Our Caring Nature... Genetic or Dog-Induced?
FROM THE EXECUTIVE EDITOR EMERITUS Joseph Neil McGinnis III I I I
In all my years in dogs—now, more than forty—I’ve never felt such ur- gency to fight for our rights. Or at least for our dogs’ and sport’s rights. We are up against formidable foes who’d like to see our favorite pastime become a thing of the past. I’m speaking of course of the “animal rights” groups who really don’t have animals’ rights in mind. They have an agenda which they’re pushing, and pushing hard. They have the money and the manpower to shovel moun- tains of misinformation in front of gullible, well-meaning souls who are brainwashed by the slick, sickening
(He’s also a truly great ringside announcer.) I also want to ex- tend my congratulations and thanks to the entire Club for an- other tremendous event. Events transpired in the last few months to test the mettle of the most optimistic. Raging for- est fires in North and South Cal- ifornia forced many thousands from their homes, and pets, live- stock and wildlife from those For more information or to donate: LV FIRE RELIEF c/o Valerie Nunez-Atkinson lvfirerelief.org FIDO PET FOOD BANK EMERGENCY RESPONSE c/o Nancy Martin 971-678-6940 Above left: Valerie & CJ Left: Nancy
publicity. Well, it’ll take a powerful weapon to combat them and we need to stop being complacent. Luckily we have the ideal ar- mament to fight the battle: we have us. As Nancy Martin pointed out to me, what better publicity can we have than for the general public to see the caring nature of the average fancier? We who are pilloried for owning, much less breed-
ing, the purpose-bred dogs that are the light of our lives. Most everyone in the sport expends a great deal of time and en- ergy doing for others, not just caring about themselves or their personal dogs. We’re quick to help when someone aches, and we’re quick to act when someone’s in peril. And when I say “someone” I mean either canine or human. Is it part and parcel of the genetic makeup of the dog-lover? Or do the dogs make us better people? It’s debat- able, but it’s also dependable. I cannot count the times in my life that fellow fanciers have rallied around a charitable cause, but I’ve always known we can count on us to come up to the plate in a time of crisis. The Animal Rights attack can be viewed as nothing less.
So let’s work even harder to promote this aspect of our lives. I hereby present exhibits A through C but it’s just a start. Above I am pictured with three people who’ve poured huge amounts of energy and effort into our world. It was taken by a patient bartender fol- lowing BIS at the National Dog Show hosted by the KC of Philadel- phia. The televised coverage of this show provides the fancy, and the world, with a wonderful display of sportsmanship, excellent dogflesh, and hopefully piques the interest of those who might join us. I’m proud to be pictured with Steve Sansone, Debbie Scott and Wayne Ferguson, bright lights of the Club, and shining examples of what individuals can do to better our world. There has been much discussion about the coverage which the world saw on Thanksgiving Day. People complained that every sin- gle dog wasn’t shown. People complained that the breed descrip- tions were too vague. People complained about other stuff, too. But let’s be practical about it: for the kind of publicity we’re getting, if they asked me to show my dog wearing a tutu (hopefully the dog, not me, but whatever) I’d say Sure. We are getting a huge shot in the arm by the happy vibes emanating from screens in homes around the globe. Special thanks to Club President Wayne Fergu- son, who also heads Morris & Essex, for all he does to benefit us.
lovely hills were tossed out of safety zones and into dire straits. I’m proud to say that our fellow dog lovers have pitched in big time. Two of the many spearheading rescue efforts are Valerie Nunez- Atkinson (along with Westminster BIS “CJ”), in SoCal, and Nancy Martin up north. I hope to have more on these developments but for now I just want to say Thank You All for All You Do. As any of us know who’ve worked in rescue, especially follow- ing a natural disaster, once it’s out of the headlines people lose in- terest. Yet those needing assistance may need it for many months to come. We must keep up the work till the work’s no longer needed. Again, my heart goes out to all affected by this catastrophe, and my thanks to my fellow fanciers for another inspirational act. We’re smack in the middle of the whirlwind that hits this time each year: from now till Louisville the time seems to fly. Please take some time to hug your dogs, hug a fancier in need, and enjoy the tremendous adventure that we’re on, all due to our dogs. Happy Holidays! I’ll see you next month.
14 • S how S ight M agazine , D ecember 2018
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