumbing repair job in one of the homes there that would take him most of the day and would probably pay enough for food for the remainder of the week, if he managed the money carefully. He headed for town with a spring in his step and a whistle on his lips. Inside the house and ready to start, the old man reached in the bag for his wrench. To his surprise he didn’t feel it. He dug around again, but there didn’t seem to be any wrench. He looked in the bag, then dumped its contents on the floor, but still no wrench. Reality set in. Without a wrench, he couldn’t finish the job, and without the pay, he couldn’t even buy food for supper, let alone tomorrow. When he finally came to grips with reality, he told the lady who hired him what the situation was. While she sympathized with his situation, the job needed to be done. If the old man couldn’t do it, she would have to hire someone else. The old man packed up his tools and headed home, head bowed and shoulders stooped. The whistle was gone and no longer was there a spring in his step. A walk that normally took 15 minutes seemed to last forever. But finally the old shack came into view, and there was Mace in the distance, munching away as usual on the lawn. When the dog saw his master, he came 34 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 running, tail wagging, telling the old man how glad he was to see him. Kneeling beside the hound , the man began to pet him, and through tear-filled eyes told the dog that there would be no supper tonight and no food for tomorrow. What’s more, without money to buy a new wrench, he had no idea what the future held. It was the loneliest, most helpless feeling he had ever had! The he caught a glimpse of something shining in the grass. As the old man came over to see what this piece of shining material was, his despair turned into instant joy! It was the wrench! The old man had dropped it on his way out that morning and it would have been lost forever had Mace not been eating farther away from the house than he usually did! The old man grabbed the dog, gave him a hug that almost suffocated him, and ran into the house. Reaching for a stub of pencil and the only piece of paper he had, he wrote a moving tribute to his canine companion. Few people have ever heard these words..until now, that is. One man who did happen to read them changed them a bit and has his name recorded in music history. The old man never did get the credit he deserved. But now you are privileged to read the beginning line of his original poem, which went: “ A grazing Mace, how sweet the hound, that saved a wrench for me.” Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 35 His Master’s Smile by Ron Hevener He had won. He had done his master proud and he had won. It wasn’t that he understood exactly “what” he had done to make everyone so happy. It wasn’t as if he had fought off a raging bear, or saved a lost child. He hadn’t run for help or chased a thief away from those he loved. He hadn’t done any of those things. He hadn’t done anything but be himself, standing before a crowd of strangers, beside the one he loved. And, there it was: His master’s hand upon his shoulder; his master’s voice at his ear; his master’s smile upon him. It wasn’t always like this. In the long-ago mists of Before, when he nudged his mother’s breast and scrapped with his brothers and sisters, he was blind to the life that lay ahead of him, blind to anything but himself. Listening into the night, his mother’s breath comforted him in a world of what he could feel, hear, or sense around them. But, from his earliest awakening, he was aware of a presence around him; an intelligence. From as far back as he could think, there seemed to be a mysterious something watching over them, providing an order to things; a mysterious someone who seemed to care. Day after day it was like this. Day after day, as he dozed in the manner of the newborn, he felt himself touched by something greater than he, himself, seemed to be. It wasn’t that he knew himself. It wasn’t as if he knew he was any different from a rock or a tree or the flowers decorating his life. He only knew that his life was protected by someone that could change anything around him. It was a power that could change the bedding on which he lay. It could bring him food. It could bring water. It could take away his mother, making him wonder if she would ever return. It could fill the air with music all night long and calm him with a reassuring voice. From the moment he first saw it, he knew he was important to this powerful someone. He knew it from the moment he felt his master’s smile upon him. As it is with all young dogs, there were ups and there were downs. There was the time he escaped and followed a yellow butterfly. Yes, it was true he could hear his name being called. It sounded nice, hearing his master shout his name to the Heavens and fade into the distance. But, a yellow butterfly! Now that was something he had to know about. He had to know about all kinds of things in the Early Days. He had to know about powdery wings 36 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 that fluttered and lifted a butterfly into the air. Did he have wings, too, he wondered? Where were his own wings? ... Where, he suddenly wondered with a sinking feeling in his belly, was his master’s voice? Yellow butterflies melted into darkness and shivers as he learned the meaning of loneliness ... and longing. A light! The rustling, crunching sound of dry leaves and familiar footsteps! Was it possible? “There you are!” came the words that showed him all things are possible even when all is lost. “I’ve been looking for you,” came the caress of love as they turned for home and he felt his master’s smile upon him .... There were other times, many of them, when he tried new things. Some were praised and others were not. But through it all, through the good times and the bad, his spirit flourished and he grew. As his spirit grew, so did the body in which it dwelled. He grew taller, stronger, and wiser with his master never far away; feeding him, watering him, turning on the radio and filling the night with music .... With his master’s help, he grew to understand that collars, leashes and manners were important things to know about. He grew accustomed to riding in a car, accustomed to the slippery floor of a veterinarian’s office and the bitter taste of medicine ... He grew accustomed to many things, to please the one he loved. There were others like his master. As time went by, he saw many of these gods, for that’s what they were to him. He heard them speak and did not understand their words, he saw their eyebrows raise and fall, he saw the gesture of their hands and felt their laughter. “Is that thing worth showing?” they asked. “We’ll see,” came the answer from the one who mattered to him most. “His mother is the best one I have and his sire is a winner.” As spring burned into summer and summer leaves began to fall, they worked. They worked together, side by side, early in the morning. They roamed the pasture and fields, just the two of them, a master and his dog; a master and his dog sharing a secret. “You can do it,” he was told. “I know you can.” After what seemed like endless mornings and endless nights, when it felt as if this would be his lot in life forever, something changed. “We’ve done enough now, my friend. It’s time to show them.” Show them? Show them what? What are we going to show them? “We’re going to show them what you were born to be,” came the answer, as he felt his master’s smile upon him. He was frightened that day. Was he good enough? Would he do the right thing or would he let his master down? What was ahead for him, he wondered, as he hopped into the car. Were they going to the vet’s office? Please say they weren’t going to the vet’s office for shots or Story cont. on pg. 40 Puppy Express Delivery Your ‘Personal Touch’ ground transportation service! Our special services include: • Climate controlled delivery for your puppies • Frequent stops to let your puppy out of the crate to stretch and play • You don’t have to worry about flying with the temperatures being too hot or too cold. • No layovers at the airport, your puppy is delivered to the customer directly • Close personal attention by the owner who is also a breeder • USDA licensed • Many references available Visit our website at www.puppyexpressdelivery.com Clint Little 360 Little Lane Clinton, AR 72031 (501) 745-8418 hm (501) 253-2636 cell Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 37 Blasted Exotic Disease !! By Jim Hughes D oes your dog hunt? Does he dig? What dog doesn’t? They all do. Is the woods around your house and kennels damp or is there a pond or stream or any source of moisture? Well, good grief, what woods isn’t? Are you going to let your dog do what comes naturally for dogs to do? Dig, that is. And why not, you may ask? Well, here is a why not! BLASTOMYCOSIS!! And just what is that that would kill a dog just for doing what comes naturally. Blastomycosis is a fungal disease caused by Blastomyces dermatides. “It occurs mostly in dogs and humans, but has been diagnosed in horses, cats, and even sea lions”, said Dr. Ronald D Smith, professor specializing in epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Illinois college of Veterinary Medicine. Soil wet with organic matter is ideal festering ground for this fungus. Most cases are reported along the Mississippi River system and the Great Lakes, but it is found anywhere a similar system exist. The infective stage of the fungus lives in the soil near waterways. It may be inhaled or enter the body through open wounds. As it multiplies, it then moves to the vascular system or lymph nodes. Symptoms to watch for are watery eyes and cold like symptoms, excessive scratching of the face and eyes, dull coat with hair falling out easily, swollen lymph nodes, fever, inactivity, and weight loss. Also a chronic cough, shortness of breath, skin lesions, clouding of the corneas in the eye and even blindness indicate trouble. Recovery without drug therapy is rare. Treatment must begin as early as possible because if the organisms enters the 38 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 blood stream and spreads to other organs, recovery is rare indeed. Many dogs need to be hospitalized several times per week during the first part of the treatment but can later be treated at home over a long period of time. The drug Itraconazole has been prescribed for treatment. As the fungus dies, inflammation may occur and your dogs signs may temporarily worsen. Drug toxicity may also be a problem, so treatment must include veterinary oversight. Some animals have an immune reaction to the infection, and those animals have a poor chance of survival. Pursuing long-term therapy, which can be painful and very expensive, may not be the best choice for these dogs. Even after what seems like successful treatment, the infection can lie dormant for many years and then reappear. However, if symptoms stay gone for one year, recurrence of symptoms is highly unlikely. Although Blastomycosis can affect humans, it cannot be transmitted through the air. You must handle bandages carefully from these animals because the fungus can grow in the bandages or on the open wound. Most human cases are contracted in the same way as pet cases, out in nature. If your dog has Blastomycosis, it is unlikely that you could get the disease from your dog, but it could indicate that you were both exposed to a contaminated environment. However, your dog is ten times more likely to contact the disease than his human owner because his nose is much closer to the ground. There is no vaccine to protect your animals from this organism. The only protection lies in restricting your dogs from access to suspected areas containing the fungi spores. If infection is suspected, quick veterinarian intervention is mandatory for success. Calendar of Events October 31st & Nov. 1st, 2008 UPCOMING SOUTHWEST AUCTIONS MPBA-Missouri Pet Breeders Association Fall Convention, Holiday Inn Select Executive Center, Columbia, Mo. For more information contact Barb York (417) 876-5787 or email york@healypc.com OCTOBER 11th, 2008-Richard Kreger, Jetmore, Kansas November 8th, 2008 Tri State Premier Pet Association Fall Seminar, Independence, Kansas. For more information contact Shirley Walton (620) 378-2600 OCTOBER 18th, 2008-Dorothy Crosby, @ Wheaton, MO. Sale Barn. OCTOBER 24th, 2008-Randy Sears, Pineville, MO OCTOBER 25th, 2008-Consignment Sale, Wheaton, MO NOVEMBER 8th, 2008-Dale & LeAnn Henry, Langley, OK December 5th & 6th, 2008 NOVEMBER 15th, 2008-Billy Ross, Howe, OK PPA-Professional Pet Association Seminar, Moberly Community College, Moberly, Mo. For more information contact Cathy Griesbauer (573) 564-2884 NOVEMBER 22nd, 2008-Leon Roberson, Atoka, OK February 7th, 2009 Dakota Breeders Association, Mitchell, South Dakota February 27th & 28, 2009 MPBA-Missouri Pet Breeders Spring Seminar, University Plaza, Springfield, MO. Contact Barb York (417) 876-5787 NOVEMBER 29th, 2008-Consignment Sale, Wheaton, MO APRI SHOW SCHEDULE October 18th-Crossroads Breeders in Bolivar, MODeadline Oct. 15th-Contact Brenda Arnett (417) 9985001 October 25th-Piney Woods Assoc.-Marshall, TX March 7th & 8th, 2009 November 8th-East Texas Dog Lovers-Canton, TX Deadline is October 29. NEOKPP-Northeast Oklahoma Pet Professionals Pet Expo. Contact Gary Phillips (918) 785-2300 November 15th-First Quality Pet BreedersHarrisonville, Missouri March 13th & 14th, 2009 IaPBA-Iowa Pet Breeders Association, Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel (1504 305th St. Tama, IA 52339) Contact Julie Petersen (515) 836-8114 “SEMINARS” by Sue Hughes Today I am at the dog trade show I came to learn what I did not know; To my surprise there seems to be Many people just like me; I’ve gained knowledge all day long I’ve kept my interest and spirit strong; I want to prove our critics wrong Good care is what I have provided all along; My dogs are clean, my care is great My puppy buyers do not hesitate; They know these pups are sound throughout They will bring happiness, there is no doubt; I know these puppies will go far Because of things I learned at this seminar! Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 39 Master’s Smile from pg. 36 medicine. But, they weren’t going to the vet. This time, they drove past the vet. He breathed a sigh of relief and fell asleep. It was the sounds that woke him: sounds of barking, air compressors and excited chatter. The smell of sausage, French fries and dogs -- hundreds of them; more dogs than he had ever seen in his life -- lured him to full attention. Where are we, he wondered, pressing his nose against the window. What’s happening? “Come on, fella,” his master said, opening the door and snapping on a leash after they came to a stop. “Good boy!” “Good” is what he always tried to be. Was it his imagination, or was his master standing extra tall today? Was his master brushing him with extra-careful attention? Were people looking at them in a different way than they used to? “Where’d you get that one?” somebody with a poodle asked. “Bred him myself,” came the answer. “Yeah? Who’s he out of?” “The best one I have and his sire’s a winner.” “Wait a minute -” came a voice of disbelief. “That can’t be the one I saw at your place. That pup was just about the scrawniest thing I ever saw!” Nobody had ever told him he was scrawny. Nobody had ever told him he was any different from a flower or a cloud or a beautiful butterfly. Nobody had ever told him anything ... except that he was important; except that he was loved. The class was called, the entries filed into the ring ... proudly, he stood as the judge ran her hands through his hair, over his back and down his legs. Down and back they trotted; around the ring they went. As still as a living statue he stood, th ough every fiber of his being wished to jump into his master’s arms. One by one the entries went through their paces. One by one, they went to the end of the line. One by one, they waited the judge’s brave decision. “Around again, please,” she directed ... and, sure of herself, she pointed: “One! ... Two! ... Three! ... Four!” as the crowd clapped their approval. No, it wasn’t as if he understood exactly “what” he had done to make everyone so happy. It wasn’t as if he had fought off a raging bear, or saved a lost child. He hadn’t run for help or chased away a thief. He hadn’t done any of those things. He hadn’t done anything but be himself, standing bravely before a crowd of strangers; standing beside the one he loved. There it was: His master’s hand upon his shoulder; his master’s voice at his ear; his master’s smile upon him. From ‘On with the Show’ by Ron Hevener-Author/Artist www.ronhevener.com 40 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 FORECLOSURE ON YOUR PETS???? A disconcerting consequence of the rising costs of fuel, food and home foreclosures is the increasing number of abandoned pets being left behind at residences or dumped off at the local shelters. Often times pets that are left in homes are without food, water or the comforts of a temperature controlled environment. Experts say a dog will become dehydrated within 24 hours without water and could die in extreme heat within a few days. Like humans, dogs and cats can go for a long time without food but will quickly die without water. Some pet owners don’t think through their actions. They are so distraught about losing their home, they will rationalize their behavior by hoping that city officials or bank reps will rescue the abandoned pets. Other types of home owners may be the kind who only think of pets as ‘property’ and they will typically be the ones to strip assets from a foreclosure and sell everything they can rip out, including the kitchen sink and therefore toss the ‘pet ‘ in the alley. Moreover, people who have lost a home through foreclosure need to live somewhere else, which means they might have to rent an apartment, many of which do not allow pets. So, they think of their own security first and leave their pets behind. In most states, by law, pets ARE personal property, which means they have little or no rights. Personal property left behind by home owners are subject to seizure by the lender that has taken the home back in foreclosure but typically, REO lenders do NOT want to take care of pets. Some laws do not allow for forfeiture of personal property until a certain time period has passed, so lenders are prevented from removing the pets, and often discourage others from intervening. As a fellow pet owner, if you know of a home in your neighborhood that is being foreclosed upon, ask the occupants if they have made plans for their pets. If the owners have already moved, check with a local real estate agent and ask to inspect the home for abandoned pets. In some states, animal cruelty is against the law. If you suspect animal cruelty, call the police. If you do find a dehydrated pet, provide a small amount of water and then call a vet before administering food. Some cities even have pet food banks that offer free pet food to keep animals out of the many overcrowded shelters. DOGS & CATS IN THE NEWS DOGS & CATS UNITE! throws jabs with her front paws while standing up on her hind legs and has become the only dog in Peru that can box. Chela also jumps through rings of fire and is part of a team of dogs that are trained to chase down robbers or free strapped-down hostages. Golden Retriever adopts tiger cubs A Golden Retriever female at the Safari Zoological Park in S.E. Kansas has adopted 3 white tiger cubs who were abandoned by their mother. The pups were born on a Sunday but the mother had problems with them. A day later, the mother stopped caring for them and the pups were left wandering around looking for something to nurse on. The park owner, Tom Harvey, decided to try his golden retriever female who had just recently weaned her own puppies. It was perfect timing and the cubs took right to their surrogate mother. White tigers are not as genetically stable as the orange tigers so it was very fortunate that the zoo had a ‘mom’ that would take care of the newborns. ‘FAT CAT’ FINDS NEW DIGS… Prince Chunk gets a new home. Prince Chunk (alias ‘Powder’) the ‘fat cat’ of New Jersey gets adopted after being found by an animal control officer in Voorhees, New Jersey. The 44 pound feline is the second fattest cat on record, just 2 pounds under the 46 plus pounder from Australia. The media has gotten wind of ‘Chunk’ and he has recently appeared on ‘Good Morning America’ and the sad story of his circumstances has made headlines nationwide. His former owner was a homeless senior citizen who’s home was foreclosed upon and she was unable to keep him. She had given the cat to some friends who were supposed to take him to the local animal shelter but instead he was found as a stray by animal control. ‘Chunk’ has been checked out by a veterinarian and found to be in good health, despite his obesity. Due to the publicity, the local shelter had received hundreds of calls from people wanting to adopt him before they finally chose a suitable owner. Prince Chunk has now become the poster child for the toll the falling economy is taking on animals, as more pets lose their homes along with their owners. BOW WOW, POW! BOXING DOG PACKS A PUNCH! Chela, a 3 year old German Shorthaired Pointer from Peru, packs a punch and a bite too. Her trainer, Cesar Chacaliaza, a police officer in Peru, has been training dogs for 13 years. He originally taught Chela how to box as a party trick but it soon became a habit and Cesar has taken the training more seriously to improve her skills. With her red boxing gloves on, Chela punches and An Inspiring Story!! ‘ MY KIND OF DOG ‘ ! This makes you think twice about the kind of care you give your pets! Thought you might be interested in this very special dog who served in IRAQ . The K9 above is Brutus, a military K9 at McChord. He’s huge - part Boxer and part British Bull Mastiff and tops the scales at 200 lbs. His handler took the picture. Brutus is running toward me because he knows I have some Milk Bone treats, so he’s slobbering away! I had to duck around a tree just before he got to me in case he couldn’t stop, but he did. Brutus won the Congressional Medal of Honor last year from his tour in Iraq . His handler and four other soldiers were taken hostage by insurgents. Brutus and his handler communicate by sign language and he gave Brutus the signal that meant ‘go away, but come back and find me’. The Iraqis paid no attention to Brutus. He came back later and quietly tore the throat out of one guard at one door and another guard at another door. He then jumped against one of the doors repeatedly (the guys were being held in an old warehouse) until it opened. He went in and untied his handler and they all escaped. He’s the first K9 to receive this honor. If he knows you’re OK, he’s a big old lug and wants to sit in your lap. He also enjoys the company of cats. Talk about animal intelligence and bonding with humans! Remember that they can’t do a lot of things for themselves and that they depend on you to make their life a quality life! Pictured right Judy Botto & ‘Annie’ Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 41 The Saddest Moment of My Life By Jim Hughes “Hear the lonesome Whippoorwill”, “He sounds to Blue to fly”, “The Midnight Train is Whining Low”, “I’m so lonesome I could cry”! H ow could Hank Williams have lived enough and experienced such a sad life to coin these and 100’s of other words in his short 29 years of life. His talent was linked with tragedy and despair of his own making, but it enabled him to leave a legacy of songs to a multitude of fans that have made him a music legend. Maybe he heard the same train I did last night, about 3 in the morning. I am glad I do not live along the tracks as I would be angry every night when that train comes through Neosho, but from a mile away it has such a melancholy sound that it becomes beautiful. And at 3 in the morning, when your mind will not turn off and let you sleep, the call of the train turns your mind towards sad memories. I could not get those thoughts out of my mind even by morning so I am going to tell my readers about it. I have let you in on many of my thoughts about the dog business in past issues. This has nothing to do with the dog business, this just gives you insight as to what makes me what I am. It is September, 1947. The taxi sits at the curb. The suitcases are loaded with everything we own. My Grandmother and Grandfather are standing on the porch, tears rolling down their faces. My Mother is sitting in the back seat of the cab, heartbroken, sobs racking her body. And I, a twelve year old seventh grader, am standing on the curb screaming and crying for my grandma, “Please do not let this happen”. We were on our way to the bus station in Columbus, Ohio to board a bus bound for Los Angeles, California, to leave a city and state that I knew intimately and a whole family of relatives and loved ones to go to a strange land where the only person we knew was mom’s best friend, a lady I referred to as “Aunt Pearl”. Why was this happening? D-I-V-O-R-C-E was in the future. Tammy Wynette tells us all about it. It is the single most awful state of affairs one can find themselves in [my thoughts only. Obviously many do not see it my way as 50 percent of all marriages are now ending in divorce. But in 1947 this was not a common occurrence. My Grandmother told my Mother “If you burn a blister, you sit on it”. There were many families in the south end of Columbus, populated by mostly West Virginia and Kentucky blue collar workers, where the woman went to church and the man went to the beer joint. My relatives adhered to that way of life. Mom felt that if she stayed in Columbus she could never change a thing and I would be raised to adhere to the same philosophy. My Dad was one of twelve kids, one girl, the baby, and eleven boys before her. There was a twenty 42 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 year span from the youngest to the oldest. Five of these boys died in various stages of life from various causes. I never knew my grandparents on the Hughes side of the family. They died in their early forties, leaving my dad an orphan at twelve years of age. He was not raised, he was fed and watered and just grew up. He lived in the attic with an uncle and worked for the West Virginia Highway Dept. His job was to move gravel with a drag bucket and a team of horses on the highway leading south out of Ripley, West Virginia.. He moved his body to Columbus at age twenty but his mind never moved from W.V. When he died at age 85, his car still had W.V. plates and he voted Democrat at Ripley in every election. He met my Grandpa when he got a job where grandpa worked. Grandpa felt sorry for him being all alone and invited him to a holiday diner at his house where dad and mom met for the first time. Mom had a disease they called St. Vitas Dance. She had no control over her nervous system and would jerk and shake and her fork or spoon would go flying. She had to be fed. Because of dad’s lonesomeness and his budding friendship with Grandpa he used to sit by mom’s bed and help care for her. By the time mom became sixteen she was outgrowing this ailment. She had long since fell in love with dad and said yes immediately when he asked her to marry him. He was the only boyfriend she had ever had. About a year later, my sister Phyllis, was born. She lived four years then died of Spinal Meningitis. My dad went crazy with grief and swore he would never love anybody or anything ever again. I still feel that he kept that promises, affecting me, my mom and my two sons. He told me when Trisha was born, “Now you really have something”. Phyllis and Trisha bore an uncanny resemblance as babies. My parents were married for eighteen years and dad was a good husband for the norm in the south end of Columbus. He never hit my mother, he did not drink or smoke and he was always there when he was needed. He only had two faults. He chased any thing in a dress and he was a compulsive gambler. My mother saw the money she had worked and saved to have me born in the hospital ride away on the nose of a losing horse at Beulah Park race track. Finally, in 1947, she had had enough. She told me that she was leaving Columbus and the choice was mine as whether to stay with Dad or come with her. I cried and pleaded and made myself sick for two weeks while she prepared to depart. How was a twelve year old supposed to make such a decision? I had no awareness of any problems until she told me of her decision. My Grandpa could neither read nor write. Grandma could barely do both. Dad was not much better but mom went to the tenth grade. She had a world of natural intelligence. She was not afraid of facing the world alone but jumped at the chance to go to Los Angles when “Aunt Pearl” offered the invitation. She gave dad the ultimatum, “come with me for a new start or I will go alone”. His reply was, “I never lost anything in California”. Dad made up my mind for me, as if there was ever any doubt, by telling me to go with my mother. He patted me on top of the head and walked away. So, here I now stand on a curb side looking at my Grandparents sobbing almost uncontrollably as they watched their middle child take there only baby from them. My cousin, Bill, was ten years older than I was and was married, so I was not only an only child but for all practicable purposes, an only grandchild. When I was four years old we moved two doors down the street from Grandma. She fed me, rocked me, bathed me, loved me. She was a full blooded American Indian but she did not really look the part .but boy, could she cook. I would rather have her meatloaf than a truck load of Lobster tails or Prime Rib. And Pancakes, hers would put IHOP out of business if she had opened against them. She mixed flour and milk and eggs and whatever else she added. She filled a cast iron skillet with LARD, yes lard, and poured that goop in. When the bubbles started to rise through the mix, she flipped it over and then out onto the plate. Smothered it with real butter and drowned it with home made sugar syrup. O lord, do I miss her. Grandma was always an old woman. From my earliest memories she always wore tiny steel rimmed glasses, a gingham dress with an apron over it, her hair was always in a bun and streaked with just a little grey and never any kind of makeup. She was 39. She died in the spring 1965 at age 72 from a heart attack I always felt cheated from her love and company. Grandpa was an alcoholic. He worked Monday thru Friday but Friday night he got drunk. He could not read nor write and there was no such thing as television, but he could play Howsie, a card game much like Pitch. Some times he could win enough to pay for his drinks but usually he spent a goodly portion of his paycheck before Grandma could get it from him. Many times I would escort him home on his hands and knees to keep the other little kids from throwing rocks at him. But I loved him and he loved me. I left behind a Holstein 4-H heifer, my horse and the most important thing in my life, my dog. I got a four week old orphaned Boston Terrier when I was six. We nursed her back to health and she became an important member of the family. We called her TOOTIE. She was 10 pounds of dynamite who thought she could whip anything with fur on it. When we moved to the farm she decided she hated Groundhogs. I left behind a 140 acre play yard, with cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, rabbits and 5 horses plus dad’s six old Foxhounds. My time on that farm was the happiest of my childhood. And then I left behind my life as I knew it up till then. So there I stand at curbside. Watching two people cry but not coming to get mom out of that cab. My uncle urges me into the cab and it pulls away. I made a commitment when Doug was born that my children would never go through this agony. Sue and I will celebrate our 49th anniversary in October. Of course this promise was easier for me to keep because of the woman I married, but I want to encourage any of my readers who may be approaching this stumbling block in their lives to think of what it will do to their kids, then go to your minister and work through your problems with the help of GOD. You made a commitment to love, honor and obey, till death do us part. You brought children into this world. If you felt about those children as I did about mine, the night of their birth you grew 10 feet tall and the buttons popped off your chest. At that time you probably felt that you would never do anything to harm them. Yet the greatest harm you can do to them is to break up their home. You were never promised a Rose Garden on your wedding day. Every marriage has a few snags in it. WORK THROUGH IT!!! Don’t hurt your kids, don’t hurt each other. Happiness is a contented home. INNER STRENGTH If you can start the day without caffeine or pep pills, if you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains, if you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles, if you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it, if you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time, if you can overlook people taking things out on you when itís not your fault and something goes wrong, if you can take criticism and blame without resentment, if you can face the world without lies and deceit, if you can conquer tension without medical help, if you can relax without liquor and if you can sleep without the aid of drugs... Then you are probably a dog. Truer words were never spoken. Dog spelled backwards is GOD. And that is where the great gift of a dog comes from. NOW YOU HAVE JUST RELIVED THE SADDEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE. Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 43 “That’s like movin’ hay with a one pronged pitch fork” Every so often a situation happens and I am reminded of something my grandmother said years ago. This happened recently when researching information about breeder regulations. It occurred to me that breeding healthy dogs is just one part of a much larger picture. What about the consumer that purchases the dog? Do they bear some responsibility toward making sure their dog is healthy? In my opinion, yes. That got me thinking that we really don’t hold pet owners accountable. If something goes wrong we quickly blame it on the breeder. Does that mean that breeders can sell dogs without worrying about health? No, it means that pet owners must take reasonable responsibility to ensure that their new pet is healthy and well adjusted for the life of the pet. Dog breeders are blamed for many things that go wrong with pets. Something I’ve heard recently is people who breed dogs increase the number of animals in shelters and contribute to the number of dogs that are euthanized. Have we really looked at the reasons why dogs are in the shelter? If you look at the ages of the dogs in our local shelters most are over 6 months. We can’t blame this one on breeders. These dogs had owners and for whatever reason the dog wound up in a shelter. Pet owners need to be more accountable for their pets and be responsible to make sure that pets are accepted members of the community. We’ve all been in those situations where we meet a well-meaning person with a very rude canine on the end of the leash. I’ll never forget the time this gal’s dog was growling at me and my dog while the owner stated, “Marlow just wants to play” Ya think? Really? There are a host of problems that lead to dogs ending up in the shelter. From poor decisions in choosing a puppy, behavioral problems from lack of training and knowledge, neglect, abandonment, and not one of these are because the dog came from a breeder. I believe that a healthy well behaved pet starts with a good breeder but regulating all breeders certainly is not going to fix this complicated issue. As a kid growing up on a farm, I sometimes found some creative ways to complete my chores. Sometimes my approach was shear genius. But many times, my methods were very ineffective and Grandma would say, “That’s like moving hay with a one-pronged pitch fork” You could tell 44 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 she knew I didn’t understand and she’d explain, “You’d move more hay and get things done better if you use a four-pronged fork”. That’s what I think we need use to solve our community pet issues is a “four-pronged pitchfork”. Instead of blaming and regulating parts of the solution, let’s pool the resources from responsible breeders, trainers, healthcare providers and legitimate rescue organizations. How about we improve the quality of services from animal control and shelter staff? And while we’re at it, start catering to the real customer.... the pet owner. Instead of creating more rules, let’s help pet owners access services and gain knowledge. What if there was a streamlined system where animal owners can access a continuum of services that range from finding a puppy to caring for an aging pet? A system where irresponsible owners were held accountable and good pet owners were rewarded for their efforts. If it were my farm....I’d use the four pronged pitchfork! Written by Shelly Kuhn, OAIA (Oklahoma Animal Interest Alliance) P.O. Box 8303, Edmond, Ok. 73083-8303 or visit their website at www.oaia.bravehost.com Editor’s note: A perfect example of what this article is trying to point out is a recent article posted in a local newspaper -The NewsRecord in Miami, Oklahoma: The article states that 4 dogs were rescued from an abandoned shack and thought to be part of a ‘puppy mill’. They talk about how malnourished the dogs were and how one of the females had a diseased uterus from over-breeding, despite the fact she was less than a year old?? The Rescue group is automatically ‘assuming’ that these dogs were not cared for because of a ‘commercial breeder’ and have not given a thought to what might be a clear case of ‘pet abandonment’. It is a known fact that many ‘pet owners’ have more than one dog in their family and through many unfortunate circumstances, there ARE instances of pets being mistreated and/or left behind. Help educate your fellow breeders and be part of the solution! Join your local and state organizations that support the ‘responsible breeders’ from being slandered and mistreated by the Animal Activists!! An Idle moment: G e n t l y l a y i n g b y t h e f i re , a t p e a c e w i t h i n y o u r w o r l d M a y i t s l o v e n e v e r t i re , ro u n d y o u r l i f e e v e r c u r l e d Fe t c h t h e p a p e r & t h e s l i p s , b e y o n d y o u r w i l d e s t d re a m s But as your hand, It gently nips It fills your life& makes you beam When you see your puppies face, in his mouth your best lace Round his neck you want to bend, but your needles start to mend Fo o d & w a t e r e v e r y w h e re , i n n o c e n c e , n o t a c a re R i p u p t h e s h o e t h e n t h e c h a i r, Yo u s i g h , b u t , l o v e The pup so fair W h a t b re e d a m I W h a t ro l e t o p l a y I s t a y t h e d a r k & d r a g o n s s l a y G u a rd i n g s a f e A t t h e h e a d A s I l a y O n p i l l o w e d b e d T H E WA L K I N G T R A I L S T H E AU T U M N L E AV E S YO U R T R U S T Y PA L YO U N O W B E R E AV E T U G G I N G AT YO U R H E A RT SO STRONG T H AT F I L L E D YO U R L I F E F O R SO L O N G G . Pe n i c k , H i l l s b o ro C o m p a n y Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 45 CLASSIFIEDS APRI BEAGLE BREEDING STOCK FOR SALE! Stocky build-12” height, 2F’07 lemon/wht, 2F ‘06, 3F/1M’05 (male is bluetick), 2F/1M ‘02, some with hunting background. $1000. Phone (660) 541-1001 or email: marriott@asde.net OKLAHOMA KENNEL PROPERTY FOR SALE!! 29 ACRES with Ranch Style home, barn, workshop. (2) 32 run Kennels, portable building with heat/air. 80 AKC LHASA APSO’S w/ Champion Bloodlines. Also Misc.equip. Price $262,500. Phone (918) 529-4578 FOR SALE! HOME AND KENNEL ON 5 ACRES! Located in Northeast Kansas, 3 Bedroom Earth Home. 12 run dog kennel-room for 20, air cond. & heat. Phone (785) 799-5538 KENNEL SELLOUT! AKC/APRI YOUNG BREEDING STOCK. Excel. quality, some are Champions. Affenpinscher M, Brussel M, and small groups of: Coton de Tulears, French Bulldogs, Pugs, Toy Poodles and Yorkies. Also, Pug and Frenchi puppies available. Portable Kennel Building 10x32 w/ 15 indoor/ outdoor runs and nice grooming room Contact Carol at (402) 482-5557 or email: puppylove@kmtel.net C & J SHARPENING: ANDIS, OSTER & DOUBLE K-Blade Sharpening. Metal Blades $5.00, Ceramic Blades $6.00. Mail-in’s Welcome! Contact Cindy @ (417) 722-4533 or Cindysterriers.msn.com FOR SALE! ACA REG. SIBERIAN HUSKIES, 2F ’08 (blk/wh & gry/wh), 2M’08 blk/wh, 3M’08 gry/wh, 1M ’05 blk/wh, AKC & PROVEN, & AKC LABS-ALL CHLT, 1F/2M ’08, AKC BEAGLE, 1M ’04 PROVEN. Contact Yvette Bolz (660) 256-3223 hm, cell (660) 3754962 OR email: lbolz@wheatstate.com 46 • Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 PLACE YOUR AD HERE FOR ONLY $40.00!!! “King” “Macho Man” “Tucu” AKC CHAMPION SIRE YORKIES, LHASA APSO and SHIH TZU PUPPIES 4 SALE! We also have Japanese Chins, Maltese, Standard and Toy Poodles available. Call Elaine at (660) 232-2060 or email: sunsetacrespuppies@yahoo.com AKC & APRI Quality Breeding Stock Puppies, French Bulldogs, Cavaliers, Norwich Terriers, Havanese and Kerry Blues. Also Adult Breeding Stock, Maltese and Affenpinscher. Call Clem Disterhaupt at (402) 589-1195 KENNEL MARKET PLACE: Sell your Breeding Stock, Kennel Supplies and Equipment on www.kennelmarketplace.com NO MEMBERSHIP FEE!!! Contact Laura Bone at Kennelmarket@leadhill. net or phone: (866) 637-7284 or (870) 436-4044 PBT MARKET PLACE: Sell your Pups and Kittens on www.PBTmarketplace.com Only a $1.00 to list!! $15.00 when SOLD! NO MEMBERSHIP FEE! Contact Laura Bone at Pbtmarket@leadhillnet or phone: (866) 637-7284 or (870) 436-4044 KENNEL & PROPERTY FOR SALE! 17 1/2 ACRES W/ POND, 3BD/2BA, Swimming Pool, Fireplace, Metal Roof, New Siding, Storm Windows, Storm Shelter. 16 run Dog Kennel, Heat & Air Cond. dog houses with 40+ adult PUGS & Puppies, all are AKC/ACA registered. Property also has mineral rights. Asking $155,000 for all. Call Karen Work at (918) 768-3574 Isabelle Francais for AKC Our ID system works for you. Our 24/7 service works for them. The AKC CAR ID System microchip is the key to not only protecting your breeding stock, but also critical in identifying all your puppies. Plus, when a pet goes to a new home, the puppy’s microchip number can be transferred over and linked to the new owner’s contact information. That way, if the pet ever goes missing, it can be reunited with its new family by our 24/7 recovery service. Here at AKC Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR), our commitment to pets doesn’t end there. AKC CAR, a not-for-profit organization, funds veterinary student scholarships, canine search and rescue grants and disaster relief efforts. To place an order or learn more, call 1-800-252-7894 or visit www.akccar.org/microchip. You can also purchase ID System microchips with your next Revival Animal Health order. Kennel Spotlight * Oct/Nov ‘08 • 47