Pre-pandemic, we knew about seven coronaviruses like SARS, MERS and the common cold. Researchers acknowledged that plenty of others exist, but overall, there wasn’t much motivation, funding or technology to get them on the record.
Meet A. Duane Butherus, PhD and his wife, Connie, who work behind the dog-show scenes to better not only their Afghan Hounds, but also the health of all dogs.
How would you feel if you had a job where everyone hoped they NEVER had to interact with you? Yeah, not so good, right? Now you know how the show veterinarian feels!
For elegant lines, clean habits and graceful movement, few dogs can rival the Whippet. And it is for these very reasons that his popularity (both as a show dog and a valued companion) have continued to increase in recent years.
The more charitable among my investigative reporter colleagues over the years have viewed me as something of an oddity. Most of the others have made no secret of the fact that they considered me to be somewhat worse than an ax murderer. So, why do so many of my fellow reporters regard me in such a bad light despite the fact that numerous stories I’ve written have earned national honors and my friends regard me as a very amiable person? It seems I’m an anathema to most reporters because I hunt with my dogs and I own and use firearms. Since most reporters these days are on the left-most fringes of the political spectrum, it is easy to see why they would take such a dim view of one of their own being a “gun-totin’ hunter.”
Thousands of years from now, historians may unlock the arcane mysteries of AKC policy and procedure. It is convoluted territory, to be sure. The organization’s incomprehensible twists and turns over the years seem limitless. But more than a few of the truly puzzling episodes center on its breed recognition process. Yeah, these days the whole thing’s been itemized and compartmentalized into clear administrative steps. However, any sane person can see that things rarely operate so smoothly. More interestingly, the FSS program represents the tip of the iceberg. Countless breeds got tossed around the boardroom long before that deal went down. Those stories could fill a book, but we’re short on time here. So, let’s talk Basenjis.
Who doesn’t love Lady Gaga? Okay, maybe not everyone. But there is no denying the fact that she’s been setting trends for decades. And as of late February, it looks like she might be setting a new one that nobody wants.
All dog lovers understand the bittersweet irony that the life of a dog is much too short. While they’re with us, we cherish their company and when they’ve passed on, they live forever in our hearts. Some charismatic creatures have captured our imagination through their breathtaking careers and champion producing progeny. In their time, these canine superstars set the dog world on fire with a brightly burning torch that we’ll carry with us always. These are the dogs known as “The Great Ones”.
Despite all you might hear or read, the sport of purebred dogs is not dying. Some of the nay-sayers will quote statistics about lower entries and clubs folding due to lack of a working membership. The simple truth is, people get older, retire and move to warmer climates. The demographics of our sport change, they always have and will, and will continue to do so. As for entries, maybe the entries for some shows are smaller, but some have grown larger. There are also more clubs with more shows and exhibitors have more to choose from than they ever have before, so they can be more selective about where they want to go. Now, back to my point and that being: if the sport was dying, I have no doubt it is the fathers of the children who love this sport who would somehow find a way to keep it alive.
For many years, the Irish Kennel Club held their spectacular St. Patrick’s Day Show at the glorious Royal Dublin Society (RDS) in Dublin. The event is a grand affair with a great history. As it happens, the RDS sits strategically near the end of the route of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This location is important to its history because, with the holiday being a religious one, there was a time when pubs were closed for the day. The only place you could get a pint was at a sporting event. No problem for the locals who could go to the parade and end up at the dog show where pints were sold.
