I have just received the most beautiful calendar featuring many paintings of Cavaliers.  I thought if you had last minute shopping for your Cavalier loving friends, that one of these calendars might make an ideal gift.  Barbara Garnett- Wilson and her husband Roy have designed the calendar which has been nominated by the Dog Writers Association of American to receive an award in February.  Take a look:

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001JNABCU8DApN_eDDy_1dtOF45vazV6hy8Q0_K9FF6-NiDNKoUqFfYc-KhvHcY_os64L_z0T1fa2aOrvt7yX6L–o3ZFRUXEcsGNMRFl8MhqzG3vssiyOE_g%3D%3D

It is now the Advent season leading to Christmas, the birth of our Savior.  Trying to keep the religious significance of this increasingly commercial season is hard with all thy hype going on.  I just hope that we all remember the food pantries so in need in this economy and give any donations of clothing and food we can.  I for one will not be passing up the Salvation Army Santas this year as the Salvation Army in our county served Thanksgiving dinner to many more people in need than ever this year. 

The state of Ohio is so broke that many social services that help the poor may be cut back. However, the legislation to create a Kennel Authority in HB223/SB173 is in committee. Does not make sense.  There is also a tax being proposed by our EPA in Washington that would tax every farm animal for the amount of emissions it creates.  The “fart tax” it is being labeled and I am not kidding.  More on this and other legislation next time.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!! We in this country have so much for which to be thankful even in the bad times we are having.  I am grateful that we finally sold our farm to my niece and her husband who will run a boarding kennel.  I am grateful that after ten years of retirement, I am back in Columbus Public Schools as a substitute principal.  I really have missed children so this is a great way to be involved yet not have to work every day. I am grateful for my husband, the long suffering guy being married to me.  I am grateful for my wonderful Cavaliers, my crossbred Snoop ( no I did not name him), and my cat Emma who is finally a house cat because Snoop decided it was not worth doing a job on Emma.  The two of them now sleep back to back on our bed.

I am grateful for our lovely new home as we are so very happy here.  Most of all I am grateful for my faith and the knowledge that God does provide.  I pray that He is watching over all of our fellow Americans who are losing their jobs and their homes, going to soup kitchens and food pantries for the first time, and trying to survive in our present rotten economy.  We can only pray for those less fortunate, give generously when we can, and ask God to protect and bless these United States of America as we do all we can to turn this economy around so that everyone can have a job, health care, and a place to call home. 

Anti breeding legislation is coming to a head in Ohio, but more on that tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving to you all.  Kiss your Cavaliers!!!  Meredith

I keep meaning to update this blog more frequently, but have been so busy with so much going on in our lives.  First of all yard work, yard work, yard work–both here and on our farm.  I go into a planting frenzy every spring and fall; since this was our first fall at our wonderful new home, I have gone crazy extending flower beds, planting probably much too many bulbs, spruce trees, Washington Hawthorn seedlings from our farm to line our property, split perennials from the farm, and my precious daylilies which have followed me from house to house for almost forty years.  Four weeks of yard work from morning until night does wonders for one’s hands–NOT!!!  Al is thanking my upcoming judging assignment this weekend for forcing me to stop the yard work and get my hands and nails done so I look more “lady like,”  a state to which I have never really aspired. 

Our lovely Ch. Rattlebridge Delta Dawn has her first litter of three boys and a girl which are really darling.  The rest of our dogs are doing great at our new home although I am sure they must miss all the acres that they had to run at the farm.  We do field trips to the farm often for them to run and play. 

I do wish the farm would sell, but the market in our former county is so horrible that we can only hope with the election over that things might pick up.  Please pray for our new President and Vice President that God guides them to bring our country back not only economically but internationally also.  We all have to suck it up and do our best to give back to our country which is the best place to live in the world.

I love the following little story and thought others might enjoy reading it.  “Puppy Size” follows:

This little story has been reprinted many times.  Author seems to be unknown. This is one of the neatest stories you will ever hear. You will know precisely what this little girl is talking about at the end (you’ll want to share this one with your loved ones and special friends)! It is called

“Puppy Size”

Danielle keeps repeating it over and over again. “We’ve been back to this

animal shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now since we

started all of this,” the mother told the volunteer.

“What is it she keeps asking for?”, the volunteer asked.

“‘Puppy size!'” replied the mother.

“Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that’s what she’s looking for.”

“I know… we have seen most of them”, the mom said in frustration.

Just then Danielle came walking into the office.

“Well, did you find one?” asked her mom. “No, not this time,” Danielle

said with sadness in her voice. “Can we come back on the weekend?”

The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed.

“You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there’s always

a supply,” the volunteer said.

Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. “Don’t

worry, I’ll find one this weekend,” she said.

Over the next few days both Mom and Dad had long conversations with her.

They both felt she was being too particular. “It’s this weekend or we’re

not looking any more,” Dad finally said in frustration.

“We don’t want to hear anything more about ‘puppy size’, either,” Mom

added.

Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning.

By now Danielle knew her way around, so she ran right for the section

that housed the smaller dogs.

Tired of the routine, mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the

first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could see the

animals during times when visitors weren’t permitted.

Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a

closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one.

One by one she said, “Sorry, but you’re not the one.”

It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup.

The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the

dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer.

“Mom, that’s it! I found the right puppy! He’s the one! I know it!” She

screamed with joy. “It’s the puppy size!”

“But it’s the same size as all the other puppies you held over the last

few weeks,” Mom said.

“No…not size… The sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed”, she

said.

“Don’t you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me

love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love, the bigger

the sigh!”

The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn’t know whether

to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little

of both.

“Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from

work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right

puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms”, she said.

Then, holding the puppy up close to her face, she said, “Mom, he loves

me. I heard the sighs of his heart!”

Close your eyes for a moment and think about the love that makes you

sigh. I not only find it in the arms of my loved ones, but in the caress

of a sunset, the kiss of the moonlight and the gentle brush of cool air

on a hot day. Take the time to stop and listen; you will be surprised at

what you hear. ‘Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the

moments that take our breath away.

Until next time . . .      Meredith

 

This wonderful story has been circulating on the dog lists and hits the nail on the head in my opinion!!! I don’t know the author or point of origin, but please enjoy.

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ‘I know why.’

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, ‘People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?’ The six-year-old continued, ‘Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.’

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Finally our electric and phones are back on.  Ike had his way in Ohio also. Lots of damage, but nothing like Texas had of course. We lost our electricity  last Saturday and it came on again yesterday,  We have Time Warner which uses the electric lines so despite us having a big generator to run the refrigerators, freezer, and microwave, no television programming and no phones. The generator came with the new house and kept the kitchen, master bedroom, and half the dog room in light. We used our old dependable oil lamps for whatever else we needed. 

The legislation battle continues on. Now the state of Massachusetts, ongoing in Chicago and other hot spots.  Michigan’s proposed legislation is dead in the water right now and we assume Ohio will bring up SB173 and HB223 soon.  The war against purebred dogs continues with the animal rightists claiming how many health problems purebred dogs have.  There has been research done on the problems of mixed breeds which are just as many or more than purebred dogs.  With a purebred, one knows the looks and temperament the breed should have.  I am not saying one should not desire to have mixed breeds to love.  I have one, our Snoop who came for two days and stayed eight years, who is a wonderful, devoted companion; all my beloved cats have also been rescued.  I am all for rescuing dogs and cats from shelters and puppy mills; I believe every dog and cat should have a forever home and I have worked in rescue to try to help.  I also know that if the reputable breeders are shamed because we breed purebred dogs something is very wrong with our system.  (In so many ways–just look at the state of our economy).  We are doing a much better job of spaying and neutering our pets; so much so that many shelters do not have enough adoptable animals and have to import from other countries or get them from other shelters.

The tail often wags the dog in our country; we cannot let the agenda of the animal rightists win for that agenda is to end the ownership of all animals. Please check what is going on in your community, town or city, and state.  If we pass restrictive dog ownership or breeding legislation, the good breeders will not be able to continue and all that will be left are shelters, puppy mills, backyard, and commercial breeders. I may have already told this story here, but feel it bears repeating. I recently bought “a breeding pair” of Cavaliers from a multiple breed breeder who felt that Cavaliers took too long to breed and she wanted “breeders” who could be bred on the first season. She had gotten the breeding pair from the Amish. Papers were not in order.  I paid a thousand dollars which with two mortgages was difficult.  Buying dogs from such circumstances is not a great idea as it only encourages so called breeders to breed more.  However, I could not tolerate the idea of one more breeding pair producing in my county.  I took them immediately to my vet for a check up and neutering; they stayed several days to ensure they were totally healthy.  They had great temperaments as it is often hard to find a Cavalier with a bad temperament no matter what its background.  My attorney who had just lost his Cavalier, volunteered to reimburse me and give them a home. The moral of this story is to be very careful when you buy a purebred dog. I believe in giving shelter dogs a home and have done so through the years, but with a purebred dog one can tell what that dog will be at maturity in temperament and looks.  Purebred certainly can have genetic faults, but so can mixed breeds.I have just read a couple of research articles on the problems found in mixed breeds and there can be many.  All animals as well as all humans can have health problems of one kind of another. As long as we are made of corporeal bodies and not steel parts, we will continue to malfunction!!!  Kiss your pets no matter purebred or mixed parentage.

until next time . . .

 

California has defeated AB 1634 which would have changed the face of breeding dogs in the State.  It was a hard battle, but the voices of sanity won.  Now there are two more pending cases that must be defeated.  In Chicago, there is a mandatory spay/neuter law being proposed in the city.  It must be defeated; if you live in Chicago, please check out this looming legislation and let your voices be heard against it.  In Michigan, newly proposed legislation would again attempt to control and curtail breeding, but as in Chicago and California would hit the reputable breeders the hardest.  Ohio has such legislation also being proposed but there has been enough pressure on the State Legislature, that the two bills, HB223 and SB173, have not yet been passed.

Let’s look at the new developments in Michigan:

From the AKC:

Michigan Breeder Bill Introduced [Thursday, September 04, 2008]

Yesterday, Representative Bill Caul of Mt. Pleasant introduced Michigan House

Bill 6395, which proposes to strictly regulate virtually all responsible dog

breeders. It is imperative that all concerned responsible dog breeders in

Michigan contact the members of the House Agriculture Committee, which currently

has cognizance of the bill, and their elected Representatives and express their

vehement opposition to this bill.

The American Kennel Club opposes the concept of breeding permits, breeding bans,

or mandatory spay/neuter of purebred dogs. Instead, we support reasonable and

enforceable laws that protect the welfare and health of purebred dogs and do not

restrict the rights of breeders and owners who take their responsibilities

seriously.

If adopted, HB 6395 would:

* Define anyone who sells or offers for sale more than two dogs per

year, or more than one litter of dogs per year, as a “pet seller.”

* Mandate that those who qualify as pet sellers to acquire an

annual pet seller license from their county animal control shelter at

a cost of $200/year.

* Require an applicant for a pet seller license to submit his or

her fingerprints with a license application for a criminal history

and FBI background check.

* Give discretion to county animal control shelters to deny

applications for pet seller licenses, regardless of outcome of

background investigation.

* Call for pet sellers to comply with administrative rules

regarding housing that will be financially detrimental to responsible

breeders who operate out of their homes.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Michigan residents should contact the members of the House Agriculture Committee

listed below and their elected Representatives and express their strong

opposition to this onerous legislation.

Michigan House Agriculture Committee:

Representative Jeff Mayes, Chairman

S1285 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-8881

Phone: 517-373-0158

jeffmayes@house.mi.gov

Representative Barb Byrum, Majority Vice-Chair

S1086 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-9430

Phone: 517-373-0587

barbbyrum@house.mi.gov

Representative Kathy Angerer

S0989 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-7757

Phone: 517-373-1792

kathyangerer@house.mi.gov

Representative Terry L. Brown

S1188 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-9852

Phone: 517-373-0476

terrybrown@house.mi.gov

Representative Kathleen Law

S0787 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-5922

Phone: 517-373-0855

kathleenlaw@house.mi.gov

Representative Gabe Leland

S0689 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-5985

Phone: 517-373-6990

gabeleland@house.mi.gov

Representative Joel Sheltrown

S1387 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-5495

Phone: 517-373-3817

joelsheltrown@house.mi.gov

Representative Howard Walker

S1388 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-9420

Phone: 517-373-1766

howardwalker@house.mi.gov

Representative Neal Nitz

N1097 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-5918

Phone: 517-373-1796

nealnitz@house.mi.gov

Representative Richard Ball

S1189 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-7937

Phone: 517-373-0841

richardball@house.mi.gov

Representative Arlan B. Meekhof

N1193 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-9830

Phone: 517-373-0838

arlanbmeekhof@house.mi.gov

To find your Michigan State Representative, go to

http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp

For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department

at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.

 

 

 

In the past couple of months, we have lost tow of our older Cavalier ladies. Rattlebridge Time after Time loved and owned by Roxy Hayes since “Kelsey” was eight weeks old.  

 

  

 

Roxy bought Time after Time from one of our first litters.  Her sire was my beloved Bounce.  While she did not turn out to be a show girl, she was a wonderful producer beginning Roxy’s Roxian line.  She was also Roxy’s soulmate just as my Bounce, Bandi, and now Clooney have been to me.  Of course, no one comes close to me as my Bandi or as close to Roxy as her Kelsey Sue.  Bounce kids have always been special.

Two weeks ago, I lost my wonderful, yet sometimes annoying, Ch. Rattlebridge Rosie O’Grady, ROM.  Rosie and I had a power play going on since she was a puppy.  She loved me, but certainly would never give me the benefit of showing her utter devotion.  Yet she was devoted to me.  I was the only person who showed her.  She and I were a team and while in the ring she did all I asked, but step out of the ring and she took total control, barking “Yeah, Right.” at me constantly.  She died one month shy of fourteen and I will miss her for a long, long time.  Sleep well, my pushy girl, and give all my other loves a big kiss (in your own sparing way, of course). Tell them one of the benefits of my leaving this earth will be to embrace all my dogs once more as well as hopefully seeing The One who created us all.