THE GERMAN SHEPHERD SENTINEL
JUNE 2004 - NEWSLETTER OF THE
GSDC OF GREATER RALEIGH
Pat Embrey, Newsletter Editor
1390 Sanders Road, Benson, NC 27504
PH: 919-934-6232, E-Mail: VonRillca@aol.com
Website of the GSDC of GR: www.gsdcr.org
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Board Policy on Dogs at Club Sponsored Events
2. June Meeting Information
3. GSDCA Board-O-Gram
4. The Dangers of Cicadas
5. Health Survey from the American GS Charitable Foundation
6. A Rare Side Effect of Lyme Disease
7. Proposed NC Pet Food Tax
8. How to Know When Rover Eats A Bad Plant from NCSU
9. You are the Greatest Teacher By Ron Hevener
10. A couple of pictures from the May meeting.
BOARD POLICY ON DOGS AT CLUB SPONSORED EVENTS
The GSDC of Greater Raleigh welcomes your German Shepherd at our events, including meetings. However, the following rules must be followed:
1. Anyone with an aggressive dog (one that
growls, snaps, or is in any way aggressive towards other dogs or people) must be muzzled.
2. Dogs will be free of loose hair and external
parasites (fleas or ticks). Please brush your dog prior to bringing it to the meeting as we must clean up the room after we are finished.
3. For the safety of all members, guests and their dogs, it is strongly recommended that all dogs be kept up to date on their vaccinations. ALL dogs that are old enough, MUST have a current rabies shot.
JUNE MEETING INFORMATION
The next meeting of the GSDC of Greater Raleigh will be held at the Exchange Park on Spring Forest Road at 7:00 PM for socialization and 7:30 PM for the meeting. Our program will consist of an educational tape. Refreshments will be furnished by Jane Wall.
BOARD-O-GRAM
April, 2004 Board Meeting
Written by Dorothy Linn
Edited and approved by Ginny Altman
NOTE: Please look for the survey which will be mailed to you with the hard copy of the Board O Gram within the next 10 days. The survey solicits the opinion of the membership concerning the National Specialty Show. The results of the survey will be reported to the Board of Directors at the July Board Meeting.
The second regular meeting of the German Shepherd Dog Club of America was held at the Executive Inn, Louisville, KY, on April 24 and 25, 2004.
Executive Report:
President Ginny Altman proposed a survey addressing National Specialty show site selection and requesting input from the GSDCA membership. The Board discussed the survey in depth, after which it was approved. This survey will accompany the Board O Gram mailed out to all members.
Slate of judges for the 2005 National:
Conformation: Barbara Amidon, Sandra Card, Christine Carter, Marion Lawrence, Dan Smith
Obedience: Marlene Burford, Anthony Cherubini, Sharon Crossman, Betsy Hummer, Debra Tessman
Herding: Laura Noll, Deborah Pollard, Elsie Rhodes, Judy Vanderford, Ann Witte
Agility: (no nominations were received)
National Specialty: October 9-17, 2004, Albany, Oregon
Nanci Nellis reported that the Advance Brochure will be mailed in the middle of May.
Master Card and Visa will be accepted for online orders for reserved seating, Victory Dinner tickets, and more. Seating other than Reserved is limited. The two reserved seating areas at floor level with the dogs are Sidegait/Gold Page ($100 for both) and VIP ringside seating ($70 each).
Reserved Premium is Box seating at the first elevated level ($45 each)
Regional Clubs: Enjoy your special moment at the National by preparing your theme for entry in the Regional Club Parade. Contact Kris and Frank Fasano at f.fasano@worldnet.att.net
Order 50/50 raffle tickets to sell at your Regional Club shows and meetings from Laurie Pruett at lpruett@maine.edu
Judges Seminar:
The Board approved Chairman Diane Mehra’s proposal for making a videographed copy of the 2003 National Judge’s Breed Study Seminar and future videographed National Breed Study Seminars available to the Regional Clubs at the cost of $5.00 per copy.
Herding:
Dorothy Linn, Chair, reported that the AKC had approved the GSDCA applications for the Trials on Oct. 9, 10, and 11, including approval of the Clubs first non-regular Ranch Course being offered on Monday, Oct. 11 which is GSD day. Criteria and diagrams for exhibitors who wish to enter competition and prepare for the Ranch Course can be requested from Trial Secretary, Doris Estabrook, 775-265-1703 Irrenhaus4@nanosecond.net or Dorothy Linn, 650-591-3461.
Closing date for entries for the Trial is Sept. 18, 2004. Herding Instinct Tests will be held at the Fairgrounds on Tuesday AM until noon, Oct 12. Pre-entry blanks will be in the Brochure.
Obedience:
Dalene McIntire, Chair, requests that obedience trophy donations be sent to her at 11054 SE 192nd St, Renton, WA 98055. Contact Dalene at 253-852-0605 or dalene.mcintire@verizon.net to receive a list of trophies still requiring a donor.
Futurity – Tish Walker, Chairman:
A decision on the 2006 Futurity Host Clubs was postponed until the July meeting to see if date conflicts could be resolved. The 2005 NW Futurity was approved for June 18, 2005.
Tish pointed out the continuing decline in nominations and entries and handed out information on the original 6 Futurity regions and the 1970 change to 9 regions.
Futurity plaques – The copyright for the heads for the futurity plaques was left to the Foundation and a letter was read concerning terms for continuing to use the heads. Discussion was postponed until the July Board meeting. Discussion of Futurity Judges requirements was also postponed until July.
New Illustrated Standard – Lanalee Jorgensen, Chairman with assistance from committee member John Ayotte:
The Board viewed the new proposed Illustrated Standard. The new Standard will be a valuable tool with application for seminars, PowerPoint presentation, a possible video and other educational applications and will be available for sale to Regional Clubs and sold at the National as well as to GSDCA members.
Hero Dog – Helen Fisher:
New deadline – June 1, 2004. Awards – In addition to Pet and Service Dog, we now have the Good Will Ambassador dog award. Note the new rule – The nominee must be aware that his dog has been nominated.
Membership – Dania Karloff:
The new Membership Handbook has been delivered to all GSDCA members. Overall the comments have been very favorable and members seem to be pleased with the content and the new format. Dania reported that the advertisers represented in the Handbook helped to generate a small income which helped defray the cost of printing and postage. The Board approved Dania’s request to sell current Handbooks for $10 to Club members wanting additional copies.
Promotional flyers: Dania now has GSDCA promotional flyers available to GSDCA committees to be used as advertising material.
Lamar Kuhns Seminar Video – Dania Karloff:
The Board approved Dania’s recommendation that the Lamar Kuhns video be placed under the Historical series video and be available for sale on the GSDCA web site at a price of $30.
Products – Gary Szymczak:
The GSDCA would like to thank those who supported our products from the Internet shopping cart and at our National Specialty. Look for our new products on the GSDCA website.
Thirteen Club – Carolyn Putnam
Please Note that the new Thirteen Club Chairman is Carolyn Putnam. The 13 Club application is in the new Membership Handbook. The applicant is asked to take careful note of the requirements.
AGSD Charitable Foundation – Sue Godek:
The Foundation will hold the Annual Benefit Party after judging at the show site on Friday, October 15, 2004. This is one of the major projects of the Foundation to raise funds to apply to research grants for German Shepherd Dogs. The cost is $60 for two. No tickets will be mailed this year – only a check list at the door. Anyone wishing to contribute any item to the Silent Auction please contact Sue Godek at fsgodek@hotmail.com.
Sue informed the Board that a Health Survey will be added to the Foundation web site at http://www.agsdcf.org. Please request a copy from Sue Godek if you do not have Internet access.
Juniors – Sue Godek:
The Junior Newsletter was mailed in April. National activities will include a seminar on Thursday, Oct 14, to be held after judging in the main ring. After the ring work session, Alex Meus will speak to the Juniors on his experiences as a Junior and Professional handler.
Points and GPA records from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004 must be submitted by August 1 to Sue Godek.
Regional Clubs – Lew Bunch:
If your club has not sent in your Regional Club membership list showing the number of dues paying members please do it now. In order to submit score sheets for titles earned the Regional Club Committee must have your roster. Send it to: Kelly Knight e-mail: hadderway@msm.com
Or mail it to Kelly Knight, 2071 Midlothian Rd., Roseville, MN 651-633-3652
The complete Guidelines and forms for the Regional Club Challenge Program are on the GSDCA website, gsdca.org and the Kansas City Web site, www.gsdcgkc.org or e-mail Lew Bunch at Lewieb@aol.com.
Red Book – Ellie Carson:
Information for advance purchase for the 2003 Red Book will be in Advanced Brochure, the Review or e- mail Ellie at ellie.carson@att.net. Ellie announced her anticipated retirement as the Red Book Chairman. Individuals interested in taking over this committee, please contact Ellie. Ellie will continue to work on the 2003 and 2004 issues, but will need a replacement Chair in place by April of 2005.
Rescue – Joan Fox:
German Shepherd Rescue and the directory of GS Rescue organizations by state can be found at www.agsra.com. The direct line is 630-529-7396. AGSRA is a 501C(3) organization which provides education, consultation and information regarding rescue of homeless German Shepherd Dogs. It is a fund raising organization where funds are used to provide grants to rescue groups and for emergent and/or unique situations that arise., such as the $1000 donation to assist with the “Amboy” German Shepherd Dogs in Illinois. This was part of the $12,000 allocated to rescue organizations across the USA during 2003.
SV/WUSV Liaison – David Landau:
Important dates for 2004: SV FCI Qualification in Zell-Mehlis, June 26, 27
SV Sieger Show in Karlsruhe, August 27, 29 followed by the WUSV General Assembly on August 30.
SVBundesleistungshuten in Kassel, Sept 17-19, 2004.
SV Bundessiegerprufungand Agility Championship in Oberhausen, Sept 24-26, 2004.
WUSV World Championship in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Oct 7-10 followed by the WUSV meeting on Working Dog Character on Oct 11, 2004.
SV Bundesfahrtenhundprufung in Paderborn, Nov 5-7, 2004.
GSDCA-WDA Liaison – David Landau:
The 2004 National GSDCA-WDA Schutzhund III Champion is Xantah van Blommerschat, owner David Taylor with an outstanding score of 290 points.
Ginny Altman
No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversations as a dog does. Christopher Morley
DANGERS OF CICADAS
This might be an unnecessary warning, as so far I have not heard a single Cicada, however, in case they show up, you might be interested in the following report from the Associated Press
HAGERSTOWN, Md. – When millions of cicadas emerge across the eastern United States for a rare mating season, they will appear as tasty morsels to pets who could get sick from eating the insects, officials warned.
The insects are protein-rich but their hard outer shells can cause vomiting and constipation in cats and dogs, said Randall Lockwood, vice president for the Humane Society of the United States.
“Imagine a yard full of chicken nuggets, that’s sort of what it’s going to be like” for dogs and cats, Lockwood said Tuesday.
Millions of the large, red-eyed insects will soon emerge from the ground for a once-every-17-years mating dance lasting well into June.
Experts say the insects will climb into trees and shed their shells to reveal their wings. Males will attract mates through a loud buzzing sound.
The approximately 1-inch-long bugs “combine all the stuff that particularly dogs like to chase,” Lockwood said. “They’re kind of flying pet toys: They are loud, slow-moving, often low-flying.”
The Washington-based Humane Society advises keeping pets indoors, securing screens and holding tight to dog leashes outdoors.
HEALTH SURVEY
FROM THE
AMERICAN GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.
Sue Godek, the President of the American German Shepherd Dog Charitable Foundation, asked me to please ask you for your help in providing information to allow the Foundation, in conjunction with the AKC-CHF, to identify and prioritize research projects pertaining to the health of the German Shepherd Dog.
She is trying to get as many Health Surveys filled out as quickly as possible, so that they can seek solutions to the health problems facing our wonderful breed.
Your participation in this Health Survey is necessary to identify the frequency of occurrence of health related diseases and conditions in the German Shepherd Dog.
The Health Survey is a 5 page form that can be downloaded from the Foundation's website. It is easy to fill out.
She is asking that all who are interested in helping our breed to please print out this Health Survey, and mail it back to her. All owners of German shepherd dogs, whether they are breeders, showing in conformation, competing in performance events, or pet owners are encouraged to participate in this Health Survey. Please coordinate your efforts with co-owners and breeders to reduce duplicate submissions. All information is for database compilation. No personal information will be released. If you individually wish to send any pedigree information concerning a particular problem, it will be used for research purposes ONLY. This is a personal decision. Completion date is September 15, 2004. It you have any questions, please contact Sue Godek at 480/614-5768 or e-mail her at fsgodek@hotmail.com
Please go to the Foundation website at: http://www.agsdcf.org
Click on Enter
Click on Health Survey
You will need to print this document out and then complete the blanks. Once you have completed it you will need to mail it to the following address
F. Susan Godek
11059 E. Sunnyside Dr.
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
Thank you so much. As it says on the Foundation website, "We are all responsible for giving something back of ourselves to our breed in thanks for the special dogs who have given us their heart and soul to make our daily lives a happier place to be. They ask nothing more than to be loved and their health needs met.Working with your Foundation can make this happen."
Diane Holliday
Permission granted to forward to any other German Shepherd Groups
Sue hopes to get as many Health Surveys submitted as possible
A RARE SIDE EFFECT OF LYME DISEASE
In a message dated 5/26/04 10:53:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time, SHOWGSD@aol.com writes:
We recently had a very strange event that I think we should share around the rescue community:
Young (~2 years) male, a Lab mix, came into our program with a "questionable" background. He may have been aggressive toward some children, maybe not. We kept him for a good long while ---
months of fostering in our premier foster home, with no problem -- and placed him carefully, with
a single mid-age man who absolutely adored him. We also, as we do with all our dogs, tested him
for Lyme. He had it; we treated it; case closed -- we thought.
Everything went very well after adoption – he was the star of his obedience classes, a frequent
alumni visitor to our clinics - for over a year. And truly adored by his adopter. Then, over a year after placement, Mojo became suddenly, erratically, and seriously aggressive: literally attacked visitors to the home, people at the vet's waiting room, etc. Terrifying. Very sudden. Totally inexplicable. He was returned to us with genuine heartbreak from a very loving adopter.
Mojo then went to our regular vets and was a totally different dog: bared teeth and growling to anyone who approached his kennel, lunging at other dogs when being walked, etc. We figured
that whatever was happening with him, he had become un-placeable and started a TDC (Tough
Decisions Committee - something we "convene" and that is open to anyone with an interest in the
dog when we think that euthanasia might be an option).
However, someone at the vet's office said that perhaps we should test him for Lyme. Huh????????
They had had a regular client of theirs come in recently with similar, out of the blue aggression, and it turned out that was the problem - puzzled them, but seemed to be the case. Okay -- hey, we'll try anything -- so we had him tested. He was high positive! Fine, we started treatment while we continued to figure out what to do with him via the TDC. Almost immediately, however, once the antibiotics were begun, the Mojo we knew came back!! He was himself again -- bouncy, happy, a bit neurotic, but not at *all* aggressive! The staff at the vet's was amazed, but all confirmed this change. We didn't believe it; and the veterinarians didn't believe it .... BUT a thorough search of
the internet turned up a number of studies and anecdotal observations indicating that in some
dogs (and in some humans!!) the primary symptom of their Lyme Disease can be sudden, irrational
and serious aggression
Well, we've known for a while to check the thyroid levels of dogs that show aggression that
just "doesn't fit". Now we have added testing for Lyme as well. And e have---results not yet in
-- another dog that we placed over a year ago who has been returned because of out-of-the-blue aggression ... and he has also tested high positive for Lyme! We've started treatment and will be monitoring his response. So --- plug this in to your protocols. It's worth checking out. I spent the day today with Mojo ... and he truly is just the same dog we placed over a year ago. (We've let his original adopter know -- because he vowed that it had to be *something* causing this behavior. But he cannot take Mojo back because his roommate, one of the people attacked, won't even consider it.
For the record, there were no skin-breaking contacts in any of these attacks, but plenty of fear and we consider them as serious as if they were full-fledged bites.)
We actually have additional insight into this because one of our volunteers (human) has had Lyme Disease. Took many months for her to be diagnosed, and once she was, she learned that it's a VERY nasty bug that really remains around permanently, waiting for a chance to "crop up" again. When we place Mojo again (and our TDC unanimously agrees that we should do this), we're going to explain the background, these amazing events, and require that the adopters have him tested every six months, whether or not he's showing symptoms. We have no idea whether that will work or be sufficient - we're rather flying blind in this -- but it seems a rational approach.
But based on what we know now, it is a real possibility: Lyme *can*, in a few rare cases, cause aggression, aggression that can be reversed.
Permission was granted to cross post this.
PROPOSED NORTH CAROLINA PET FOOD TAX
In a message dated 5/29/04 11:50:53 AM Eastern Daylight Time, rkaneinc@ns.gemlink.com writes:
Dear North Carolina Friends,
The New-Observer today reported that the proposed statewide pet food tax to fund voluntary spay-neuter programs is dead for this legislative session. Hunting dog owner lobbying and a general reluctance to increase taxes in an election year are credited with this outcome. Thank you for your efforts on this bill.
Sincerely,
Bob Kane
Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance -
Working to identify and elect supportive legislators
http://saova.org
HOW TO KNOW WHEN ROVER EATS A BAD PLANT
From the Raleigh News and Observer
A new North Carolina State University Veterinary School site can help you determine whether your pet or farm animals have ingested a poisonous plant. “Plants Poisonous to Livestock and Pets in North Carolina”. (www.cals.ncsu.edu/botany/ncsc/Poisonplants/index.htm) contains information on more than 100 common native garden and house plants, including description, the kinds of animals that could be poisoned by the plants and symptoms animals exhibit when they eat the plants. The index is searchable by the plant’s common and scientific names.
German Shepherd Dog Club of Greater Raleigh
Letter To The Editor:
I was very impressed by an article I read recently and wanted to share it with you. It is an essay that everyone who lives in the year 2004 can definitely relate to. It is an essay that all animal lovers can definitely relate to. It puts into perspective how important the animals in our lives truly are.
I would like to recommend that this article be featured in an upcoming newsletter of your club. I truly believe your readers would appreciate its message. (The article appears within this e-mail letter for your review and also as an attachment).
Mr. Hevener grew up in the dog show world and his novel, "The Blue Ribbon," is set in the dog show scene. Mr. Hevener owns a substantial Greyhound racing kennel and is president of the Greyhound Racing Association of America. This essay was shared with members of the Greyhound Track Owners Association of America during their recent convention, where he was a guest speaker last month. He owns a kennel of show Collies, Lochranza Kennels, which dates back to 1945!
Mr. Hevener, a skilled horseman, owns Arabian horses ... wrote his novel, "Fate of the Stallion!," about one of those horses ... and is on The Board of Directors of the Quentin Riding Club in Pennsylvania.
==================================
"To Whom It May Concern:
"You Are The Greatest Teacher" to you for publication. This is one of several lectures I use at my book signings. The important thing is to get the words out there, in as many ways as possible, and I hope your readers understand that this essay is meant for them.
Best Regards,
Ron Hevener
www.ronhevener.com
717.664.5089"
===================================
“YOU ARE THE GREATEST TEACHER”
Ron Hevener
Author, “The Blue Ribbon” and “Fate of the Stallion”
Having a kennel and loving dogs, I’m lucky enough to meet a lot of people they are important to; people from all walks of life. Today, the dogs we love and care for have a great affect on how we look at the world around us. Dogs are in the news, in movies, books, and all kinds of advertisements. What is their appeal? We know the answer to that. Dogs appeal to every sense we have, from visual to touch, and the magical result is the most powerful appeal of all … emotional.
Forget about the evolutionary history of dogs and worrying about how they may have come into being. Forget about making television documentaries about which breed was the “Original Dog” and traveling to exotic places to find the last remaining members of that breed on Earth. That’s all grand in a National Geographic kind of way, but the truth is lost in so many forgotten memories that it doesn’t matter to the dog in your life right now. What matters is the diversity of this species, and the possibility that there was no single original breed.
Do I believe in spontaneous genetics and things like that? Oh, yes; very much so. I also believe the emotional make-up of a living creature, and its mentality, are affected by its physical appearance. But, that could be my years of dog shows, raising just about every breed of dog there is at one time or another, or the artist in me speaking.
We all know our own personalities can rub off on our dogs. We know dogs are different from cats or birds or horses and other animals in their basic nature. Along those lines, customers at our kennel often ask which puppy in a litter is the ruler, which is the most loving or which is the most playful. Sometimes, when looking at a puppy by itself and searching for an emotional connection with this prospective fur-child, customers will ask if I think the pup will turn out this way or that. When I say it depends on them more than anything else, they are often surprised. “The dog is going to learn from you,” I say. “You are the greatest teacher.”
Here at our kennels, sometimes we raise whole litters together and we have a graduation system, like in school. Littermates start out together, but as they become more dominant, or according to their growth and the special feeding they may require along the way, they move up the ladder into the next run. They haven’t lost sight of their littermates because they are in the next kennel run beside them. And the new kennel mates aren’t strangers either because they’ve been housed next to each other for a while. The result is, our litters don’t have just one dominant pup with a bunch of followers. Instead, what we have is a bunch of confident, independent thinkers.
When I say, “You are the greatest teacher” I’m not speaking about rigid discipline such as one endures in Obedience classes. Maybe “rigid” isn’t the right word for that, but I think it illustrates the difference between fundamental training and the invisible “something” beyond that which develops between you and your dog just by traveling the same path in life. In my novel “Fate of the Stallion,” this mysterious bond is expressed in a scene where Dan Marshall senses the presence of an Arabian stallion running along the river beside him. The horse seems to be calling him, as if saying “Find me! I am yours!” and the story reveals the parallels of their lives, showing how man and stallion share the same fate. Likewise, in “The Blue Ribbon” a novel set in the competitive world of dog shows, there is a scene called “Miles To Go.” In this scene, Robert Sheffield, a dog show judge loved by two different women who own rival kennels, is hiking in the Canadian woods with his dog, reflecting on love. If you’ll notice, the path in the woods symbolizes Robert’s own path in life, and his dog is right there beside him. Like many of us do, Robert is thinking to his dog in a mental conversation, wondering if he has made the right decision by letting the woman he really loves slip through his fingers. Among the trees, the dog sees a deer, runs after it, but, of course, the deer gets away. “She got away?” Robert asks. “It’s OK, fella. We’ve got miles to go.” In those miles, will there be other deer? Will they see the same deer again? I wasn’t sure when I wrote that scene how it would turn out.
Dogs have an emotional appeal that covers our widest range of feeling. In my writing, whether about dogs or horses, the stories often deal with keeping our sense of love alive. Over and over again, at book signings and lectures, I am asked “What does keeping love alive matter to a man like you, who has everything he could possibly want and more than he can handle? I guess my reputation for playfulness has something to do with that. Surely, someone like me doesn’t have a care in the world! I say this with tongue in cheek, of course. Married at nineteen, a father soon after that and selling my artwork as souvenirs to tourists, you could say I’ve been around the block a few times. In fact, I’d say I’ve been around the block and all over the neighborhood! I’ve met many people in that neighborhood and I’ve come to believe our ability to love is eroded by the rotten things that happen to us. It is also nurtured by anything that makes us feel good and important.
As an artist, my studio has been committed to uplifting, encouraging work such as the Hevener figurines and paintings for over thirty years now. Very few animal lovers are not familiar with our collectible figurines with their open expressions and smiling faces. Even The Antiques Road Show has featured them. And all of our figurines, prints, books or CDs are made in honor of the animals who keep alive our ability to love, in a world where it is very difficult to do so.
Let’s talk about that world.
Today, we are facing a crumbling economy. Let me rephrase that. We’re not facing a crumbling economy; we’re in it. Just about everywhere we turn, something is falling apart. All of us know people who have lost their jobs. All of us see businesses closing. All of us see odd legislation being passed – things we never would have considered before the day in September that changed it all. There is an uneasiness around us. And it’s growing. As we deal with serious issues more and more, as our families fracture and our natures become more hardened, our pets become a comfort to us and sometimes the only way to keep our hearts open.
At a recent high school appearance, I spoke in the auditorium about the many things people can do with their lives; the many adventures they can have in the creative fields I know something about. Publishing, the record business, television, movies, horse racing, dog shows, horse shows, the art world; surely I could open doors for them in an exciting array of life’s opportunities. But, looking around that auditorium, I saw no spark of interest or imagination. As we left that school, I said to my assistant, “Maxine, this is the first time I can ever remember not even reaching one soul.” And I asked myself what kind of society would want zombie-like citizens such as I had just seen. Was it an “inner city” school I had just been to? Yes. Was it New York or Chicago or Philadelphia? No. It was a school in the town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania; in the county known for its industrious Pennsylvania Dutch; the county in which I live. Were they Pennsylvania Dutch kids I was speaking with? No, they were not. In much the same way that Hawaii was invaded by outsiders and the values of its native population changed forever, Lancaster County has changed and I doubt if there was even one student of Pennsylvania Dutch background in that school. This is serious. It’s why teachers are giving up. And it has happened in our lifetime!
The hopelessness of those students mirrored the hopelessness of their homes. But I knew these kids had pets at home, too. How did I know? I asked them. In a show of hands, reluctant at first, I had found out how many had horses, dogs, cats, fish and other pets. And I thought to myself, this is the first thing they’re responding to. In a world where so much is out of their control, they don’t feel like they can reach the lofty things I’m talking about and maybe they can’t. But they can have an influence on their pets, and that’s a start.
Today, right now, pets are more important than ever. In order to keep pets and take care of them, we have to provide for them. To provide for your pet, you have to buy food. Which is best, you wonder?
You must take your pet to the veterinarian. Who is the best vet around, you ask?
If you want a litter of puppies, you must find a mate. Where do I find the perfect match, you ask, searching out the local kennel club.
When the pups are born, it’s one of the most magical experiences of your life. You’ll always remember it. Now, you must raise them and for the next couple of months you will do everything you can to raise them well. You’ll have paper work to fill out: registrations and pedigrees to prepare and sign. You’ll meet new people when families come to you for the puppies you brought into the world. Everywhere your pet takes you, it means dealing with other people, talking things over and finding out what works for you. Before you know it, you have a lifestyle and a reason to live.
That school of the zombies? It took me a while, but I finally figured it out. They didn’t want to see an author that day. They wanted a ray of hope. I guess I should have brought a puppy with me.
Next time, I’ll remember that.
==============================
AUTHOR'S CONTACT INFORMATION:
Ron Hevener
1338 Mountain Road
Manheim, PA 17545
(717) 664-5089
hevener@dejazzd.com
www.ronhevener.com
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If I can be of any further assistance, feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Pennywood@dejazzd.com
Socialization Time before the meeting Some of our members, guests and
Dogs during the meeting. I just got the camera so the pictures will be better next time.
