For me, there are many dog show icons that I wish I could have had that “talk dogs” conversation with before they passed. Tom’s comments were a great reminder for me to make sure I take the opportunity to chat with those that I respect whenever possible.
It is with great sadness that I report that professional handler and Cocker Spaniel fancier Bob Covey has passed away.I had not seen Bob in many years but remember his kindness when I was new to the sport. Rest well, my friend. You will be missed. Our sympathy goes out to Bob’s family and friends.
The mysterious parvo-like disease is parvo.
An interesting dog item appeared in the paper last week. As we know, the legal biz has become quite specialized with tax law, criminal law, and family law, just to name a few fields of specialization. Apparently, we now have a dog lawyer. Richard Rosenthal has specialized in this field for the past decade. This profile outlined his background and reasons for making his niche in such an obscure field, a label that some would consider open to debate.
At the August 2022 Board of Directors meeting, the American Kennel Club voted to modify the Rules Applying to Dog Shows concerning Disqualification and Reinstatement.
The Disqualification and Reinstatement procedure was modified to establish that dogs disqualified more than once under the provisions of Chapter 11 Section 8-A of the Rules Applying to Dog Shows are ineligible for reinstatement. This applies to disqualifications by judge for attacking a person in the ring, by Event Committee for attacking and injuring a person or a dog, or administratively barred due to multiple excusals for aggression.
We are continuing to work with our animal health partners, including MDARD, to investigate the reports of illness in northern Michigan dogs. While our diagnostic investigation is ongoing, we can say that some of the first samples submitted for testing were positive for canine parvovirus. Additional diagnostic testing is ongoing and we will provide updates as soon as they are available.
Congratulations to David Fitzpatrick as he begins another chapter in his career in dogs. David has completed his application to judge the toy group. I am sure that everyone will agree that David will be an amazing addition to the AKC judging roster!
The International Kennel Club of Chicago (IKC) has released the roster of judges for its January event. The esteemed panel consists of Gene Blake, Douglas Broadfoot, Marissa Clark, Vicki Seiler Cushman, Jerry Klein, Roz Kramer, Betsy Love, Neil McDevitt, Peggy Beisel-McIlwaine, Debbie Melgreen, Kim Meredith, Ron Pock, Patty Proctor, Jay Richardson and Denise Ross. Additional judges may be added as more specialties join the weekend.
Family and friends are mourning the sudden, unexpected death of former Newfoundland breeder and AKC judge Barbara Finch.
Dennis McCoy had a heart attack and has had two stents inserted. I hear he is back home and doing well. He will be back in the ring soon without missing a beat (pun intended).
