Letters To The Editor BULLDoG reACtion Great work on the NY Times bulldog distasteful tirade. What irresponsible writing and EDITING! Howard & Barbara Atlee Cresskill, NJ LAte AnSWer to tHiS WeeK’S QUeStion oF tHe WeeK: Dog News has done an amazing job this past year: the glossy format is phenomenal and I applaud all who had a hand in its reformat. The editorial content continues to address the issues that are of great concern to those of us who have the sport’s best interests at heart. Keep up the good work. I’m proud to be part of the magazine. Deb Cooper Porter Beach, IN MeMBerS oF PArLiAMent CoLLeCt Anti-DoG MeAt Petition Members of Parliament have joined Network for Animals and the Kennel Club in urging the Filipino government to better enforce their anti-dog meat legislation and end the dog meat trade. To promote the campaign, Members of Parliament met with the Kennel Club and Network for Animals’ representatives outside parliament recently to collect a petition from a dog called Shiva to show their support for ending the trade in dog meat in the Philippines. The petition, which was initiated by Network for Animals, garnered over 10,000 signatures from people opposing the dog meat trade. MPs present to collect the petition included Caroline Lucas, Mark Pritchard (Chairman of the All Party Group on the Philippines), Neil Parish (Chairman of the Associate Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare), Norman Baker (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Transport), Ian Lavery (Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport) and Russell Brown (Shadow Minister for Defence). Neil Parish, Chairman of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare, commented: “The UK is the international leader on animal welfare and is at the forefront of efforts to protect animals internationally. Dogs are being captured and stolen for their meat whilst being kept in unbearable conditions. They often die en route to their destinations and face even worse circumstances at slaughterhouses, where no guidelines exist for the humane killing of dogs. This is unacceptable and needs to stop.” Christina Dixon, Campaigner at Network for Animals said: “We wanted to give MPs the chance to have their support for our campaign recognised. Their help in ending the brutal dog meat trade in the Philippines is vital as it shows that the British public has elected representatives who put animal welfare on the political agenda.” Caroline Kisko, the Kennel Club Communications Director, commented: “Dogs are companion animals and are not meant to serve as a meal. Whilst recognising cultural differences in eating habits, this does not excuse the animal welfare issues associated with this trade. The Philippines has outlawed the sale and consumption of dog meat, yet the 242 Dog News
trade is still prevalent. We are calling on the Filipino government to better enforce their dog meat ban. We are grateful to all the Members of Parliament for coming today and helping highlight this important and emotive issue.” To find out more information or to get involved, visit: http://www. thekennelclub.org.uk/dogmeat or http://www.networkforanimals.org/ campaigns/the-philippines-dogmeat-trade. Laura Quickfall London, England CorreCtion In the Dec. 2 10 Questions by Leslie Boyes, the hometown of Bernie and Fran Schwartz was incorrect. They reside in Lake Forest, Illinois; not La Verne, Ca. PHoto re-toUCHinG I’ve been concerned for a long time about photos of dogs appearing in some of the most widely published magazines who do not appear to be the same dog when seen in the flesh. We expect to see honest and genuine pictures of dogs being shown in competition and published by the owner but that is not always true. Until someone takes a stand and refuses to use pictures that have been photo shopped, changing a dog from its actual appearance, I guess we will just have to continue to count toes to determine if the photo is for real. Yes, count toes. If you’re going to enhance the properties, make sure you return all the parts to their proper place before pushing the print button. Doris Boyd Carmichael, California AKC oBeDienCe AnD AGiLitY to CeLeBrAte MiLeStoneS At AKC/eUKAnUBA nAtionAL CHAMPionSHiP -- New Events “Just For Juniors” at the AKC National Obedience Invitational and AKC Agility Invitational Add To Celebration -Two of AKC’s Companion Events – Agility and Obedience – are celebrating sport milestones at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship festivities this December 1718, 2011 in Orlando, Florida at the Orange County Convention Center. Agility, AKC’s fastest-growing canine sport, is on track to hit one million entries in 2011, while the sport of Obedience celebrates its 75th anniversary. “We’re pleased to celebrate these milestones at the AKC National Obedience Invitational and AKC Agility Invitational,” said Curt Curtis, AVP of Companion Events. “Our thanks go out to the fanciers for all of their support for these two events over the years!” Since the first test in 1933 which drew eight dogs, Obedience has grown to approximately 130,000 entries in 2,573 events across the country this year. There are 146 dogs entered in the AKC National Obedience Invitational, encompassing 55 breeds from 33 states and Canada. AKC held its first agility trials in 1994, staging 23 trials with 2,000 entries. In 2010, AKC sanctioned 2,461 agility trials and received 947,137 entries. The sport grew even further in 2011. The AKC Agility Invitational has drawn 592 entries, with dogs
representing 157 breeds and 46 states. Another milestone reached is for the first time ever, the AAI and NOI will also welcome All-American dogs enrolled in the AKC Canine Partners program. A total of 15 All-American Dogs will compete in Agility, Obedience and the respective junior events. As another way to celebrate their sport’s milestones, the AKC National Obedience Invitational and AKC Agility Invitational are offering special competitions just for juniors for the first time ever. The new AKC Juniors Agility Competition and AKC National Juniors Obedience Competition join the Junior Showmanship event, which has been part of AKC/ Eukanuba National Championship since its inception in 2001. The three events have drawn entries of 50, 47 and 159 junior handlers, respectively. Three of the agility juniors competing have also qualified for the AKC Agility Invitational and will run their dogs in that competition over the weekend. Several obedience juniors will exhibit multiple dogs, and one junior will compete in all three events – Junior Showmanship, the AKC Juniors Agility Competition and the AKC National Juniors Obedience Competition. The AKC Juniors Agility Competition runs Friday, December 16th from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. The AKC National Juniors Obedience Competition will run Saturday, December 17th from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. Agility juniors will run both Standard and Jumpers with Weaves courses in either the Junior Excellent or Superior Classes, depending on whether they’ve achieved an agility title. The junior obedience entrants will compete in three age divisions in Beginner Novice and/or Novice classes twice, based on their AKC obedience accomplishments. Stay tuned to www.akc.org/invitational for the latest updates. Tickets for the Day sessions are still available and can be purchased through the AKC Website or in person at the Orange County Convention Center Box Office on the day(s) of the events. The American Kennel Club (AKC) proudly celebrated its 125th Anniversary in 2009. Since 1884 the not-for-profit organization has maintained the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world, and today its rules govern more than 20,000 canine competitions each year. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its nearly 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Companion Animal Recovery and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org. AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc. To become a fan of the AKC on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook. com/americankennelclub. To follow the AKC on Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com/ akcdoglovers. Lisa Peterson New York, NY