SPRING CHAMPIONSHIP AND FUTURITY !!

Finn McCool says "What are you waiting for? Get on the phone and call Mr. Hammons!"

JUST A REMINDER THAT THE SPRING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND FUTURITY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER! DON'T FORGET TO CALL IN YOUR ENTRIES TO TIM HAMMONS AT 859-986-7076.

And You Thought Training Red Setters Was Tough...

SCA Letter to AKC Board Regarding the "Futures Program"

Schipperke

(originally bred as watch dogs and vermin killers on boats in Belgium)

Cross-posted from Canine Genetics listserv

Fri Feb 13, 2009 5:18 am (PST)

The following letter has been sent to the AKC Board of Directors from theSchipperke Club of America Board of Directors. The opinions expressed beloware those of the entire board without exception.

Permission is granted to cross post.

SCHIPPERKE CLUB OF AMERICA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

February 9, 2009

To: AKC Board of Directors:

The minutes of the December 16, 2008 meeting of the AKC Delegates included a report from the AKC President which outlined a "Futures Program." This program was apparently (according to the report) discussed at previous meetings of the AKC Board of Directors, though no specific mention may be found in those minutes. Specifically, President Sprung stated:

"The first priority of the Future Program is the collection of frozen semen for the breeding of outstanding dogs. The second priority is to generate significant revenue for AKC and has four elements

1. fully subsidize all program expenses;

2. fund an endowment to ensure its continuation;

3. be significantly profitable to AKC;

4. provide any residual income to benefit existing programs - for example: CHF, Museum, the Humane Fund and legislative initiatives. The program will benefit our entire fancy for generations and is a worthy reason why it should be supported. Financing will be similar to other sports organizations. It will be through the establishment of an annual activity fee for each dog exhibited, set at approximately $25.00, the cost of a single entry."

The Schipperke Club of America strongly disapproves of this plan and submits the following points for careful consideration: The $25 "activity fee" is actually a "pay to play" plan, an additional fee for the privilege of paying fees to enter AKC events. This proposed $25 fee per dog exhibited per year amounts to a tax on the already rapidly rising cost of exhibiting dogs. It is yet another example of the increased fees imposed upon clubs and individuals to host and exhibit in AKC events. Add to this the changes in requirements to host dog shows (which were not approved by the Delegates) which result in increased expenses for the AKC licensed and sanctioned clubs and it becomes an increased burden. There is a point of diminishing returns, which might just be reached sooner than the planners predict. Some points to consider would be who will keep track of which dogs have "paid for the year" and how many additional staff will be required to implement and maintain the records? This attempt to extract the "gift that keeps on giving" may well result in exhibitors turning to events offered by the UKC and CKC. The collection and maintenance of frozen semen "for the breeding of outstanding dogs" would be a nightmare to administer. The determination of those deemed worthy of collection by any group of individuals would be difficult at best, considering the politics of the dog show game. Two issues of great concern are the ownership of the stored semen and the recipients to whom it would be made available. The private sector currently offers owners the option to freeze and store semen of dogs they own and to control the release of that semen. Under the AKC plan, who would own the frozen semen and determine its recipients? The answer is presumed to be AKC. A frozen semen program based upon "top dogs" could perpetuate the "popular sire syndrome". Specifically, genetic diversity within a breed is advisable in order to insure the long term health and well being of the breed. Would AKC take upon itself the responsibility for health testing of the semen donor? What about health testing for the bitch recipient of the semen? What about genetic testing for conditions that were not available at the time of donation but were identified later, before frozen semen was released? The liability for all of this deserves further exploration. The AKC Board of Directors, over the last several years, has shown an increased desire to associate with commercial breeders. This position is one generally opposed by the breeder/exhibitor and the all-breed and parent breed clubs to which they belong. The codes of ethics of most AKC memberclubs actually stipulate that such associations are undesirable at best. ThePetland contract is but one example of the business alliance favored by some members of the AKC Board of Directors. Many in the dog world believe that the issue is not over. Delegate Pat Laurans addressed the September 9, 2008 meeting of the Delegates as follows:"I wish that we had been provided with more information regarding thePetland issue. If we had, I think that the reaction might have been different. I still do not believe that we have been provided with information as to whether there is a contract, whether there will be registration done by the employees in Petlands, and whether Petland is the only pet chain store that you are interesting in targeting. I am still not ready to take back all of my reservations, and I hope that we will hear more in terms of how and if you are going to pursue this at any cost. The President's response to me was: "Pat, it is not at any cost. We are not going to go away from our care and conditions or any of our policies.Nothing will be lessened or lowered. There are no contracts and there is no exclusivity to any other group or chain."It should not go unnoticed that the AKC Board passed a motion, at its August 2008 meeting, "to direct management to aggressively pursue all registerable dogs in the commercial sector where all AKC rules, regulations, and policies are followed and to authorize the Chairman and the President to take all necessary steps to provide for the support of management and staff to pursue this objective." The Fancy will be watching anxiously to see what exactly will be pursued as a result of this motion. It is understandable that the AKC Board of Directors is concerned about its decreased revenue due to decreased registration. The Schipperke Club ofAmerica, as an AKC member club, understands the implications this fact has on the future of the Fancy. However, rather than court the commercial breeders, we suggest other avenues be pursued. One example would be the"mixed breed program" which President Sprung presented to the Delegates at their June 9, 2008 meeting as follows (emphasis added):"As you will recall, I presented a blank page at the December 2006 Delegates Meeting concerning the possibility of creating a listing service for mixed spayed and neutered dogs and, further, to explore the possibility of their being eligible to compete in separate classes at Companion Events. After a great deal of input from the Delegate body and many others, that page became partially full. Staff has addressed this issue with the Delegates on six previous occasions prior to today and we are appreciative of your input. The reasons to offer this voluntary participation program are:1. Enhance AKC's ability to influence legislation;2. Promote responsible dog ownership to a larger audience;3. Advocate on behalf of more dog owners;4. Educate more people to become involved in AKC events, and share the joys and passion of participating in Companion Events, potentially motivatingthem to add a purebred to their family; 5. Improve AKC's image with the public, veterinary schools, veterinarians,elected officials and shelters;6. Increase opportunities for sponsorships with endemic and non-endemic corporations;7. Allow AKC to attract a growing market that is already being served by competitive registries;8. Reach out to the more than 50,000 4-H participants who own and train mixed dogs;9. Create an additional revenue source, which is the least of our concerns. In my opinion, a program of this nature should serve to advance our overall objectives and not take us off course."This "mixed breed proposal" was disapproved by the AKC Board of Directors at its August 2008 meeting. The AKC Delegates overwhelmingly supported a resolution at their September meeting that "the AKC Board of Directors reconsiders its decision not to pursue the creation of a mixed-breed listing and, in particular, for allowing spayed and neutered mixed-breed dogs to participate in AKC companion events." The Schipperke Club of America urges the AKC Board to consider the sentiment of the Delegates on this issue. Finally, several burning questions must be asked regarding the assertion that "the (Futures) program will benefit our entire fancy for generations" .1. Would the AKC sell the frozen semen acquired from top dogs, paid for by the proposed activity fee imposed by AKC upon every dog exhibited everyyear? 2. Would the buyers of that semen include commercial breeders? 3. Would the owners of those dogs who provided semen for the program be compensated? 4. Would the owners of those top dogs be obligated to furnish semen asa result of paying a participation fee? 5. Would this not be placed upon the backs of the event exhibitors? We are not in favor of this sort of socialized dog breeding program. While this might provide incentive to commercial breeders to register their product with AKC, it would certainly cede control of the individual studowner to the AKC.

For the Board of Directors:Donna Kenly, PresidentOlga Joanow, Vice PresidentMelissa Chonos, TreasurerMark Antonucci, DirectorAmy Gossman, DirectorAmy Halterman, DirectorBeverly Henry, DirectorUrsula Hutton, DirectorFrances Keyes, DirectorMaryann Simanek, DirectorMelody Mischel Stockton, DirectorBetty Jo Patrick, AKC DelegateSigned:Lee Ann StusnickSecretary Schipperke Club of AmericaCc: Dennis Sprung, AKC President & CEOJames P. Crowley, AKC Executive Secretary

Forwarded here by J B Reed

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLES DARWIN !!

Charles Darwin... a critical piece of the Purest Challenge

Many of my "heros" are men and women of science. Some of my all time favorites are Stephen J. Gould, Issac Newton, Watson & Crick, Henry David Thoreau... but my all time "tops" is Charles Darwin. Today we celebrate his 200th birthday. Born February 12, 1909, Charles Darwin's Origin of Species began a transformation of biologcal thinking that has literally transformed our world. Our vast advances in medicine, healthcare, biomedical technology, agriculture, fisheries, and wildlife management all owe their existance to the foundation of biology that we call evolution. No longer a theory, evolution is a fact of life. Of course, for the most part I am preaching to the choir, as anyone who breeds and trains red setters knows the the critical nature of evolution, and the part it plays in population biology and genetics.

Give thanks to the insight of Charles Darwin, and remember his contribution to science that brought us antibiotics, genetic engineering, hybrid crops that feed the world, and of course, a deeper understanding of what it takes to breed a better bird dog.

Charles Darwin and his son William

Happy Birthday Charles Darwin!

Kennel Club destroys working dogs...

Sealyham terrier

People who care about working terriers are generally dismissive of the Kennel Club, for the simple reason that they know what the Kennel Club has done, through either omission or commission, to the working terriers they care about.

The simple fact is that no working terrier has ever been created by the Kennel Club, but every working terrier breed that has been drawn in, has been destroyed there.

The Reverend John Russell noted the negative impact of dog shows on working terriers -- he judged only one show (when he was a very old man), and he swore he would never do it again! Though the destruction of working terriers started with the Allied Terrier Shows run by Charles Crufts in the U.K. (Crufts was a dog food salesman who never even owned a dog himself!), the Americans quickly got into the game as well. A quick historical tour of "Best in Show" winners at the Westminster Kennel Club Show in New York City suggests the intense attention given to terriers at the turn of the 20th Century.

The first "Best in Show" winner at Westminster in New York City was in 1907. This first "Best in Show" winner was a smooth fox terrier that looked a little bit like today's Jack Russell.
Fox terriers won again in 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1937 and 1942.

A Sealyham (another working breed ruined by the show ring) won in 1924, 1927 and 1936.
Airedales made Best in Show in 1912, 1919, 1920, 1933, and 1936.
A bull terrier went Best In Show in 1918, and a Welsh Terrier in 1944.

As you can see, almost all the early winners were terriers, and most of them were fox terriers. It was during this period that the face of the fox terrier was elongated and the chest enlarged by show ring breeders. Prior to World War II, if you were really intent on wining the top award at a dog show, you went into fox terriers. Probably no breed could have survived such intense attention without being wrecked by fad, and the fox terrier certainly did not.

A popular line of rhetoric within the Kennel Club crowd is that individual breeders ruin the dogs, not the Kennel Club itself. This rhetoric is designed to absolve the Kennel Club of its responsibility for the genetic decline of working dogs. In fact, the rules and selection bias of the Kennel Club are a very large part of the problem -- every much a part of the problem as individual breeders (who have no power to reform the Kennel Club itself). The genetic destruction of working dogs begins with the fact that the Kennel Club mandates that each breed club "close" its registry after an initial influx of "pure bred" dogs. In fact most breed clubs start with a very small base of dogs, and then move to close breed roles as quickly as possible in order to create economic value for the breeders that are "in" the club. A closed genetic registry results in increasing levels of inbreeding and increased concentrations of genetic faults.

In fact, Kennel Club dogs are so deeply inbred and rich with genetic defects that mapping the genome of Kennel Club dogs was one of the first tasks undertaken by genetic scientists eager to crack the human genetic code in order to eradicate diseases. If you are looking for the gene associated with genetic deafness, it is rather hard trait to find in a random-bred human, cat or chimpanzee, but thanks to Kennel Club inbreeding, there are entire lines of deaf dogs, with deafness common to 25% or more of all puppies from some breeds. Genetic defects associated with ataxia, cataracts, dysplasia, and dwarfism are similarly easy to find by simply comparing one breed, or line of dogs, with another.

Along with a requirement that breed registries be closed, the Kennel Club rejects the notion that there should be a morphological continuum within the world of dogs. In fact, "speciation" of dogs based on looks alone is what the Kennel Club is all about. Under Kennel Club rules and "standards," a cairn terrier cannot look too much like a Norwich terrier, which cannot look too much like a Norfolk terrier, which cannot look too much like a Border terrier, which cannot look too much like a Fell terrier, which cannot look too much like a Welsh terrier, which cannot look too much like a Lakeland terrier, which cannot look too much like a Fox terrier, which cannot look too much like a "Parson Russell" terrier (the non-hunting, show-ring version of the Jack Russell Terrier). The show ring is all about "breeds," and all about differentiating one breed from another.

In the world of the working terrier, of course, the fox or raccoon or groundhog does not care too much what breed the dog is! In fact, the fox or raccoon cannot even see the dog it faces underground, as there is no light inside a den pipe. What the fox cares about is whether the dog can actually reach it at the back of the sette. The good news (at least as far as the fox is concerned!) is that a Kennel Club dog often cannot get very close to the quarry . The reason for this? A Kennel Club dog is likely to have too big a chest. The overlarge chests you find on so many Kennel Club terriers are a byproduct of putting too much emphasis on head shape and size. By requiring all the terriers to be morphologically distinct from each other, the Kennel Club puts tremendous emphasis on heads. People who do not dig much (if at all) imagine that a big head is important to work. In fact, it really is not; most small cross-bred working terriers have heads big enough to do the job, and are well-enough shaped to boot. An over-emphasis on terrier head size almost invariably leads to a larger chest size on the dog -- a bigger chest size is needed to counterbalance the larger head, since one is attached to the other. A large chest size, in turn, results in a dog that cannot easily get to ground in a tight naturally-dug earth. The end result is what we see in the Kennel Club show ring today -- transvestite terriers. These dogs may LOOK like they can do the part (and they are so eager!), but when push comes to shove, most of them lack the essential equipment to do the job, whether that is chest size, nose, voice, brain, or a game and gritty character.

From: Terrierman's Daily Dose Blog >> http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com

Vet Report Says Kennel Clubs Have Failed...

It is especially ironic that, while the Westminster Kennel Club parades a litany of genetically malformed animals at Madison Square Garden, including "bird-dog" breeds that not only are incapable of pointing or hunting, a new report has been issued pointing out the fallacy of purebreed registries, their failures to recognize or admit the illogic of conformation-based standards, and some recommendations to begin to correct the problem. Instead of watchng the usual nonsense on TV, take a few moments and read this report.

Veterinary Experts Say Kennel Club Has Failed

The RSPCA has put out a new 76-page science-based report which provides an overview of pedigree dog heath, and which concludes that exaggerated physical features and inherited diseases cause serious welfare problems in pedigree dogs, and that the Kennel Club has, for the most part, failed at its mission of protecting dogs.
To date, breeding practices and efforts by breed societies and kennel clubs have been ineffective at protecting the welfare of many breeds of domestic dog. Therefore, to safeguard the future of pedigree dogs, changes in breeding practices are urgently required, and for some breeds more drastic measures will be needed. All members of society, and all those who benefit from pedigree dogs, have a moral and ethical obligation to ensure that every action is taken to attempt to rectify the problem and to increase the health and welfare of future generations of pedigree dogs.The independent report was commissioned by the RSPCA and was authored by a team of University-based veterinary specialists, practicing veterinary surgeons, genetics experts, and experts on canine welfare.Among the key points made:

"Society and sections of the veterinary profession have become 'desensitized to the welfare issues to such an extent that the production of anatomically deformed dogs is neither shocking, nor considered abnormal'"
"All objective studies which have compared average age at a death have found that cross breeds, and in particular small cross breeds, live longer than individuals of most of the pure breeds. .. there is also considerable evidence that cross breeds dogs have lower veterinary bills.""
"Much of the suffering which some pedigree dogs endure is unnecessary and a substantial part could be avoided with revised practices."
"Typically, modern dog breeds originated from a relatively small number of founder animals .... For the last 50 years, dog registration rules in the U.K. have stipulated that out-crossing (breeding with another breed) is not normally permitted .... One of the outcomes of this approach ... is that purebred dogs are genetic isolates. in this way, the Kennel Club, breed societies, and the pedigree dog showing community have formally endorsed the inbreeding of dogs."
"The link between inbreeding and increased disease risks in purebred dogs has been noted by many authors and comprehensively reviewed ..."
"There is direct evidence that many pedigree breeds have undergone a good deal of inbreeding. In a study of 11,384 Portuguese Water Dogs in the USA, all of them were found to originate from only 31 founders, and ten animals were responsible for 90% of the current gene pool. Similarly, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed, which is mentioned in this report in connection with both mitral valve disease and syringomyelia, was established in 1928 and is believed to have descended from just six dogs."
In 10 breeds studied (Boxer, English Bulldog, Chow Chow, Rough Collie, Golden Retriever, Greyhound, German Shepherd Dog, English Springer Spaniel, Akita Inu), nine had effective population sizes of less than 100 individuals, despite actual populations of 1,060 to 703,566 animals per breed.
Among the priority recommendations, supported by over 94% of respondents: "Open stud books to allow more frequent introduction of new genetic material into established breeds in order to increase genetic pools."

For a complete copy of the report, go to:

http://www.terrierman.com/PDE-RSPCA-FULL.pdf

National Championship Begins Monday!!

The National Championship begins on Monday February 9 2009 at the Ames Plantation in Grand Junction TN.

For day by day updates... check the website at http://www.amesplantation.org/

This year we have two setters competing...

Jetsetter

Hytest Skyhawk

Best of luck to all of the competitors... and a special blessing to the setters!

Dogs Shows As Human Failing

Why Televised Dog Shows Are a Sham

(The New Republic, 12.14.06)

by Sacha Zimmerman

(Forwarded from the Terrierman blogsite... thanks!)

As Friedrich Nietzsche once said, "The world was conquered through the understanding of dogs; the world exists through the understanding of dogs." And so it is that there is perhaps nothing more philosophical on television than the "American Kennel Club/Eukanuba National Championship" dog show on Animal Planet. For, despite its sports-competition-sounding title, the national championship is, at its heart, a theater of existentialism.To truly understand a dog show means to shed all common notions about how an animal's greatness is measured, like speed or jumping ability. At Eukanuba, as at all purebred dog shows, the dogs are judged, not for their cuteness or prowess in catching a Frisbee, but against a transcendent idea of the perfect dog. In other words, the Belgian Tervuren is not competing against the Pembroke Welsh Corgi; the Belgian Tervuren is competing against the metaphysical ideal of a Belgian Tervuren. Whichever dog comes closest to personifying its breed's quintessence wins best in show--and becomes something like the philosopher king of the canine world. There is, underlying all of the pomp and ceremony of the competition, a kind of Platonic striving to find that dog which will epitomize the archetype so resoundingly that we humans will perhaps leave the cave for a moment and, as Nietzsche suggests, understand the world a bit better for understanding a dog. "Dog is my co-pilot," indeed! Unfortunately, instead of conveying its philosophical nature, the dog-show world seems wedded to useless sports-world analogies. Let's start with the conundrum of the handler. Edd Bivin, who provides the color commentary for Eukanuba's TV audience beside the play-by-play of former "Entertainment Tonight" host Bob Goen, explains to us that the human handler should be invisible. The best handlers apparently allow the dog to be the main focus. There are even contests for the handlers--Goen was thrilled to announce the winner of the Junior Handler Competition. Meaning there was actually a contest to see which handler was least noticeable, a through-the-looking-glass moment where a handler was remembered, essentially, for her absence.And yet, along with the ubiquitous sensible shoes, I saw a startling number of sequins, large-pattern prints, and gold-lamé sheaths adorning the figures of the handlers. Were it not for the tight camera shots of the dogs, I might have missed them completely, as I was staring agog at the garish trends in dog-show-handler couture. Shouldn't invisible handlers be wearing basic black to stop distracting viewers from the dogs?Moreover, while praising the handlers who show dogs so skillfully, so invisibly, Bivin nevertheless informs us that a handler's performance is, in fact, irrelevant. This came up when a particularly inelegantly dressed woman nearly tripped over a leash (so much for not being noticed). Bivin reminds us that this is a dog show; the handler's gaffe will not affect the scoring of the dog. So, if any clod with two left feet covered head-to-toe in Swarovski crystals can march a dog around the arena without affecting the judging of the dog itself, then why all the talk of invisibility and skill, not to mention high-priced professional handlers? It's like the handlers are some kind of preternatural red herrings meant to keep us looking at the shadows instead of at the dog-gods among us, who are blithely padding to and fro with none of the angst or consternation of the humans by their sides. Even worse, the dogs, too, are regarded as athletes in this competition, even though they are nothing of the sort. Bivin explains to the home viewers that winning is all about the dog's performance on a given day. But a dog is the same on any given day. Unless a dog's hip has shifted an inch or its color has changed from one competition to the next, the dog is either close to perfect or it isn't. The contest is about appearance, after all, not temperament. The standards are supposedly set. And what "performance" is the dog really giving? After one spirited dog, a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen (PBGV), gave a yelp and a growl to the judge, Bivin was quick to remind the audience that the judge would not hold it against the dog; indeed, the PBGV did well in its grouping. (Though, truthfully, understanding any of the standards for judging was near impossible with Bivin at the helm. He is prone to incredible fits of tautology. For example, when asked by Goen what the judge was looking for in a dog's gait, Bivin explained that the judge was watching how the dog moved. Illuminating.)Actually, there is some rationale for all the sports talk. After all, the dogs are divided into groups based on what they were bred to do, like hunt, guard, or herd. But, for all we know, the Siberian Husky has never set a paw in the snow or even heard of the Iditarod; perhaps the Newfoundland is terrified of water rescues; and has the Border Collie ever rounded up sheep? By ignoring the teleological nature of the dogs, how can we possibly be sure that each one is anywhere close to the breed ideal? Then there is the constant banter between Goen and Bivin about the sweetness of one breed, the appropriateness of a breed for children, or the most loyal breed, which leaves the viewer pining for a demonstration of these traits. But no dogs are released into a gaggle of children to shower them with licks, and no dog is asked to bound to the door to exhibit its joy at its master's return home. The show is as devoid of personality as any Miss America pageant; perhaps more so, as talent is not even a consideration."All knowledge, the totality of all questions and answers, is contained in the dog," wrote Franz Kafka, and yet we foolishly examine teeth and coats whilst ignoring the soul. Which makes this entire dog-show extravaganza an exercise in eugenics, something we generally frown upon in the human world. Besides, inbreeding for dogs with pure bloodlines designed for outdated purposes, like guarding castles, is bad for dogs (many of which suffer from genetic diseases due to inbreeding) and bad for pet owners, who want a nice, playful dog, not a ratter or a racer. The competitive canine universe is festooned with all the trappings of a love of dogs. But that is a fallacy. Breeding to "perfection" has nothing to do with the true spirit of dogs, who care not that their beloved owners wear frumpy clothes, have less than perfect posture, lack good muscle tone, or don't have a smooth gait. I don't blame the genetically superior dogs; Eukanuba is a totally human failing.

Vaccine Seminar...

Pet owners have a rare opportunity to attend a seminar with presentations by two of the world's leading veterinary vaccine research scientists: Dr. W. Jean Dodds of Hemopet and Dr. Ronald Schultz of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.

Drs. Dodds and Schultz will be speaking at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ on March 14, 2009 and registration will remain open until March 1st. More information is below.


http://www.freewebs.com/rcfbenefit2009/theseminar.htm
Dr. Ronald D. Schultz will be presenting: "What Every Dog Owner Should Know About Canine Vaccines and Vaccination Programs"
Dr. W. Jean Dodds will be presenting: “Clinical Approaches to Managing and Treating Adverse Vaccine Reactions”
When: March 14, 2009
Where: Trayes Hall, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Cost: $100/person (before Dec. 31); $115/person (after Dec. 31)Note: All funds collected through registration fees, less Benefit expenses of approximately $25/person, will be added to the donations sent to the Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust.
Continuing Education Credits: The 2009 NE Rabies Challenge Fund Seminar & Benefit has been approved for 6 Continuing Education (CE) Credits by the NJ Veterinary Medical Association (NJVMA). Certificates will be provided at participant's request.
*Registration closes March 1, 2009*
For more information on the seminar, please visit the website http://www.freewebs.com/rcfbenefit2009/theseminar.htm or e-mail event organizer, Judy Schor at pupster28@comcast.net .

Meet Brian & Roxye...

Welcome Brian and Roxye! Brian is 12 years old and Roxye is not quite 6 months old! We hope this is the beginning of a great friendship (we think it is :))... and hopefully, perhaps a trip to Berea to meet the rest of those crazy folks who love red setters! Best of luck Brian... hope to meet you and Roxye at the National Red Setter Field Trial Club trials in March!

Sheriff Joe Arpaio...

You all remember Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona , who painted the jail cells pink and made the inmates wear pink prison garb. Well......... SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN! Oh, there's MUCH more to know about Sheriff Joe!

Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay.The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. A local couple adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78. The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals. I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand. He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the Holidays, and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the Prison. Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a 'Git-R Dun' kind of Sheriff.

TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVERTHIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY:Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona ) who created the ' Tent City Jail':He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them. He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights. Cut off all but 'G' movies. He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects. Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get Sued For Discrimination. He took away cable TV Until he found out there was A Federal Court Order that Required Cable TV For Jails So He Hooked Up The Cable TV Again Only Let In The Disney Channel And The Weather Channel. When asked why the weather channel He Replied, So They Will Know How Hot It's Gonna Be While They Are Working ON My Chain Gangs. He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value. When the inmates complained, he told them, 'This Isn't The Ritz/Carlton.....If You Don't Like It, Don't Come Back.' He bought Newt Gingrich's lecture series on videotape that he pipes into the jails. More On The Arizona Sheriff: With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), the Associated Press Reports:About 2,000 Inmates Living In A Barbed-Wire-Surrounded Tent Encampment At The Maricopa County Jail Have Been Given Permission To Strip Down To Their Government-Issued Pink Boxer Shorts. On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 Degrees Inside The Week Before. Many Were Also Swathed In Wet, Pink Towels As Sweat Collected On Their Chests And Dripped Down To Their PINK SOCKS. 'It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace,' Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The TENTS for 1 year. 'It's Inhumane.' Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: 'It's 120 Degrees In Iraq And Our Soldiers Are Living In Tents Too, And They Have To Wear Full Battle Gear, But They Didn't Commit Any Crimes, So Shut Your Mouths!'

Way To Go, Sheriff! Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.

Sheriff Joe was just re-elected Sheriff in Maricopa County , Arizona