Dog And Hound Fall 2014 by The Dog and Hound

Volume 3 â&#x20AC;˘ Number 4

Fall 2014

LISTEN UP!

It’s time to get me neutered and vaccinated. I hear the SPCA has affordable programs for everyone. That’s music to my ears.

199 Willow Run Road Aiken, SC 29801 803-648-6863 www.LetLoveLive.org Walk-in vaccinations available Tues – Fri, 8a – 3p. Call for spay or neuter appointment and best available pricing.

OCTOBER 18, 6-10pm at the SPCA Info, REGISTRATION & TIX @ LetLoveLive.org 2

The Dog & Hound

Fall 2014

P.O. Box 332 • Montmorenci, SC 29839-0332 • 803.643.9960 •

www.TheDogAndHound.com • Editor@TheDogAndHound.com

Time Dated Material • Periodicals • Volume 3 • Number 4

f your dogs are anything like ours, they are thrilled that it is fall. It’s not just that the temperatures are cooler, although that certainly is welcome. It’s that the scenting is so much better. On hot dry summer days, the scents of birds and small animals dissipate quickly, and may be covered by the odors of growing grass and blooming plants. They are there, and the dogs can smell them, but they must be fainter and less satisfying, like the odor of a dried, pressed rose. On the first cool, damp morning of autumn, all those scent particles come alive, like a bouquet of fresh roses in bloom. When the air is cooler than the earth, which is still warm after those long hot summer days, the scents of all the small creatures that have passed over it rise up, hovering above the ground at dog nose height. The scent receptors inside that nose are activated by moisture, and so the morning mist serves to heighten and deepen every odor, making the landscape a vivid tableau of scents and stories. Two deer went this way last night. The rabbits were nibbling at a leaf here. A fox ducked under the fence there. Here, a raccoon climbed a tree. There, a pair of doves pecked the dirt. When I let the dogs out in the morning, they are off, noses to the ground, tails wagging rapidly. They stop every so often, raising their heads to inhale deeply, sniffing out some other unseen odor that tells a story in the air. Then they are gone again, bounding over the landscape with gleeful strides, zigzagging, circling and throwing themselves down to roll. You can see it in their every movement: this is exciting, they say. Life is good. We’re almost as happy to greet autumn as our dogs, even in our relatively scent-blind human state. During these first few weeks of the season, we have been busy putting together this issue, so we haven’t had much time to enjoy it, but we will be out there soon.

Our featured story this time is about Pilots N Paws, a national animal rescue organization based in South Carolina. Pilots N Paw unites rescue dogs that need transport with private pilots that need a reason to fly their planes. We went to their annual Fall Flyaway event, in which hundreds of dogs are airlifted to safety on the same day. It was an amazing experience. A total of 490 dogs were transported that day, going from animal control agencies that would have euthanized them to rescue groups in other states where adopters are clamoring for dogs. Some of the dogs that flew out already had adopters waiting in Virginia, Washington D.C., New Jersey or Florida. Others will be adopted quickly. Teddy, our cover dog, was a stray without a future in Greenville, S.C., but he was adopted within a few days once he reached LaMancha Animal Rescue in Pennsylvania. We saw a cute pair of Georgia puppies loaded onto a plane bound for New Jersey. We hear that within two days there were 40 (yes, 40) applications to adopt them. Pilots N Paws is one of our favorite organizations. These are some of the reasons why. We have also have some local Aiken stories for you. If you are in the city, be sure to visit Downtown Dog, where the fresh cooked dog biscuits are the best ever (according to our taste tester Dominic the Pointer.) Meet Kevin Weis, a veterinarian with a practice on the Southside. Teach your dog a few tricks along with the dogs in classes led by Dr. Sybil Davis of Aiken Pet Therapy and Rehabilitation. It’s a way to cement the human-animal bond and it can help keep your dog fit. We even have another story from one of our favorite dog writers, Michael Ford. We hope you like reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together. When you are done reading, go out with your dog to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of autumn. We know we will.

The Dog and Hound EDITOR & PUBLISHER Pam Gleason ART DIRECTOR Gary Knoll ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jean Berko Gleason LAYOUT & DESIGN Gary Knoll ADVERTISING 803.643.9960 editor@thedogandhound.com PHOTOGRAPHERS Pam Gleason Gary Knoll

Going Out Of Town? Don’t miss future issues of The Dog and Hound. We will send you a one year subscription (4 issues) for $14.00. Just send us a check or credit card number & your mailing address: P.O. Box 332, Montmorenci, SC 29839 editor@thedogandhound.com Or sign up on the web at www.TheDogandHound.com

About the Cover Our cover shows Teddy, a 6 month old mixed breed dog from Greenville County Animal Care. Teddy is at the Greenville Downtown airport, where he is taking part in the sixth annual Pilots N Paws Fall Flyaway event. Charlotte Gayle, whose family fostered him for a few weeks in Greenville, holds the leash. Read more about Pilots N Paws and the Greenville Flyaway on page 12.

Pam Gleason Editor & Publisher

Photography by Pam Gleason The Dog and Hound Policies: The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers, editors, or the policies of The Aiken Horse, LLC. The Dog and Hound is owned by The Aiken Horse, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fall 2014

The Dog & Hound

Table of Contents

Ivy the Beagle, with Jan Craig-Olinger.

6 Downtown Dog 8

Dog News

12 Pilots N Paws 16 Hollow Creek Animal Hospital 18 Dog Tricks 20 Regional Calendar of Events 22 Andy

The Dog & Hound

Fall 2014

The Dog & Hound

Downtown Dog

New Canine Destination

by Pam Gleason, photography by Gary Knoll

here is a bowl of water outside the door of Downtown Dog, a new boutique and bakery that opened this September on Laurens Street in downtown Aiken. For dog people, this is something of a universal symbol, a sign that says, “We welcome dogs.” Dogs may come into the store to help their owners shop, although the temptations inside must be difficult for some of them to resist. There are metal buckets full of freshly baked dog biscuits, chew treats of many varieties and a wall full of toys. Do all the dogs that come here behave themselves, or do some of them attempt to shoplift? “It happens,” says Susan Boland with a laugh. “After all, they are dogs.” Susan Boland joined forces with Sheri and Vic Scarborough to create Downtown Dog this fall. This is not the first time that the partners have worked together in an Aiken dog store. Back in 2001, Sheri founded the Bone-i-fied Bakery, a dog bakery on Whiskey Road. When she and her husband relocated to Florida for Vic’s work, Sheri sold the bakery to her friend Susan, who had worked there on occasion. Susan, who moved the store downtown, sold it again three years later. “But I always regretted it,” she says. “I felt like I had made a mistake.”

The Dog & Hound

Sheri & Vic Scarborough with Susan Boland The idea to open Downtown Dog was conceived after Sheri and Vic returned to the Aiken area this year. The Scarboroughs ran into Susan while shopping for groceries and they got to talking, and it wasn’t long before they decided to embark upon the new adventure. “It was something in the back of all our minds that we thought we would like to do,” says Sheri. And the partners have the background and the expertise to make their

Fall 2014

enterprise successful. Susan is involved in the rescue world in Aiken, fostering dogs from the Aiken County Animal Shelter. She has a finger on the pulse of Aiken’s dog world. Sheri remained involved in the canine industry after her move to Florida, taking a position as a sales rep for dog products. In her new role she became very familiar with dog stores and boutiques across the country. She also got together with a friend to start an online wholesale business that carries 275 different lines of canine products. As a supplier to dog boutiques and a consultant for dog store franchises nationwide, she has a keen understanding of what dogs and their people want. This experience shows. The interior of Downtown Dog is bright and inviting. In addition to the buckets of dog biscuits, chew sticks and toys, there are home décor items, gifts for people who love dogs, and, of course, collars and leashes, some of them with a collegiate theme. “We try to bring in what I call solution items,” says Sheri. Some examples include an extra secure harness with three locking mechanisms. There are harnesses and leads designed to control dogs that pull. “Help ‘em up” harnesses are lifesavers for dogs with mobility problems. Innovative inflatable collars replace the old fashioned plastic

cones that dogs sometimes wear after a visit to the vet. On one wall there is a selection of boots and booties that protect paws from hot pavement and chemicals on the sidewalk, as well as some that are designed to give older animals slip-free traction on wooden floors. The store also has many varieties of gourmet dog food, including Sojo, Nature’s Variety, Taste of the Wild, and Fromm Family. Susan is in charge of deciding which lines to carry.

Fall 2014

“I do a lot of research,” she says “Any dog food we sell, I want to be comfortable and know it’s a good food, a high quality food.” Susan also makes the dog biscuits, and the back of the store houses a new commercial grade convection oven where she bakes ten varieties of them fresh every day. She uses all human grade ingredients, with decidedly dog-friendly flavors such as bacon and cheese. Other cookies have green beans and blueberries. The treats are cut into bone and paw print shapes – this might keep people from accidentally eating their dogs’ desserts, which look good enough for company. “We really feel it is important to source anything locally that we can,” Sheri says, referring to the dog biscuit ingredients. “Sometimes that costs more money, but we think it’s worth it. So we are using local blueberries, local honey, green beans from the farmers’ market in Aiken. We are trying to do that anywhere that we can.”

Future plans include adding grooming services, and there is a back room that will have a tiled tub and grooming table by the first of the year. For Halloween, there will be a costume contest – the entry fee is a $5 donation to the SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare and the winner gets a pound of dog treats a week for a year. At Christmas they are planning a bully stick promotion to benefit the Aiken County Animal Shelter. “We really believe that dogs need to chew and we want to help the dogs in the shelter,” says Sheri. “So we are going to set it up so that if anyone buys a bully stick for the shelter, we are going to match it. If that means that we end up giving 500 bully sticks to the shelter, that is what we are going to do.” Downtown Dog has only been open for a short while, but it already has a dedicated following among dogs and their people. “People have been very welcoming, and we are so happy to be here,” says Sheri. “We’re going to bring the dogs back downtown.” Downtown Dog is at 150 Laurens Street in downtown Aiken, S.C. Drop by to visit or see them on the web: www.aikendowntowndog.com

The Dog & Hound

Dog News by Pam Gleason

Senate Subcommittee Sessions

A subcommittee of the South Carolina Senate Agriculture Committee is traveling around the state this fall to gather information about issues surrounding animal welfare. The purpose of these listening sessions is to give animal welfare advocates, veterinarians and other interested parties the chance to express their ideas about what needs to be done on a legislative level to improve the situation for animals in South Carolina. The first listening session was held in Greenville on September 23 and the second in Aiken on September 30. Two more are scheduled: Florence on October 7 and Charleston on October 14. Senator Paul Campbell (R-Berkeley) chaired the Aiken session, held on September 30 at the Aiken Technical College in Graniteville. There were about 70 people in the auditorium, including veterinarians and representatives from various animal rescue groups and

veterinary clinics in the state. Last year, the South Carolina Association of Veterinarians was behind a pair of bills (one in the senate, the other in the house) that, in their original versions, would have essentially shut down low cost spay and neuter clinics and would have tolled the death knell for many of the rescue organizations that have been working to end shelter overpopulation in the state. Animal welfare advocates roundly condemned these bills, which were seen as an attempt to protect the veterinarians’ financial well-being at the expense of general animal welfare. In response, these bills were rewritten to safeguard the ability of nonprofits to offer low cost services, while also attempting to protect animals from being treated inappropriately by people not trained or licensed to practice veterinary medicine. The bills were tabled,

Barbara Nelson, president and CEO of the Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare addresses the S.C. Senate subcommittee.

humane societies statewide. Those who planned to speak signed up to do so on a sheet as they entered the room. Every speaker was allotted five minutes. Senator Campbell opened the session by saying that they were not there to debate any existing legislation. “We have no preconceived ideas,” he said. “We want to listen. We may ask you a question or two. We want to learn where you are coming from and see what we can do as far as crafting legislation to address the situation.” There were some general topics that the senators did expect to address. The first was animal cruelty (“we don’t believe in it, and I don’t think you’ll find a person on this panel that won’t do what we can to stop it”) as well as conflicts between private veterinarians and the growing number of low cost, subsidized

The Dog & Hound

meaning that they are no longer in play. Still, it is likely that legislation addressing some of the same issues will come out of the listening sessions. Dr. Dermot Jevons, a veterinary surgeon and the owner of Upstate Veterinary Services in Greenville, told the group that the implication that veterinarians are against spay and neuter services and helping the animal shelters was wrong. As one example, he said that his company donated over $50,000 of equipment to help a shelter in need this year. As far as low cost spay and neuter goes: “As a veterinarian, I will say that is really a misnomer. It’s not a low cost procedure. What we are really doing is subsidizing the cost of this care in all of these facilities through a combination of charitable donations, participation of local municipalities,

volunteerism, federal tax relief, etc. We are very fortunate to live in a country where charity and volunteerism abounds . . . I think it is vital that we continue to support the needs of animal shelters and humane societies. But we do also have to focus on the quality of care being performed and guard against mission creep.” Dr. Mary Keisler, a veterinarian practicing in Lexington, S.C. and the president elect of the South Carolina Association of Veterinarians, said that the her organization completely supports spay and neuter programs, as well as the ability of veterinarians to provide subsidized vaccinations and all other veterinary services to low income pet owners. What the SCAV wants to stop is inappropriate care given by untrained and unlicensed shelter and humane society staff. “I personally have seen many cases that are very tragic,” she said. “Puppies that come in that are deathly ill and die on presentation that have been treated for weeks by an employee of the shelter, no veterinarian . . . we see patients come in with ziplock bags of pills that have been treated by an employee of the shelter, no label, no anything. That’s where we are concerned.” Other people who spoke included Mary Lou Welch, who is the vice president of Friends of the Animal Shelter, Aiken (FOTAS.) Ms. Welch thanked the senators for strengthening animal cruelty laws in the state, but asked them to consider allowing those accused of animal cruelty to be brought before a magistrate court instead of waiting for a court date. She said that the unintended consequence of the higher penalties for animal cruelty are that the animals that were the victims of abuse are essentially imprisoned in the shelter, and are not allowed to be handled, walked or socialized by volunteers until their court case can be heard, often months later. This compounds the trauma they received at the hands of the abuser, and these animals also take up scarce kennel space that could be used for another animal in need. Barbara Nelson, the president and chairman of the board of the Albrecht SPCA Center for Animal Welfare in Aiken asked that the legislators consider requiring microchipping for all dogs in the state. Joya DiStefano, the founder of Palmetto Animal Welfare Services, discussed the need to provide incentives for spay and neuter surgery, as well as the need for accessible, affordable vaccination and heartworm prevention. Perhaps the most compelling speaker of the night, and certainly the only one to receive a round of applause, was Dr. Shannan Miller, who is a solo practitioner in rural

Fall 2014

Barnwell County. Dr. Miller, who came to the podium with Kim, a service dog in training, is the veterinarian for the Barnwell County Animal Shelter and is a member of a nonprofit that raises money to subsidize low cost sterilizations. She spoke about the frustration of seeing so many people allowing their animals to have litters and the responsibility she feels to help get animals altered even when the owners can’t afford it. “If I didn’t do this, every year our shelter would kill over 1,200 dogs,” she said. “The problem that I see is that there are no laws in South Carolina to prevent this problem of baby making. It is rampant in South Carolina. I am sick and sick of seeing pets being killed in the shelters, or seeing them adopted by people who really can’t take care of them. We have to give them away to people who can’t afford to care for them here in South Carolina, or we’re shipping them to New York and New Jersey where they don’t have pet overpopulation. Because you know what they have? They have laws. We don’t. We have nothing. I’m here to tell you all that something has to be done about the pet population. “I’m a veterinarian, and I feel I don’t have a choice but to help the people who can’t afford to get them spayed and neutered, and to speak for the animals that don’t have a voice.” More information about the listening sessions, including full recordings of all the sessions, can be found on the website www. scstatehouse.gov. Follow the link to Committee Information, and then Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

New Breeds for Westminster

The Westminster Kennel Club has announced that it will be adding two new breeds to its annual show in 2015. These two breeds are the Wirehaired Vizsla, which will be joining the Sporting Group, and the Coton de Tulear, which will compete in the nonsporting group. Both breeds became eligible to compete in American Kennel Club shows in 2014.

Wirehaired Vizsla

The Wirehaired Vizsla is a Hungarian hunting dog developed in the 1930s to combine the talents and beautiful russet color of the Viszla (Hungary’s pointing dog) with hardiness, a heavier frame, and an ability to withstand cold weather and icy water. The breed was primarily derived from a mixture of Viszlas and German Wirehaired Pointers. The Wirehaired Vizsla gained international recognition as a distinct breed in 1966. Bred primarily as a hunting dog, it was developed chiefly for performance in the field. The first dogs were imported to America in the 1970s, after which there was an unsuccessful attempt to get them recognized by the Field Dog Stud Book and the AKC under the name Uplanders, which reflected the fact that they were developed in the Hungarian uplands. The Wirehaired Vizsla is a medium sized, athletic dog with high energy.

Fall 2014

The Dog & Hound

steadily diminishing. In the fall of 2013, Georgia Regents University came under fire after an undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States revealed that the university had been conducting painful (and ultimately fatal) dental experiments on dogs obtained from Kenneth Schroeder, a random source dog dealer who had been charged with violations of the Animal Welfare Act. After protests and marches, GRU reexamined its policies. In January of this year, the university announced that it would stop using random source dogs.

The End of Rabies

Coton de Tulear

It is a rare breed, with perhaps 3,000 registered dogs worldwide and approximately 450 in the United States. The Coton de Tulear is known as the royal dog of Madagascar. According to AKC standards, it is a long-haired, “hardy, sturdy small white companion dog. The breed is endowed with a bright intelligence, is gay and energetic, and at times boisterous but never demanding. The Coton de Tulear is naturally clownish and lighthearted, as well as calm and easygoing. The breed possesses a remarkable gentle, sympathetic awareness to those around it and is known for expressing unique vocalizations.” Bitches range in size from 9 to 10 inches, while dogs are expected to be 10 to 11 inches. Cotons appear to have been around since the 15th century. They were used on board ships to rid holds of rodents and were known to have roamed in packs around the Madagascar port city of Tulear. Eventually, they became prized as companion dogs, and according to some sources, ownership of a Coton in Madagascar was restricted to the noble classes. Cotons have been imported to the United States and Europe for several decades, but remain a relatively rare breed. There are a number of different breed clubs and associations for Cotons both in the United States and elsewhere, and little agreement on which dogs and which bloodlines are “true” Cotons. There is also little agreement among Coton fanciers as to what physical characteristics are important for a Coton. For instance, members of the Madagascar Coton de Tulear Club, established in 1976, recognize three different acceptable colors and say the pure white dogs the AKC is recognizing are too small and essentially indistinguishable from the Maltese. The 139th annual Westminster Kennel Club Show will be held on February 16-17, 2015. Watch the dogs strut their stuff on television: CNBC from 8-11 p.m. on Monday, February

The Dog & Hound

16 and the USA Network from 8-11 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17.

Random Source Dogs

On October 1, 2104, the National Institute of Health stopped granting funding to biomedical research that uses random source dogs. Dogs used in medical research are usually obtained from large Class A dealers, who breed them specifically for research purposes. A much smaller number are random source dogs obtained from Class B dealers. These dealers, often called bunchers, collect dogs from ads in newspapers, animal shelters and private breeders to sell them to research laboratories. According to the NIH, the use of dogs in biomedical research has been declining for the past 30 years, and the majority of dogs that are still being used come from Class A dealers. The number of Class B dealers of research animals has declined from around 200 in the 1970s to just 5 today. A 2009 National Academy of Sciences report concluded that, while random source animals have some characteristics that make them desirable from a research standpoint, they are not necessary and using them causes many problems, mostly with public perception. After this report, the NIH decided to phase out funding of research using random source animals, starting with cats in 2012. The use of random source dogs may still continue in privately funded research, but it is likely that the NIH ban will eventually put the remaining Class B dealers out of business. This would be welcome news to those who are uncomfortable with the idea that pets might be stolen or obtained fraudulently for purposes of medical experimentation. The removal of Class B dealers from the research supply chain would lessen this possibility but would not remove it. The NIH has not ruled out continuing to obtain dogs from animal shelters and pounds in those states where this is legal, although they report that the supply of these animals is

A team of international researchers believes that rabies could be eliminated worldwide through a massive campaign to vaccinate dogs. Although rabies affects wildlife as well as dogs, epidemiologists have demonstrated that when rabies is eliminated in the dog population, the disease eventually disappears in wildlife as well. What concerns researchers most, however, is rabies in people. People rarely get rabies in developed nations where dogs are vaccinated, but in Africa and Asia about 69,000 people a year are infected. Forty percent of these people are children, and the source of the infection is almost always rabid dogs. The disease is nearly 100 percent fatal unless the person who is bitten gets post exposure treatment. This rarely happens in the impoverished areas where people are most at risk.

To wipe out rabies, vaccinate dogs.

Because rabies is usually transmitted to humans by dogs, the response to rabies outbreaks in imporverished countries has often been simply to eradicate as many dogs as possible. This solution has never been effective. Vaccinating the dogs, on the other hand, seems to break the rabies cycle. Over the past decade, mass dog vaccination clinics were carried out in 180 villages in Tanzania in East Africa. Today, the number of people that die of rabies every year in that area is near zero. Before the program started in 2003, the average was 50 a year. Researchers estimate that 70 percent of all dogs in an area must be vaccinated to stop rabies transmission to humans. This is a large undertaking, but it is feasible and far more cost effective than providing post exposure prophylaxis to people who have been bitten. So next time you take your dog for his annual rabies vaccination, remember that it is not just for his benefit but also for yours.

Fall 2014

Emergency After-Hours New Patients Welcome

Best friends deserve the best care.

126 Dominion Drive, Suite 1060 Aiken, South Carolina Located next to Mi Rancho off Whiskey Road

(803) 226-0551

Dr. Kevin Weis

Fall 2014

www.hollowcreekvet.com staff@hollowcreekvet.com

The Dog & Hound

Flyaway Home

Pilots N Paws Rescue Event by Pam Gleason, photography by Pam Gleason & Gary Knoll

t’s Saturday, September 27, and the Greenville Downtown Airport in Greenville, S.C. has gone to the dogs. They started arriving before dawn, brought in private cars, trucks and SUVs. Some have come in dedicated rescue vehicles owned by nonprofits. These range from new, brightly decorated buses outfitted with gleaming stainless steel kennels to older vans stacked high with plastic crates. The dogs themselves are from rescues and shelters across the Southeast. There are dogs from Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama and Georgia, as well as Greenville County Animal Care down the road and other South Carolina facilities from around the state. There are Chihuahuas and Beagles, Labradors and Great Pyrenees mixes, and generic mutts of all colors and descriptions. There are 8-week-old puppies and mature dogs with greying muzzles and dark eyes that have seen too much. The majority are young, healthy and attractive. People are carrying them or walking them on leashes or cooing to them where they sit in their travel kennels. The parking lot is a bustle of activity, and the air is full of barking. These dogs, 490 at the final count, are here for the sixth annual Pilots N Paws fall Flyaway. Pilots N Paws is a national 501c3 organization based in Landrum, S.C. It helps save animals in overcrowded shelters, mostly in the South, by helping to coordinate their transport to places where they are wanted via private airplane.

Missions of Mercy

Pilots N Paws came about in response to an urgent need. Every day, animal rescuers in parts of the country where there is a shortage of animals to adopt identify specific dogs and cats that they want to save in other parts of the country. Then they must arrange an affordable and efficient way to transport these animals hundreds, or even thousands of miles to bring them to safety. It is, of course, possible to make a transport by car. But long overland trips can be stressful, especially for vulnerable animals such as those that

have health problems, or mothers with young litters. Pilots N Paws makes it possible for private pilots to take these passengers by air. The pilots are all volunteers, and they may fly up to 300 miles. Animals that need to go farther than this are usually transferred to a different airplane and a different volunteer pilot in a rescue relay. All of this is made possible by PNP’s online forum and message board where pilots post their availability and rescuers post their needs. If there is a match, the two parties get in touch by email and work out a plan. “Ideally, the pilots and the rescuers arrange it themselves,” says Kate Quinn, who is the executive director of Pilots N Paws. “But there is also assistance that goes on behind the scenes. For instance, we might have to send out leashes, harness and crates. Petmate, which is one of our sponsors, donates crates every quarter. We go through hundreds of them.” Pilots N Paws came into being in 2008 after Debi Boies, a retired nurse in South Carolina, needed to transport a Doberman home from a shelter in Florida to save his life. She discussed the situation with her friend, Jon Wehrenberg, who is a pilot. Jon offered to fly down to Florida and pick him up. When Jon returned with the dog safe and sound, he and Debi realized that connecting private pilots, who need to fly in order to maintain their ratings, with dogs who need to get out of shelters had the potential to save thousands of lives. It was not long before the Pilots N Paws website came into being. The idea caught on quickly, and the network of volunteer pilots grew,

as did the number of rescuers who relied on their services. In 2009, the organization achieved official 501c3 tax exempt status. Today, just over five years later, approximately 75,000 animals have been flown to safety. There are about 5,000 pilots who volunteer their services and they come from all 50 states. There are even commercial pilots who get involved.

Large Flyaways such as the Greenville event are the most dramatic thing that PNP does, but volunteers are flying rescue missions somewhere almost every day of the year. Dogs (and to a lesser extent cats) are the primary passengers, but PNP has also flown rabbits, pigs, reptiles and even birds; any animal that needs a lift. This year’s event was the largest Flyaway in South Carolina history, involving 70 planes and 120 pilots and co-pilots. On the night before the Flyaway, pilots, PNP personnel and rescuers gathered in the hangar at the airport for dinner and to watch a documentary about the organization called Tails in Flight. The Flyaway was underwritten by Subaru, PNP’s main sponsor and there was a Subaru representative

there. Other attendees included the film actress Pam Grier, a dedicated animal lover, who volunteers for the organization.

Taking Flight

It’s almost 8 a.m. and Karen Talbot, one of the founders of Animal Aid USA, is busy making sure that the animals have the correct paperwork and are sent to the right pilots and airplanes. Animal Aid, a New Jersey based rescue, is coordinating all the dogs, rescue groups and volunteers. It is also responsible for pulling a large number of animals from shelters throughout the South. “I have dogs everywhere,” Karen says as she rushes by with her clipboard. “Most of these dogs have bad stories,” says Pia Colon Wurth, a member of the Animal Aid advisory board. Pia, who lives in Atlanta, brought a number of appealing dogs and puppies from Coco’s Cupboard, a rescue in Molena, Ga. She gestures to some of them in their crates in the parking lot. “These puppies all had Parvo, and their owner couldn’t pay for the vet, so we took them in and got them well. These ones were found covered with oil and left to die. Most of them were found abandoned on the side of the road. If they would have gone to the shelter they would have been put down.” Today, the puppies are clean, healthy, bouncy and cheerful with tails that wag so hard their bodies sway. Whatever traumas they have suffered seem far in the past. Out on the tarmac, pilots inspect their planes and ready them for takeoff. More rescue volunteers wait near the front of the hangar – inside there are pots of coffee and a full breakfast. Jan Craig-Olinger, who is a volunteer at Greenville County Animal Care, holds a pretty little Beagle named Ivy. She needs treatment for heartworm and she has a long slit cut in one of her ears. “It must have been done on purpose,” says Jan, shaking her head. “But she is as sweet as can be.” “She’s going to New Jersey,” Jan continues. “Karen Talbot saw her on the Greenville County Facebook page and she’s adopting her for herself. Isn’t that wonderful?” Elaine Gayle and her daughter Charlotte brought Teddy, a young Great Pyrenees mix who is large, white, fluffy and friendly. Teddy was a stray languishing at the shelter in Greenville, until he was claimed by LaMancha Animal Rescue in Pennsylvania. The Gayles fostered him for a few weeks in their home before the Flyaway. “We’ve fostered for Greenville for years, and before that we fostered in Atlanta” says Elaine.

“Over 12 years, we’ve had between 400 and 500 dogs. I’ve lost count.” Tiffany Moore is at the Flyaway with 16 dogs. Tiffany and her mother Pam Nalley run a private rescue called Breakfast at Tiffany’s in Pickens S.C. Their dogs are going to two rescues, City Dogs and Pet Connect, both in the Washington D.C. area. “All these dogs would have been euthanized if they had gone to animal control,” says Tiffany. “But instead they are being adopted. About half of them already have adopters waiting in Washington.” She holds a pretty Australian Heeler mix on a leash. “This is Aubrey,” she says. “She has a family with two little boys waiting for her in D.C. It’s the first dog the father in the family ever had. I told them that was not good, she would be a terrible first dog, because she is just too perfect. She loves kids, she’ll come when you call her, rolls over when you tell her to. She’s a horrible first dog because after her you would be spoiled and you would expect all dogs to be this good.” Out on the tarmac, pilots are completing their preflight inspections and receiving their cargo. Andrew and Anne Zeneski, who live in Raleigh, N.C. are preparing their 1971 Piper 180 to receive two dogs from Tiffany Moore. One is a little Beagle mix; the other a large breed grey and white puppy. The dogs will travel in separate crates in the back of the passenger compartment. They will fly to Lynchburg, Virginia, where they will be able to get out, stretch their legs, and then be transferred to another pilot and another plane that will take them on to D.C. Andrew and Anne will fly back home to North Carolina. “Pilots N Paws is something that I’ve known about for a long time, but it took me a while to get started,” says Andrew, who began making rescue flights in May. This is his sixth PNP flight and his first Flyaway. “Really, it’s so easy to get connected and to help people once you sign up.” Anne has a real estate agency and Andrew is a web application specialist who is retired from the high tech world. “You probably heard other pilots say that we need to fly anyway to stay current,” Andrew says. “It’s one thing just to fly in circles around an airport practicing your landings. But when you do this, you have more of a purpose. It also helps your flying in that you are making a commitment. So you might you be sitting at home and saying the weather isn’t perfect so I won’t go to the airport today. But if you have already made a commitment, it helps you stretch yourself. I am instrument rated, as most of these pilots are, and you do have to get into the clouds and continue to practice that, and this gives you a reason to

do it. And it is just so satisfying to know that you have done something worthwhile.” Andrew and Anne have two rescue dogs at home, but other than that and their PNP involvement, they are not in the rescue world. “But it gets you thinking,” Andrew says. Although Andrew doesn’t mention it, Pilots N Paws flights have another benefit. Although the pilots pay for their own fuel and other expenses, the cost of fuel used for rescue flights is 100% tax deductible. Similarly, if a pilot rents a plane for a flight, the cost of that can be deducted. According to Kate Quinn, quite a number of pilots do rent planes to make PNP flights. “Some people may think that these pilots are all super wealthy, but they aren’t,” she says. “Lots of them are just people that love aviation and love animals. If you’re a student pilot, this is a great way to make some of your flight training tax deductible. It’s also a real life exercise for understanding how weight distribution affects an airplane. It gives meaning and a sense of purpose to the hours in the air that you have to accumulate for your license.” Most of the pilots at the flyaway are long past the student stage, but there is plenty of that sense of purpose to go around at the Greenville airport. It’s turning into a pretty day and there is a palpable celebratory atmosphere. Volunteers, pilots and co-pilots smile and laugh as they transfer puppies from crates on the ground to crates in the planes. They pose for pictures, holding leashes attached to dogs of all varieties. The dogs themselves seem happy and expectant. “They know they are being rescued,” says one volunteer. Small groups of people stand on the side of the runway to wave and cheer as the planes take off. W. Dave Erwin, a lifelong Greenville resident, heard about the flyaway on the news the night before, and decided to come out to see what it was about. He stands on the grass, watching as plane after plane loads up, taxis to the end of the runway and lifts off, carrying its cargo up into the brightening sky and toward a better life. “I’m 85 years old,” he says, shaking his head a little in amazement. “And I have seen a lot of things. This is the greatest thing I have ever seen in my life.”

ilots N Paws welcomes the participation of new volunteers, pilots, rescuers, donors and sponsors. Pilots and rescuers should start by visiting the website. The first step is to sign up for the forum. Pilots need to complete a brief registration that includes such important information as their pilot certificate number, their home airport ID and how far they are willing to fly one way. Rescuers and other volunteers need to include their zip code and whether or not they are available to foster. The forum includes the Ride Board, which is where rescuers post the transports that they would like to make, and the Listing, for pilots volunteering services. There are also places for volunteers to offer their services, and much more. In fact, the website and the forum have answers to pretty much any question a new pilot or rescuer might have. Although Pilots N Paws is based in South Carolina, according to Kate Quinn, the executive director, the state actually does not have very many pilots and could certainly use some more. Visit the website for more information: www.pilotsnpaws.org

Hollow Creek Animal Hospital High-Tech Medicine, Common Sense Care by Pam Gleason photography by Gary Knoll

r. Kevin Weis, who owns Hollow Creek Animal Hospital on Aiken’s Southside, wants his clients to leave happy. “The most rewarding thing for me is figuring something out and having a good outcome,” he says. “I take a lot of pride in what we do and I like seeing people happy and seeing the animals going back home. If people come in and they don’t leave happy, I feel like we have failed. Maybe I needed to talk to them more; maybe I could have communicated better. ” Hollow Creek Animal Hospital opened in May of 2013. Since that time, Dr. Weis has been serving a steadily growing clientele of dog and cat owners in Aiken, many of them from the Woodside and Cedar Creek neighborhoods. He is currently a solo practitioner, but the availability of digital X-rays and other technology-based veterinary services means that he is not really practicing alone. “Digital X-rays are a major advantage for me,” he says. “They make it possible for me to do telemedicine. I use PetRays, which is a group of Board Certified radiologists and cardiologists out of Texas. If you need a second opinion on a complicated case, you upload the X-rays to their site and they’ll read them and send you a report by email. They’re very fast. I have X-rayed an animal at 7 o’clock at night, and by the time I got home, the report was on my phone.” Telemedicine has also made it possible for Dr. Weis to solve difficult cases without having to send animals to see a specialist at one of the expensive specialty clinics in Columbia or Charlotte. “Last Saturday I had a dog come in with a history of heart problems that just suddenly wasn’t doing well,” he says. “I knew the dog had a heart murmur, but I listened to the heart, and the dog also had an arrhythmia. So I did an EKG, and sent it off to have a cardiologist look at it. Within an hour we had a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. So I put the dog on calcium channel blockers, medications for that condition. We did all of this without having to do a referral to see a cardiologist.” Not that Dr. Weis does not like to send his clients to specialists: quite the opposite in fact. “That’s always the gold standard,” he says. “If you can go to a multimillion dollar facility, you are going to have more options. But it is expensive, and a lot of people can’t afford it.” In fact, one of the challenges in practicing veterinary medicine is that many people come in with their pets, animals that they love, but they can’t afford to spend much on veterinary care. “I don’t judge people,” says Dr. Weis. “You never know what people’s circumstances are. They might not be able to put food on the table. So I give people their options and give them the pros and cons of what they can to do and they can make the choice. I have people who come in here who can only spend $50, and others where the sky is the limit.” Kevin Weis grew up in rural Waynesboro, Georgia where his family had dogs and horses. When he was in high school, he worked on a horse farm, and whenever Dr. James Alexander, the local veterinarian, came to treat a horse, Kevin helped him. Eventually, Dr. Alexander asked Kevin to ride along as an assistant. It was a mixed practice in the country with horses, cows, pigs and other farm animals as well as cats and dogs. After graduating from high school, Kevin went the University of Georgia at Athens, where he studied animal science. Then he went to vet school, also at UGA Athens. While he was there, he met his wife, Lynn Lewis, a wildlife biologist who now works for the National Wild Turkey Federation. After getting his veterinary degree in 2004, Dr. Weis

The Dog & Hound

took an internship in Charlotte at Carolina Veterinary Specialists, a large referral practice. There he focused on surgery, internal medicine and neurology. He enjoyed his work in the clinic, which was full of interesting cases, but after a year he had had enough. “Charlotte was too big for me,” he says. “I like more of a small town feel.” So he moved back to Waynesboro and went to work, once again with Dr. Alexander, this time as a practicing vet. “I was doing my James Herriot thing,” he says referring to the English veterinarian who wrote All Creatures Great and Small and other popular books about his country practice. But emulating James Herriot was not easy. “I loved it, but it’s hard to be everything for everybody. It didn’t suit my personality, because I like to have everything organized and have appointments and be very thorough. I was out pulling calves and someone would be in the clinic waiting for me with a parvo puppy, and it’s hard to do everything.” So he came to Aiken to work at Veterinary Services with Dr. Holly Wolz. He worked there for seven years before leaving to start his own practice. If Charlotte was too urban and Waynesboro was too rural, Aiken was just right. “It’s a good fit for me,” he says. It also helps that both he and Lynn have family in the area. This makes it easier to care for their two children Ethan (6) and Maddie Grace (5) when both parents are working. Hollow Creek Animal Hospital is currently housed in rented space, but Dr. Weis says that his 5-year plan includes buying real estate and building his own clinic. Accordingly, all of the equipment in the hospital is movable, from the X-ray machine to the cabinets to the Bair Hugger, a machine that keeps animals warm as they are coming out of anesthesia. And if Dr. Weis says he has a plan, chances are he will stick to it. “When we were in vet school we had to write down our 10 year goals on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope,” he says. “We couldn’t open it for 10 years. Well, I found it and read it, and I have pretty much met all the goals I set for myself.” Looking to the future, Dr. Weis expects that he will eventually add another vet to the practice, but does not plan to make it too big. “I always want to keep a small practice. I like to build relationships with the people, to know who they are, to know about their kids and their pets and know what’s going on,” he says. As far as a veterinary philosophy goes, Dr. Weis believes in communication and using thoughtful, old fashioned vet work rather than relying exclusively on expensive equipment and machinery. “You should always listen to what people are saying,” he says. “It’s an art. I don’t care if you have $100,000 piece of equipment, if you can’t do a good physical exam, it doesn’t matter because you will miss so much. You have to spend the time with the animals, watch them move, sit down and think about it: what is the history, what does the physical exam say, what information are you getting back from your blood work. I like challenges. You can’t always get the outcome that you want, but I want people who come here to come away feeling like they got the best that they could get.” Hollow Creek Animal Hospital is at 126 Dominion Drive (on Whiskey Road) in Aiken. 803-226-0551; www.hollowcreekvet.com.

Fall 2014

The Dog & Hound

Dog Tricks For Fun and Fitness by Pam Gleason

Whoever said “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” really got it wrong. Not only can you teach your old dog plenty of tricks, you probably should. Teach your young dog, too. There are a number of reasons. First, trick training is an excellent way to reinforce the bond with your dog, giving him the opportunity to earn your praise and attention. It can help him learn to enjoy training in a low stress atmosphere, and can make him an all-around more entertaining addition to your family. Finally, it can help keep him fit. Promoting canine fitness, in fact, is one goal behind Dr. Sybil Davis’s popular dog tricks classes. These classes are given on Monday evenings at Dr. Davis’s clinic, Aiken Pet Fitness and Rehabilitation, on Willow Run Road in Aiken. They attract a variety of dogs and owners, including people who have never done any dog training before, as well as people with dogs that compete in

agility, rally and obedience. “The classes are really fun for the dogs and the people,” says Dr. Davis, a veterinarian who specializes in helping dogs suffering from mobility issues. “The people who also do serious training with their dogs are more relaxed when they come here, and there is a lot of laughing. But the tricks also have a purpose. They can be good for stretching, mobility, core strength and body awareness.” On a recent Monday evening, Aiken Pet Fitness and Rehab held two back-toback one-hour classes, each with six dogs and owners. The first class was for dogs that were trick-training beginners, while the second was for dogs that had already taken some classes. Over the course of each hour, Dr. Davis introduced a series of different tricks and explained how to prompt a dog to perform them. Then each dog and owner tried out each trick.

The Dog & Hound

included pulling off her owner’s socks with great enthusiasm, getting into tiny boxes and crawling through narrow cardboard tubes. The tricks themselves varied in difficulty and offered the dogs a series of different mental and physical challenges. For instance, in both classes, one of the warm-up exercises was to have the dog perform figure-eights through his owner’s legs. (A good flexibility exercise.) The dogs bowed, and crawled along the ground, put their paws up on an object and “said their prayers.” Dogs practiced ringing bells on a door to signal that they wanted to go out, and wiping their paws on a bath mat – an important trick for dogs that come into the house on a rainy day. Most of the dogs enjoyed TRY THIS AT HOME climbing into cardboard Teach your dog to wipe his feet. boxes on the ground. 1. Place a bathmat or small rug on the floor and put a “The goal of this trick is treat under one corner of it. Hold the mat down and to progressively give the encourage your dog to find the treat. He will probably dog a smaller and smaller nose the area above it. As soon as he uses his paw to dig box to get into,” said Dr. at it, praise him, pull the mat back and let him eat the Davis. “It’s a good exercise treat. for body awareness.” 2. Put another treat under the mat and hold it down. Dr. Davis says that she Tell him to wipe his paws. Let him have the treat when he uses compiled her list of tricks his paws. Most dogs will soon begin “wiping” their paws on the mat. Gradually ask him for more distinct wiping action before from a variety of sources, giving him the treat. and that she tries to mix 3. Once he understands tricks that are simply fun that he will get a treat with ones that have real for wiping his paws on physical benefits for the the mat, remove the treat dogs. from under the mat “It is an exercise class,” and simply ask she says. “It’s just that him to wipe his people don’t always realize paws on it. Give it.” him a treat when he does.

Some dogs were more adept than others, and some obviously benefitted from more experience and confidence in learning new things. Although all the dogs in the beginners class weren’t able to complete every trick, most of them gave everything a good try. In the advanced class, those that had been doing their homework were easy to spot. There was Jiggs, a Labrador Retriever owned by Nancy Racki. Jiggs, who competes in agility, served as the demonstration dog for the majority of the tricks and even demonstrated few of her own: sitting up and begging on a stability ball, for instance. Then there was Roxanne, a toy poodle owned by Laura Phillips. Roxanne’s specialties

Above: Roxanne the Poodle wipes her paws for Laura Phillips Below: Angela Boyette’s Julyp does “paws up.” Right: Jiggs shows off for Nancy Racki

Fall 2014

The Dog & Hound

October 3-5 4 4 4-5 5 10 10 10,12 11 11-12 11-12 11-12 11-12 15 15

17 17 17 17-19 17-19 18

18 18 18 18 18 18-19 24 24 24 24-26

Regional Calendar of Events

Youngsville Agility Show. Teamworks Dog Training, 195 Robbins Road, Youngsville, NC. Patty Nowak, 919.803.7142, dockcorgi@gmail.com, www. youngsvilleagilityclub.com. Blessing of the Animals at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. 10am-12pm. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 961 Trail Ridge Rd. (off the bypass), Aiken, SC. Www.fotusaiken.org. FURever Fest Fall 2014. Cobb County Animal Control, 1060 Al Bishop Drive, Marietta, GA. 770.590.5614, www.bringfido.com. Augusta Kennel Club Show. North Augusta River Park, 100 Riverview Drive, North Augusta, SC. MB-F Inc., 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog.com, www.augustakennelclub.org. Chattapoochee Pet Fest. Chattapoochee Dog Park, 4291 Rogers Bride Road, Duluth, GA. Www.bringfido.com. Cove Creek Beagle Club Field Trial. Cove Creek Running Grounds, Pickens, SC. Sherren L. Powell, 287 Wolf Creek Road, Easley, SC. 864.419.8582. Hiwassee Beagle Club Field Trial. Lookout Beagle Club Running Grounds, Cordell Road, Rock Springs, GA. Dean Moorhouse, 423.344.1864, packgap@aol.com. Lumber River Retriever Club Hunting Test. The Nash-Johnson Farm, 342 Nash Johnson Road, Rose Hill, NC. Brittany McCullough, 919.946.1045, riversofreo@gmail.com, www.lrrc.net. Pups in the Park Dog Show. Rock Creek Park, 445 Martin Road, Dawsonville, GA. 706.265.9160, dawsonhumane@windstream.ne. Hanover Kennel Club Show. Legion Stadium, 2149 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington, NC. MB-F Inc., 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog.com, www. hanoverkennelclub.net Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of Greater Atlanta Herding Test and Trial. Woods End Farm, 2221 Salem Road, Watkinsville, GA. Gay Silva, 706.474.2744, gay.silva@ymail.com, www.gacorgiclub.org. Mid-Atlantic Hound Association of Central North Carolina Lure Coursing Trial. Wishing Well Farms, Rocky Mount, NC. Deana Mcame, 919.308.3722, caliwhippets@mail.com. Dog Obedience Club of Greenville Obedience Show. Simpsonville Senior and Activity Center, 310 West Curtis Street, Simpsonville, SC. Christopher Brooks, 864.263.7382, docg_trial_secretary@showentries.info. Indian Beagle Club Field Trial. Club Running Grounds, Vale, NC. Judy Proctor, 704.462.0999. jrSPCA Meeting. 6-7pm. The jrSPCA is a group of 6th - 12th graders dedicated to learning about and loving animals. They have monthly meetings and take on 3-4 fundraising projects a year. SPCA, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. Www.letlovelive.org. Tuckasegee Beagle Club Field Trial. Club Grounds, Ellenboro, NC. Barbara McKay, 803.377.1179. Cherryville Beagle Club Field Trial. Club Running Grounds, Vale, NC. Judy Proctor, 704.462.0999. Down East Hunting Retriever Club of North Carolina Field Trial. Pembroke Farm, Rocky Point, NC. Gwen Pleasant, 919.795.7541, blackriver1@msn.com. Atlanta Dog Show. Atlanta Exposition Cntr South, 3850 Jonesboro Road, Atlanta, GA. Onofrio Dog Shows, 405.427.8181, mail@onofrio.com, www. dcma-atl.org. Atlanta Golden Retriever Club Agility Show. T.Ed Garrison Arena, 1101 W. Queen St., Pendleton, SC. Mari Magmer, 404.217.8746, riannx2@ windstream.net. Art Al Fresco 10a – 2p. Join us for the second annual sidewalk chalk competition to prepare the finish line for the Twilight Walkers and Bark-arita-ville festivities later in the evening. Entry fee is just $10 and is open to kids age 6 – 18. SPCA,199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. Www.letlovelive. org. Bark-a-rita-ville and the Twilight Walk for Animals. 6-10 pm Albrecht SPCA Center, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. Www.letlovelive.org. Triangle Shetland Sheepdog Club Show. APS Felicite Latane Animal Sanctuary, 6311 Nicks Road, Mebane, NC. Pam Jarmon, 919.661.9062, pjarmon@nc.rr.com, www.tsscofnc.com Foothills Beagle Club Field Trial. 417 Oakhill Road, Belton, SC. W Lewis Wilson, 864.915.7973, lwilson534@charter.net. Hogs for Dogs. Augusta Harley-Davidson, 4200 Belair Frontage Road, Augusta, GA. 706.651.0444, Lindsayg@augustahd.com. Run Your Happy Tails Off ! 5K. Brook Run Park, 4770 N Peachtree Road, Dunwoody, GA. runningmanwest@bellsouth.net. Autumn Winds Agility Club Show. Autumn Winds Agility Center, 3701 Bosco Road, New Hill, NC. Diane Reed, 919.524.1525, cantellsigzz@ yahoo.com. Carolina Piedmont Retriever Club Field Trial. Cooper Black Wildlife Management Area, Cheraw, SC. Cara Mock, 803.427.0272, caramock@ gmail.com. Tokeena Beagle Club Field Trial. Pine Grove Road, Seneca, SC. Brian Cawthon, 864.940.0028, briancawthon2003@yahoo.com. Neuse Retriever Club Hunting Test. Neuse Way Nature Center, 401 W Caswell Street, Kinston, NC. Keith Maready, 252.916.6986, keithmaready@ gmail.com. Greater Atlanta Dog Show. Jim Miller Park, 2245 Callaway Road SW, Marietta, GA. Foy Trent Dog Shows, 573.881.2655, info@

The Dog & Hound

24-26 24-26 24-26 25 25 25-26 26 26 27 28-29 30 31 31 31 31

foytrentdogshows.com, www.greateratlantabostonterrierclub.com. Charlotte Dog Show. Piedmont Kennel Club Showplace, 13607 Choate Circle, Charlotte, NC. Mary Murray, 704.798.5670, msigmon8189@gmail. com. Moore County Kennel Club Agility Show. Bon-Clyde Learning Center, 3030 Lee Avenue, Sanford, NC. Karen Wlodarski, 843.696.2892, karen-w@ msn.com, www.mckcnc.com. Atlanta Obedience Club Agility Show. Wills Park Equestrian Center, Wills Coliseum, 11915 Wills Road, Alpharetta, GA. Donna Slavin, 706.254.3451, atlantaobedienceclubsecretary@gmail.com, www.atlantaobedienceclub.com. Green River Beagle Club Hunting Test. Green River Beagle Club Running Grounds, 518 Springs East. Road, Lincolnton, NC. Norman Murphy, 828.464.8577, norman4mfarm2@gmail.com. Bark in the Park Festival and Walk-A-Thon. Greenville Technical College, 506 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville, SC. 864.243.4222, www.bringfido. com. Carolina Lure Coursing Society Lure Coursing Trial. Polo Field, 130 Polo Lane, Camden, SC. Donna Richards, 704.483.6264, tntskids@aol.com. Golden Retriever Club of America Tracking Event. AB Tech Community College, 340 Victoria Road, Asheville, NC. Sharon F. Hinson, 704.795.9511, samboomer@aol.com, www.grca.org. Golden Retriever Club of America Tracking Event. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center, 3381 Hunting Country Road, Tryon, NC. Sharon F. Hinson, 704.795.9511, samboomer@aol.com, www.grca.org. Golden Retriever Club of America Field Trial. Cooper Black Wildlife Management Area, Cheraw, SC. Darlene Houlihan, 864.895.9599, dhouli@ aol.com. Golden Retriever Dog Show and Rally. Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC. Foy Trent Dog Shows, 573.881.2655, info@foytrentdogshows.com, www.grca.org. Iodine State Beagle Club Field Trial. Doc Stoddard Farm, Pelzer, SC. John D. Edwards Jr., 864.809.6375, johned4271@gmail.com. Southwest Georgia Retriever Club Field Trial. Fox Hollow and Surrounding Properties, Americus, GA. Terri Curtis, 715.495.5455, foxhollowretrievers@me.com. Cohutta Beagle Club Field Trial. J. L. Lester Wildlife Management Area, Polk County, Cedartown, GA. Derek Edwards, 770.547.4742. Yadkin River Water Fowl and Retriever Club Hunting Test. 6403 Lynch Store Road, Mebane, NC. Bryan Dick, 864.506.1465, bryand@ loticsolutions.com, www.yadkinriverretriever.com. Palmetto Retriever Club Field Trial. Cooper Black Wildlife Management Area, Cheraw, SC. Joanna Lewis, 704.965.3084, jlewis1119@gmail.com.

November 1 1 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 2 5 6 7

Rabbits Unlimited of South Carolina Hunting Test. 1112 Old Landfill Road, Iva, SC. Dennis Eugene Owens, 864.617.0155, denniseowens@ bellsouth.net. Yadkin River Water Fowl and Retriever Club Hunting Test. 6403 Lynch Store Road, Mebane, NC. Bryan Dick, 864.506.1465, bryand@ loticsolutions.com, www.yadkinriverretriever.com. Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of America Hunting Test. Stufield Farms, Lukes Ferry Road, Clarks Hill, SC. Frank Pampush, 404.840.8410, frak22@ bellsouth.net, www.wssca.com. Gordon Setter Club of America Hunting Test. Middle GA Sportmans Club, 135 Etheridge Mill Road, Milner, GA. Carla Joyce, 678.431.3290, tanderags@aol.com, www.gsca.org. Armenia Winds Pointing Breeds Club Hunting Test. Armenia Hill Fleming Farms, 2917 Armenia Road, Chester, SC. Joy Fleming, 803.377.7937, jmfleming55@yahoo.com. Augusta German Shepherd Dog Show. Riverside Park, 4431 Hardy McManus Road, Evans, GA. Diane Boykin, 706.284.6455, drboykin@ bellsouth.net, www.augustagsdclub.com. American Boerboel Club Show. Piedmont Kennel Club Showplace, 13607 Choate Circle, Charlotte, NC. Lynn Johnson, 704.545-6147, knicholson@ carolina.rr.com, www.americanboerboelclub.com. Charleston Dog Training Club Agility Show. James Island County Park, 871 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC. Elaine Hawes, 843.835.2082, cdtc@ lowcountry.com, www.charlestondogtraining.com. Carolina Terrier Association Earthdog Test. Owl Hollow Farm, 6515 Whitney Road, Graham, NC. Tina Lunsford, 336.552.8369, tjoyl@yahoo. com. Piedmont Border Collie Association Herding Test and Trial. Whorton Farm, 8005 Mary Hall Road, Rougemont, NC. David Raper, 919.245.0553, davidraper@centurylink.net, www.piedmontbordercollie.com. Piedmont Kennel Club Coursing Ability Test. Piedmont Kennel Club Showplace, 13607 Choate Circle, Charlotte, NC. Kathy Jeranek, 704.240.0128, jeranek@comporium.net. Durham Kennel Club Tracking Event. Quail Roost Farm, Roxboro Hwy, Rougemont, NC. Elizabeth K. Rende, 919.684.6591, trackerjean@gmail. com, www.durhamkennelclub.com. Broad River Beagle Club Field Trial. Middle Georgia Beagle Club Grounds, Roberta, GA. Richard Butterworth, 770.297.9483, butterworth. rf36@yahoo.com. Chattahoochee Valley Beagle Club Field Trial. 530 Hickory Lane, Roberta, GA. William P. Moore, 706.570.9233, wpmoore6361@yahoo.com. Chattahoochee Weimaraner Club Field Trial. The Milner Lease, 135

Fall 2014

7 7 7 7 7-8 7-9 7-9 8 8 8 8-9 8-9 8-9 9 13-16 13 14 14 15 15-16 16 19

19 20 21 22-23 24 28 28 28 28-30

Ethridge Mill Road, Milner, GA. Jeff Brower, 770.998.0021, jeff@pointhere. net, www.chattahoocheeweim.org. Tarheel Beagle Club Field Trial. Tarheel Running Ground, 725 Warp Lane, Cleveland, NC. Wayne Adams, 336.469.6238, wadams@wilkes.net, www. basenji-club.com. Cross Creek Beagle Club Field Trial. Cross Creek Grounds, Beagle Club Grounds, Fayetteville, NC. Helen Love Gore, 910.642.8120, hgore3@gmail. com, www.crosscreek.20m.com. Colston Branch Beagle Club Field Trial. Colston Branch Beagle Club Running Grounds, Bamberg, SC. Andy Hood, 803.316.6469. Saragossa Beagle Club Field Trial. Lookout Beagle Club, Rock Springs, GA. Garry Blevins Jr., 423.593.4528. Carolinas Retriever Association Hunting Test. H. Cooper Black Rec. Area, Patrick, SC. Lee Hanes, 336.391.2558, blhanes@att.net, www. carolinasretrievers.com. Youngsville Agility Show. Teamworks Dog Training, 195 Robbins Road, Youngsville, NC. Sheila McHugh, 919.389.7376, smchugh@bellsouth.net, www.youngsvilleagilityclub.com. Newnan Kennel Club Agility Show. Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center, Calvary Church Road, Gainesville, GA. Karen Wlodarski, 843.696.2892, karen-w@msn.com, www.newnankennelclub.org. Tar Heel Brittany Club Field Trial. Strawson Farms, Ruffin, NC. Phyllis Baker, 336.694.4401. Carolinas Pointing Dog Association Field Trial. Barratt House, 707 Bryan Dorn Road, Greenwood, SC. Heather Miller, 864.607.7922, cpda.sc@gmail. com. 2014 Atlanta Amazing Pet Expo. Gwinnett Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Duluth, GA. expo@atlantapetexpo.com. Sandhills Pointing Breeds Club Hunting Test. Sandhills Pointing Breed Club grounds, 3280 Jackson Springs Road, Jackson Springs, NC. Susan Jackson, 910.799.5208, www.sandhillspointingbreedsclub.org. Chattahoochee Weimaraner Club Hunting Test. The Milner Lease, 135 Ethridge Mill Road, Milner, GA. Tamara Brower, 770.998.0021, tamara@ pointhere.net, www.chattahoocheeweim.org. Fall Line Retriever Club of Georgia Hunting Test. Private Property, Lincolnton, GA. Gina Blitch, 706.830.2603, gina.blitch@gmail.com. Winston-Salem Dog Training Club Tracking Event. Winston-Salem Dog Training Club, 3800 Bethania Station Road, Winston-Salem, NC. Susan Cousart, 336.766.8152, sue.cousart@yahoo.com, www.wsdtc.org. Concord Dog Show. Cabarrus Arena and Events Center, 4751 Highway 49 North, Concord, NC. MB-F Inc., 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog.com. German Shorthaired Pointer Club of Atlanta Field Trial. Luke Weaver’s Farm, Route 3, Box 446, Jackson, GA. Carol Simmons, 770.967.2105, cmsdals@bellsouth.net, www.gspcatlanta.com. Chestnut Log Beagle Club Field Trial. Tommy Lawrence Running Grounds, 2046 Piedmont Hwy, Cedartown, GA. Jamie McKenzie, 770.367.1854, mckencar@bellsouth.net. Cooper River Retriever Club of South Carolina Hunting Test. H.Cooper Black Jr. Memorial Field Trial & Recreation Area, Cheraw, SC. Michelle Love, 803.463.1313, michellelove2000@yahoo.com. Cumberland Valley Dachshund Club Field Trial. 982 Babbs Mill Road, Hampton, GA. Linda Cockburn, 931.691.3222, copia@copiasdachshunds. com, www.c-v-d-c.com. Greater Atlanta Labrador Retriever Club Show. Shannondale Farms, 2395 Birmingham Rd, Alpharetta, GA. Karen Arlin, 520.437.5514, karenarlin@ hotmail.com, www.galrc.com. Tallahassee Hunting Retriever Club Hunting Test. Spring Hill and Borderline Plantation, Thomasville, GA. Nancy Dukes, 850.491.5052, naedukes@gmail.com. jrSPCA Meeting. 6-7pm. The jrSPCA is a group of 6th - 12th graders dedicated to learning about and loving animals. They have monthly meetings and take on 3-4 fundraising projects a year. SPCA, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. Www.letlovelive.org. Wine Tasting Fundraiser For FOTAS, Equine Rescue Of Aiken & Veterans K9 Solutions. 6-9pm. Newberry Hall, 117 Newberry Street, SW, Aiken, SC. Www.fotusaiken.org. Brushy Mountain Beagle Club Field Trial. Catawba County Clubhouse, Maiden, NC. George Hebert, 828.326.9370, abear4@charter.net. North Georgia Beagle Club Field Trial. 1339 Elliott Family Parkway, Dawsonville, GA. Eric B. Autry, 404.432.7007, autrysgraveyard@yahoo. com. Afghan Hound Club of America Lure Coursing Trial. Polo Field, 130 Polo Lane, Camden, SC. Larry Richards, 704.483.6269. Carolina Beagle Club Field Trial. Misty Hollow Rd off of Hwy 421, Yadkinville, NC. Dwight Miller, 704.633.2509, dwight.miller@carolina. rr.com. Lotts Creek Beagle Club of East Georgia Field Trial. 22901 Talmadge Lane, Pembroke, GA. Aneta Hendrix, 912.681.8522, aneta1smith@yahoo. com. West Point Lake Beagle Club Field Trial. 646 John Lovelace Road, La Grange, GA. Ted Jackson, 706.594.1829, ted.jackson@live.com. Vizsla Club of Metro Atlanta Field Trial. Luke Weaver Farm, Lee Maddox Road, Jackson, GA. Tania Campbell, 404.388.0223, taniacampbell@att.net, www.atlantavizsla.org. Canaan Dog Club Agility Show. T.Ed Garrison Arena, 1101 W. Queen

Fall 2014

28-30 28-30 30

St., Pendleton, SC. Laurene Galgano, 757.481.4854, gonedoggin@cox.net, www.cdca.org. Savannah Kennel Club Show. Savannah International Trade & Convention Center, 1 International Drive, Savannah, GA. MB-F Inc., 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog.com, www.savannahkennelclub.org. Mid-Atlantic Hound Association of Central North Carolina Lure Coursing Trial. Flintrock Farm, 221 Flintrock Trail, Reidsville, NC. Edward Kominek, 919.323.3353, eddie@kominekafghans.com. Winston-Salem Dog Training Club Tracking Event. Hilltops, Conrad Road, Lewisville, NC. Debbie Golden, 336.408.0697, dgolden2520@gmail. com, www.wsdtc.org.

December

Beaufort Kennel Club Show. Savannah International Trade & Convention Center, 1 International Drive, Savannah, GA. MB-F Inc., 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog.com, www.beaufortkennelclub.org. 3 Mecklenburg Beagle Club Field Trial. Cabarrus Beagle Club, Concord, NC. John D Kiser, 704.875.1212, johnkiser@carolina.rr.com. 3 Pensacola Beagle Club Field Trial. 982 Babbs Mill Road, Hampton, GA. Richard Butterworth, 770.297.9483, butterworth.rf36@yahoo.com. 4 Seven Hills Beagle Club Field Trial. 982 Babbs Mill Road, Hampton, GA. Richard Butterworth, 770.297.9483, butterworth.rf36@yahoo.com. 4-7 Carolina Piedmont Agility Show. Lone Hickory Indoor Arena, 1950 Bethel Church Road, Yadkinville, NC. Jayne Abbot, 828.713.3278, jhabbot@charter.net, www.carolinapiedmontagility.com. 5 Foothills Beagle Club Field Trial. 417 Oakhill Road, Belton, SC. W Lewis Wilson, 864.288.3681, lwilson534@charter.net. 5 Rocky River Beagle Club Field Trial. The Rocky River Club Running Grounds, Oakboro, NC. Wendell Warren McInnis, 704.563.8642, wmcinnis2@carolina.rr.com. 5 Tallokas Retriever Club of Georgia Field Trial. Brooks County Private Properties, Pavo , GA. Lynn Troy, 229.291.8386, claddaghretrievers@yahoo. com. 5 Durham Kennel Club Rally. Durham Kennel Club, 7318 Guess Road, Durham, NC. Tracy Fletcher, 919.460.7944, tafletcher@bellsouth.net, www.durhamkennelclub.com. 5-7 Winston-Salem Dog Show. LJV War Memorial Coliseum, 300 Deacon Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC. MB-F Inc., 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog.com, www.GHKC.com. 6-7 Palmetto Pointing Breed Club Hunting Test. 106 Whitetail Drive, Walhalla, SC. Debbie Darby, 864.882.0215, whitetailgwp@mindspring. com. 6-7 Cocker Spaniel Specialty Club of Georgia Hunting Test. Luke Weaver Farm, Lee Maddox Road, Jackson, GA. Venée Gardner, 404.641.3391, huntingspaniels@charter.net, www.cockerspanielclubofga.org. 6-7 Sawnee Mountain Kennel Club of Georgia Rally. Family Pet Obedience School, 4890 Hammond Industrial Drive, Ste 100, Cumming, GA. Jennifer Carver, 404.217.3904, jen613carver@gmail.com, www.smkcga.com. 7 Atlanta Obedience Club Tracking Event. Charles Osborne Farm, 1611 Cedar Road, Watkinsville, GA. Jinnie Strickland, 915.479.5113, solsticecwc@gmail.com, www.atlantaobedienceclub.com. 8 Cabarrus Beagle Club Field Trial. Club Grounds, Barr Road, 3 Miles NW, Concord, NC. Paul Bell, 704.982.5152. 12 West Georgia Beagle Club Field Trial. J. L. Lester Wildlife Management Area, Polk County, Cedartown, GA. Ronnie Tibbitts, 770.443.2831, rtib@ aol.com. 12 Snowbird Retriever Club of South Georgia Field Trial. Boston, GA. Martha Cole Glenn, 703.851.4077, mc1glenn@aol.com. 12 Sandhill Beagle Club Field Trial. Club’s Running Grounds, Cheraw, SC. Eddie Brock, 843.250.2871. 12 Worth County Beagle Club Field Trial. South GA Beagle Club Grounds, 883 Dafodil Road, Ocilla, GA. Jason Potts, 229.881.4207, potts575@ hotmail.com. 13 Georgia Brittany Club Field Trial. Heard’s Hill Preserve, Poulan, GA. Betty Morgan, 404.429.3602, bettymorgan650@gmail.com. 13-14 Carolina Lure Coursing Society Lure Coursing Trial. Polo Field, 130 Polo Lane, Camden, SC. Larry Richards, 704.483.6269, tntskids@aol.com. 13-14 Atlanta Obedience Club Rally. Atlanta Obedience Club Bldg,Norcross, GA. Donna Slavin, 678.677.5910, slavinspectra@gmail.com, www. atlantaobedienceclub.com. 15 Western Carolina Beagle Club Field Trial. Iodine State Running Grounds, Ware Place, SC. John Edwards Jr., 864.472.3682, johned4271@gmail.com. 17 jrSPCA Meeting. 6-7pm. The jrSPCA is a group of 6th - 12th graders dedicated to learning about and loving animals. They have monthly meetings and take on 3-4 fundraising projects a year. SPCA, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. Www.letlovelive.org. 19 Palmetto Retriever Club Hunting Test. Cooper Black Wildlife Management Area, Cheraw, SC. Michelle Love, 803.463.1313, michellelove2000@yahoo.com. 20 Lotts Creek Beagle Club of East Georgia Hunting Trial. 22901 Talmadge Lane, Pembroke, GA. Aneta Hendrix, 912. 681.8522, aneta1smith@yahoo. com. 27-28 Carolina Lure Coursing Society Lure Coursing Trial. Polo Field, 130 Polo Lane, Camden, SC. Larry Richards, 704.483.6269, tntskids@aol.com. 29 FOTAS Hunter Pace. Fox Nation, Windsor, SC. Www.fotusaiken.org. 1

The Dog & Hound

Andy

by Michael Thomas Ford

“It’s all right,” I tell Andy as I rub his ears. “If you’re tired and you need to go, it’s okay to go. I’ll be right here with you.” This is a lie. It’s not okay at all. I don’t want him to go. But he’s very sick. Three nights before, he woke me up, vomiting so violently that he passed out. We spent most of the next day at the vet. Blood tests revealed that he has pancreatitis, which particularly in older and smaller dogs (both of which he is) can easily be fatal. His body has turned against him. Normally, he would be hospitalized. But he doesn’t do well when he’s away from me, and so we’re trying outpatient visits, going in every day for treatment and watching him closely for signs that he’s failing. He has his treatments in the morning, and is noticeably better during the day, but by nighttime the restorative powers of the various shots and fluids seem to fade, and after three days of this I wonder if this will be his last night. He’s nestled on the bed in his favorite blanket, a blue plaid fleece. I wrap him up and he sighs deeply. I try to distract myself from worrying about him by reading, but I keep stopping to make sure he’s still breathing, afraid that if I linger too long on a sentence, or try to finish a chapter, I’ll look up to find that he’s gone. I give up and put the book down. Surrounded by the other three dogs, all of whom are sleeping peacefully, I watch Andy’s back rise and fall. It’s a strange business, waiting for death. If it’s going to come, I want it to happen quickly, as the waiting is simultaneously emotionally demanding and excruciatingly tedious. I don’t want to wake up in a world without Andy, but I also don’t want him to decline further. Up to now, he’s been happy and active. I’d prefer that he go easily and peacefully before his quality of life suffers. But dogs seldom do, at least not in my experience. I’ve seen almost a dozen dogs through their final days, and with only one exception, each one forced me to make the choice for them. My theory is that dogs don’t want to disappoint us, and so they hang on as long as possible, reluctant to break up the pack. It’s admirable, but heartbreaking. I’ve been fortunate, however, that all of my dogs have lived long lives. Although it’s always too soon, I’ve usually had many years with them, time to store up good memories and to give them as much love as possible before sending them on their ways. As I watch Andy sleep, I think of the 11 years we’ve had together. I remember our first meeting, in the recovery room of a shelter in San Francisco, where he was recuperating after being hit by a car and picked up by animal control. “He’s a little difficult,” the shelter director told me. “But look at those ears.”

The Dog & Hound

His ears were indeed impressive. And he was indeed difficult. Our first week together was an uneasy one, as he displayed a remarkable inability to behave according to any rules of polite society. But then he got very sick with a throat infection, and spent a few days sleeping curled in my lap as I worked on a novel and the prescribed antibiotics did their job. When it was all over, we had come to an understanding: I would love him unconditionally and he would try not to be quite such a jerk. We’ve both mostly kept our promises, although our time together has not been without drama. Andy has several scars from run-ins with larger dogs. One of his canine teeth sits in my bedside table drawer, the casualty of an encounter with a Dalmatian. He seems to have inherited the worst traits of his Chihuahua-terrier forebears, but truth be told, of all the dogs I’ve ever shared my heart with, Andy is the most like me, and I can’t imagine life without him. I haven’t slept much since the night he woke me with his retching, and now it catches up with me. I fall asleep and have uneasy dreams. Several times I wake and think that he’s gone, as he doesn’t seem to be breathing. But then his sides move, or an ear twitches. Once he opens an eye and watches me for a long moment before going back to sleep. He looks old and tired, and once again I think I should tell him that it’s okay to let go. But I don’t. Selfishly, I want more time with him. At six o’clock I wake up when, per our morning ritual, George, my smallest boy, sits on my chest and smacks my face with a paw. I’m surprised that I’ve slept so long without waking up to check on Andy. Now I’m afraid what I might find, especially when I see that he Andy Portrait by Sarah Higdon hasn’t moved at all during the night. But when I call his name, his big ears perk up and he looks at me. He yawns, stands up, and stretches. His tail wags. When I ask him if he wants some breakfast, he jumps down and runs to the bedroom door. For a moment, I think I’m dreaming again. Later, the vet will declare him, if not cured, better. He will have to be on special food the rest of his life. This could happen again. At the moment, though, he’s okay. “I guess God decided it wasn’t his time,” the vet says, and I don’t contradict her, even though I suspect stubbornness is more responsible than heavenly intervention. As we ride home, I rub Andy’s ears and thank him for deciding not to go. One day, I know he’ll have to. And I won’t be any more ready then than I am today. This dress rehearsal won’t make the final performance any easier. But I’m grateful for more time—another day, another week, another month. For now, this is enough. Michael Thomas Ford has written many books, but none of them have been about dogs. His novel “LILY” will be published by Lethe Press in 2015.

Fall 2014

The Dog & Hound

803-648-1711

4259 Whiskey Road Aiken SC

Outst a n d i n g Cra f t smans hi p • Custom Homes • Barns • Major Remodels • Additions

E xcept i o n a l Cu sto mer S e r v i ce

Please visit our website at www.wolfconstruction.com