Have You Ever Thought About Being A Foster Carer.....

There's been a lot going on of late, as more and more dogs seem to find themselves unwanted. However, we have to keep going and I am delighted to announce some more exciting new SHAK Club dates for you diary which are listed below.

Further details will be available soon, but they include a new �Interested In Fostering� open day, a �Join Our Team� day and something I�m really looking forward too..... �Care Of Your Dog Through The Ages� looking after an older dog  with guest speaker Hannah Walker from Moorview Vets.

The 'Interested In Fostering' open day runs along the same format as the previous 'Join Our Team' days have, but this time the morning will focus on another very important way you can help our dogs without being involved at the kennels.

We are looking to build a network of foster carers that range from taking a dog home for a short period of time so we can assess if he or she is ready to make the next move, to providing a caring environment for a dog to recover after surgery, illness or emaciation, to a longer term commitment until they find a new Forever Foster home.

It is important that the environment is right for each individual dog, so I think its very important to point out that we will not place dogs with children or cats and small furries unless we have prior history that they have lived with them before.

You really could make a difference to one of our dogs, by helping them take the next step.....

So if your are interested why not come for a 'no strings attached' talk on the 2nd of April at 10.30am at our base in Greenwell Road, Alnwick NE66 1HB. Please RSVP shakclub@shak.org.uk

�DATES FOR YOUR DIARY.....�

Mar 31st 2016... - FREE Microchipping with Northumberland Animal Welfare Team &
a �Donation  Drop Off� Day 12pm-3pm

April 2nd 2016... �Interested In Fostering� Open morning 10.30am-12pm

Apr 14th 2016 - 6pm... �Infection Management� with Essential Equilibrium with Leigh Smyth

April 23rd 2016... �Join Our Team� An opportunity to learn more about how to become a SHAK Volunteer. 10.30am-12pm

April 28th 2016.. �Caring For Your Dog Through The Ages�A talk about the older dog by
Moorview vet  Hannah Walker 7.30pm

Apr 30th 2016 - All Day.. �Reiki Level 1 with Leigh Smyth

May 5th 2016 - 6pm... �Parasite Management� with  Leigh Smyth

May 15th 2016 - All Day... Reiki For Animals with Leigh Smyth

Aug 14th 2016 - All Day... Reiki Level 2 with Leigh Smyth

Sept 18th 2016 - All Day... Reiki Level 2 with Leigh Smyth

A Little Reminder.....

Just a little remember about our FREE Microchipping day at SHAK HQ next Thursday in today's Northumberland Gazette......

Meanwhile in the Philippines...

Wait until they start gaiting.

Kennel Club announces new template for the German Shepherd

I am not sure if Britney is a purebred shep. I suspect there's collie in there. But wouldn't it be special if today's show-bred German Shepherds looked and could perform like this.

The headline?

Wishful thinking.

British Veterinary Association: statement re Crufts

The British Veterinary Association today issued a statement expressing concern about some of the decisions made by judges at this year's Crufts - and says it is looking forward to hearing more from the Kennel Club about how it will address the issues.

The statement in full:

"We share the concerns expressed by members of the public regarding some of the decisions made by judges at this year's Crufts. Improving the health and welfare of dogs is a key priority for BVA and its members, and the current debate highlights the importance of responsible breeding to optimise the health and welfare of  our dog population.

"The remit of vets at Crufts is to assess the health of the dogs through hands on examinations, while decisions about conformation are the preserve of the judges. We look forward to hearing more  from the Kennel Club about how it will work with judges to address existing protocols and the guidelines referred to when making their decisions. 

"In their day to day work vets see first-hand the tragic consequences that can result from poor breeding, as owners are faced with serious and avoidable health problems in their new pets. Anybody thinking of getting a dog must make sure that they understand the potential breed-related health problems. If members of the public are keen to purchase a specific breed we would urge that they should only buy from responsible breeders who have carried out the appropriate health tests on the parenys before they are bred from. By collectively taking responsibility when buying a puppy, downloading the AWF/RSPCA puppy contract and using it to ask the right questions, owners can ensure they come home with a happy and healthy pet and help improve the health and welfare of our dog population."

LEAKED LETTER: KC downplays Crufts furore to members

It's been a grim Crufts for the Kennel Club - with the scandal over that German Shepherd  and that Pekingese continuing to reverberate in the UK and abroad.

But, in a letter sent to to  Kennel Club members last week, KC Chairman Simon Luxmoore describes this year's show as a "quite marvellous event". He also refers to the fuss as "one or two breed specific issues" and insists that he "neither overheard nor received a negative comment" as he walked round the show.

Now, of course there are good things about Crufts. (In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's all good - other than what Luxmoore describes as "our shop floor" - the breed rings.) And I can understand the KC wanting to put a positive spin on things. But did Luxmoore even stop to think how the cursory dismissal of the worst PR the KC has received since Pedigree Dogs Exposed would look when this letter leaked, as it surely would?

The letter in full.

Dear Fellow Member 

I thought it appropriate to give you a brief update on a number of issues prior to our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 17th May. 

Firstly, I would like to reflect on Crufts 2016 which, barring one or two 'breed specific' issues, which will be addressed by the Board in the coming weeks, I believe was a quite marvellous event with many highlights, and expertly delivered by both Gerald King and Vanessa McAlpine, and their respective teams. With over 160,000 visitors and a peak television viewing audience of almost three million people, more than in any previous year, I felt that the NEC staff, our press and media teams performed with great credit. 

We enjoyed a very successful 'royal' visit on Saturday, 12th March and I can report that our President, Prince Michael of Kent, in the company of Princess Michael, thoroughly enjoyed the time they spent with us. 

Everyone who participated will have their own highlights but I wanted to share my top three with you. Together with my wife, Pauline, we attended the Junior Handling Association's International dinner prior to the competition the following day. At this dinner, each of the 45 competitors from 45 different countries took the microphone and spoke about themselves, their pride and pleasure in being at Crufts and wished each other the very best of luck in the competition � �eye watering�, I can assure you. Secondly, the sight of 9 year old Lauren Bridges on taking Group 4 in the Pastoral Group with her Samoyed and then marching forward to congratulate those in front of her was memorable. I would suggest these two events themselves give us great hope for the future. Thirdly, the many 'activity' events which adorn the arena, the YKC arena, and elsewhere for what seems like an eternity, cannot go unmentioned. Whilst 'Pudsey's' win in the medium-sized dog agility championship brought me special pleasure, there was a host of other top level competition which was not only mouth-watering in its content but ran like clockwork. 

Last but not least, on the many miles I walked around the rings 'our shop floor' over the four days, I neither overheard nor received a negative comment. Everyone appeared very upbeat and we should all seek to build on this. 

Beyond Crufts, I am delighted to report that the Kennel Club has 'exchanged and completed' on the Aylesbury property project and 'exchanged' with a view to near term 'completion' on the Emblehope property project. The Chepstow project is progressing and will be presented to the members via the Board at an appropriate time. 

The working parties are progressing and the Governance working party, supported by the Board, is set to make a number of proposals to the membership at the AGM. It is proposed that this working party will continue its work in the months to come with a renewed agenda aimed at advancing both the business and 'sporting' sides of Kennel Club activity. 

The Communications working party continues to 'move things forward' on the back of consultation and review through 'focus groups' and you will be updated on progress at the AGM. Likewise, the 'Crossbreeds' working party is making slower but steady progress on a range of issues, and again you will be briefed in May. 

We had advised you at our November meeting that we would be bringing proposals to the membership in May regarding a possible revision to our membership structure in the context of 'out of town membership'. I can advise you that these proposals will not be brought forward at the May meeting but deferred for discussion later in 2016 since the Board considered that every effort should be focussed by the members on the proposed Governance changes. 

I do hope that as many Members as possible will be able to attend the AGM and in the meantime, enjoy the Spring!

Child Witnesses on the Stand with Dogs at Their Feet: Judges Deal with Complex Issues While Lawmakers Look for Photo Ops

The law on dogs accompanying children and vulnerable witnesses during testimony continues to develop, both in terms of courts accepting the practice and state legislatures enacting statutes to permit it.  For four years now I have been maintaining an article on this topic on the website of the Animal Legal & Historical Center of Michigan State University and I have just updated that article for the fourth time. 

While the trend towards acceptance of this canine function is a positive one, I continue to be concerned that certain interest groups are having too much influence, particularly with state legislators who are looking for sound bites where they can show their concern for abused children and have themselves photographed with cute puppies.  The approaches of some state legislatures, and some courts, are at risk of creating an unnecessary monopoly on who may train these dogs, with consequent limitations on the number of dogs that can be made available and overly rigid formats on how they can be used in the courtroom.  I believe that this area of law should, at this time, be allowed to develop organically from the cases presented to the criminal courts�that, in other words, the common law tradition should be allowed to develop free of legislative grandstanding. 

CASES AND STATUTES ON THE USE OF DOGS BY WITNESSES WHILE TESTIFYING IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS: A Periodically Updated Online Article