The Lancaster Love  fundraiser is now over but this is not the end of the story by any means.  Through your generous donations we raised over 1400.00 to pay some of the outstanding vet bills on these 92 Chows which is wonderful.  Thank you all so much for your participation in the project.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE UPDATED LANCASTER LOVE PAGE WITH NEW HAPPY ENDINGS

In the process of helping Christine Farnell work on this fundraiser, it really hit home just how just how HARD these volunteers work and how much of their time and HEARTS and even a little piece of their  sanity they give on behalf of our breed.  I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all you do.

Turn on your volume and click the arrow on the video to see my dedication to the Lancaster Love volunteers, the rescued chows, and ALL those worldwide who give a part of themselves to do the work that most of us couldn’t dream of doing.  You are true heros to our beloved breed and I thank you!

BE SURE TO WATCH ALL THE WAY TO THE END ….THERE IS MORE WHEN THE SONG STOPS

An auction will be arranged in the near future to try to raise more funds for the Humane League of Lancaster County and various unpaid vet bills.  Stay tuned to the link above for info

BELOW IS A NEW FUND I STARTED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE HUMANE LEAGUE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE ANY AMOUNT AT ANY TIME.  I WILL PUT THIS IN THE SIDEBAR OF WORLDCHOW SOON SO IT IS EASY TO FIND.  THIS IS FOR PAYPAL PAYMENTS AND I SET A BASLINE GOAL OF 500.00 USD BY OCTOBER 31, 2009.  THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN

Well my friends, after almost a full year of the UK Chow Standard being in a wild roller coaster ride of amendments and interim discussions, petitions (SEE BELOW)  and committee brainstorming, the UK Chow Standard is final and will come into effect as of Oct 1, 2009.

I  would like to personally start a round of applause and invite you all to join me in thanking everyone across the globe who worked so hard on the behalf of our breed to protect the integrity of the long reignng UK chow standard and the unique stilted gait, plus many other points of concern in the proposed interim standard.

Thanks of course also goes to those at the UKKC  who took the time to hear the experts, the breeders and the facts set before them.  Without cooperation between the chow community and the UKKC our concerns as breeders and chow fanciers  would not have been heard and our breed would have lost it’s most unique characteristics

The changes are so much better than I anticipated, and the addition of PENDULUM LIKE ACTION, no matter how perfect or imperfect the rest of the wording is…. creates a “visual” that one cannot forget.  Even without the actual word “stilted” in the standard, there is no denying how this “IDEAL” Chow is to be moving , because of those 3 perfectly descriptive words…PENDULUM LIKE ACTION.

Illustrations of pendulum gait courtesy CCCI WEBSITE

Below find the letter from Mrs. Hallet at the UKKC with the revised standard, as well as a copy of the Worldchow petiton from December 08,  voicing the concerns from the Chow Community at large, of the  wording in the  Interim standard

(below…in a second letter update)

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BELOW IS THE WORDING TO THE THE  INTERIM STANDARD THAT WAS PROPOSED INITIALLY BY THE UKKC, TAKEN FROM THE WORLDCHOW PETITION THAT LOVE BANGHART AND I CO AUTHORED WHICH WAS SUBMITED TO MRS. HALLET AT THE UKKC IN DECEMBER 2008

1761 SIGNATURES WERE GATHERED INTERNATIONALLY

CLICK HERE FOR THE CURRENT INTERIM STANDARD ON THE UKKC SITE

WE, THE SIGNEES OF THIS PETITION,ASSERT THAT THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE UK CHOW CHOW STANDARD ARE UNACCEPATABLE AND SHOULD NOT BE APPROVED FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS

A hard copy of this petition was submitted via FED EX to the UK Kennel Club on December 24, 2008

PLEASE CONTINUE ADDING YOUR SIGNATURES AS I WILL BE SENDING THE UK KC AN UPDATE BEFORE JUNE 30TH 2009. THANK YOU!
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This petition is respectfully presented in reaction to the UK Kennel Club proposed changes to the Chow Chow breed standard. Signatures are those of Chow Chow fanciers from around the world who are concerned with the impact of the proposed changes to the long term protection and preservation of the Chow Chow . We all share your commitment to producing healthy dogs, but feel that the proposed changes are not based upon fact and will have a negative impact upon our breed.

We appreciate your attention to the following recommendations and comments which we have added between ***asterisks***
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ALL STANDARDS WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH FROM JANUARY 2009:

A Breed Standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function. Absolute soundness is essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be careful to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed. From time to time certain conditions or exaggerations may be considered to have the potential to affect dogs in some breeds adversely, and judges and breeders are requested to refer to the Kennel Club website for details of any such current issues. If a feature or quality is desirable it should only be present in the right measure.

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***This is a good paragraph to add & we welcome it with the exception of two statements which are neither scientifically accurate nor factual.***
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STATEMENT 1: 
Absolute soundness is essential
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***
This is scientifically impossible for any human or animal, since it requires perfection. Such an inaccurate statement could give the impression that it was just made to appeal to the media-hyped masses & that the KC did not view this from the perspective of a scientifically accurate viewpoint , truly caring about the future health of breeds.***
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STATEMENT 2: 
From time to time certain conditions or exaggerations may be considered to have the potential to affect dogs in some breeds adversely.
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***
This statement is based on assumption, not proof. It could make the KC appear to be making blanket statements not based on fact but on people’s opinions. Assumptions are unacceptable.***
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CHOW CHOW GENERAL APPEARANCE

Active, compact, short-coupled and essentially well balanced, leonine in appearance, proud, dignified bearing; well knit frame; tail carried well over back. Should always be able to move freely and must not have so much coat as to impede activity or cause distress in hot weather.

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*** 

Should always be able to move freely 
This statement is acceptable  ***
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CHOW COAT
Smooth: coat short, [delete - abundant,] dense, straight, upstanding, not flat, plush-like in texture. Any artificial shortening of the coat which alters the natural outline or expression should be penalized. 
Must not have so much coat as to cause distress in hot weather.
must not have so much coat as to impede activity or cause distress in hot weather

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***When Chows have problems in heat, this is not a COAT problem but a BREATHING problem. Exaggeration in type should be avoided (and is well addressed in the KC Introduction).
The new text about coat will not solve anything in this respect. This statement, as written, would endorse severe trimming and shaping of the coat, which is contrary to the standard discouraging trimming of the Chow coat. The statement would also endorse the acceptance of documented health issues which affect the natural growth of coat. This could be corrected by referencing “the natural coat”. Should also state that lack of coat to the extent that protection in cold weather is not acceptable***
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STILTED GAIT
Characteristic Quiet dog, good guard, bluish-black tongue; [Delete ‘unique in its stilted gait’]. 

Hindquarters Hindlegs muscular, hocks well let down, with moderate [delete ‘minimal’] angulation. [Delete ‘essential to produce characteristic stilted gait’]. From hocks downwards to appear straight, hocks never flexing forward. 

Gait/Movement Relatively short stepping. [Delete ‘short and stilted’.] Forelegs and hindlegs moving parallel to each other and straight forward. Dogs should always be able to move freely and soundly without any sign of distress.

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***It is extremely important to note that there are many other breeds in which the incidence of ligament problems are much higher that the chow chow. Many mixed breed dogs are also requiring ligament repairs. Veterinary literature document that ligament rupture occurs in dogs of all sizes, but is most prevalent in larger breeds including Bernese Mountain dogs, Bullmastiffs, Chows, German Sheperds, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, Labs, American Bulldogs, and Saint Bernards.. The important thing to note is that this problem is NOT unique to the Chow chow and the Chow is the only breed in this list which exhibits a stilted gait. Thus, these deletions are unacceptable. There exist historical documents from China – millenniums old, which refer to Chow dogs with amongst other, blue tongues, stiff gait & straight hindlegs. These same articles state that they are highly effective hunting dogs – historically kept for this purpose. This trait is as essential a breed characteristic as the dark mouth & is obviously from the above, not responsible for unsound dogs.***

***

The KC claims to want to amend the standard in the interests of the health of the breed. When such changes involve changing the basic identifying characteristics of the breed, in order to gain the co-operation of breeders, they will have to prove factually & scientifically that the said characteristic is a valid health concern. 
BEFORE changes can be made, proof would be required in the form of health survey results from breeders, veterinarian bodies, insurance bodies (as quoted by the KC) as to the number of REGISTERED chow chows displaying conditions of concern. These numbers should be measured to the number of dogs REGISTERED with the KC of the same mean age group.***

***This ratio should be presented along with the ratio for the same health concern for other breeds (of which most are moderately to very well angulated) to establish real factual current status of the chow chow and the factual proof of the influence of straighter angulation.***

***

Proactive breeders internationally can prove by scientific/medical certification that thousands of chows conforming to the current standard are free moving and of sound hind quarters. The assumption that the hindleg conformation and the ligament problem are related is wrong. The proactive Danish chow chow breeders in association with veterinarian bodies have published research showing that the solution chosen by The Kennel Club might make the ligament problem bigger instead of solve it. Additionally, archived documents such as above Chinese records, proves that canines of such conformation are historically sound, functional dogs.***

***Short stepping is an inappropriate term to describe any moderately angled dog’s movement. Such a dog cannot be free moving. 

By making changes without proof, the KC could appear to be making changes just for the show & that it is not holding the interests of the breed to both type & health.***

***Annex B 

No concrete proof has been provided to the breeders for consideration of the ratio of incidence in REGISTERED chow chows of most of these conditions. Breeders are willing to work with the KC on health issues, but based on facts pertaining specifically to REGISTERED dogs, not assumptions or media induced fervor.***
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ALL ENTRIES ARE LOCATED ON THE SLIDESHOW IN THE CENTER COLUMN AT THE BAMBOO TEAHOUSE

The PEOPLES CHOICE POLL BROUGHT IN 105 VOTES FOR THE CONTESTANTS!!!

BEST IN SHOW

I had initially planned on awarding more prizes and Awards of Merit….. but, with only 8 participants (totalling 25 entries) I decided to go with the limited edition greeting cards instead for all the participants. All the images were so wonderful and as much as I studied and stressed over which one was going to get Best in Show….. I still look back at them thinking…OHHHHHHH this one, or that one… would have made a beautiful piece of art!!! You may be hearing from me at a later date!!!!

The love and passion you all have for this breed and your dogs was very apparent in each and every image you entered in the contest , and the photos brought a big smile to my face every time I looked through them. The bond we have with our chows cannot be described easily with words , but a photo cannot lie!

PEOPLES CHOICE

I have another photo contest in the works which will have broader theme so hopefully we will get even more entries. I would love to eventually get sponsored prizes but we will need more participation for that to be possible. I’ll let you know what I have up my sleeve as soon as I return from Egypt,Turkey,France in mid October

Be sure to stop by my blog GRAFFITI GOSSIP to get minute by minute updates from our trip. If you sign up for the blog you will get email updates every time I post to the blog. Comment on our GRAFFITI GOSSIP travel posts and qualify for the incredible drawing going on there!!

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR ENTRIES!!!

The entries are closed…the judges are judging…and it’s now time for you to vote on your 3 favorite images seen  in this slideshow below!!

VOTING WILL BE OVER SUNDAY NIGHT….EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO VOTE SO INVITE ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO VOTE…THE MORE THE MERRIER!!

I got a LITTLE BEHIND the past month, and just realized that my cut off date for this months LIMITED PRODUCTION CHOW TIES has just passed…. however I am extending the date to this Friday, MIDNIGHT…. since I didn’t give a “heads up” earlier.

Each of these ties and future releases are available in my Zazzle store for ONE MONTH ONLY!! After that time they will not be for sale except for an occasional one I might post on ebay later in the year. A percentage of Zazzle  sales will go to Chow related causes.

Click on the ties below to purchase at Zazzle. A new design will be posted soon for your consideration!! Thank you all so much for your great response to my tie designs and I would love to see pix of the wearers modeling the goods if you get a chance!!

And here is Cotton and Keefer at their Home Depot debut!! This brings tears to my eyes.  Thank you one an all !!!

Hello my friends…it’s been a while since I have updated you all on the progress of the CCCIIRC.  Recently Love Banghart (Rebelrun Chows USA) who is the Committee chair  for the CCIIRC, was invited to do a talk at the CHOW CHOW CLUB 115th ANNIVERSARY SPECIALTY SHOW IN THE UK coming in July 2010.  We are so very excited,,as this is the perfect opportunity to spread the news about the potential and future  of the archive and library which  the committee has been tirelessly working on this summer..  Details about the show  are below including the other incredible speakers attending the show!!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND PLEASE TRY TO ATTEND IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. IT WILL BE A SHOW AND WEEKEND TO REMEMBER!!   STEVE AND I ARE ALSO HOPING TO ATTEND!!

The Chow Chow Club presents 115th anniversary …

WEEKEND SPECTACULAR !!

JULY 9,10,11 , 2010

at Harper Adams College
Newport Shropshire, UK

Events to include :

Educational seminar, Stakes dog show, Championship show, Social event with meal & dancing

plus many attractions yet to be announced

weekend – overnight accomodation

SATURDAY

MORNING ITINERARY

Seminars

9.30 – 10.00am coffee on arrival

10.00am – 10.20am Mrs M Odenkirchen (Mi-pao)
“Chow Collectables”

10.20am – 11.00am Mr P. Odenkirchen (Mi-Pao)
“Breeding Soundness & Type”

11.00am – 11.30am Mrs Love Banghart – CCCI International Relations Committee

11.30am – 12.10pm Mr Robin Searle
“Line Breeding”

An informal question and answer session will follow finishing no later than 1pm

Ticket Price : £12.00 which will include Lunch

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AFTERNOON ITINERARY
Let the Fun Begin!
4 Class Stakes Show

Entry form to follow – a percentage of fees will be spread across class prizes.

Judge : Mrs S. Stafford

Light Refreshments served in the Hall

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EVENING ITINERARY
GRAND DINNER DANCE

Wine and Canapes on arrival in the Main Bar

Invitational Parade of Champions (Vote for your favourite Champion)

Live Entertainment

2 Course Evening Meal followed by Coffee and Mints

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SO BACK TO THE NEW WEBSITE…….. We are opening up the home page  (aka FRONT DESK)  to give you all a sneek peek at the progress we have been making.  Most of the links are locked still, but we wanted to give you an idea how incredible this site will be for resourcing educational materials as well as providing a central archive for valuable historic documents and imagery of our ancient breed.

You will notice as you view the homepage, the reference to CLUB AFFILIATES.  This will be explained more fully later on, but in short….every club/country will have a representative at the CCCIIRC site who will be adding materials to the site from their club/country.

Thank you all so much for your letters and comments following my last post about the newly formed CCCIIRC committee.  We are very pleased to be moving forward at such a steady pace and will be updating you all again very soon .

CLICK THE LOGO TO SEE THE SITE

And to all Chow Clubs Internationally,  Worldchow would love to know of any major events and articles you would love to share.  I’m always looking for materials to publish at the magazine so please feel free to submit articles for consideraton (with permissions if authored by someone else)  All topics are good as long as they pertain in some way to our breed.

ABOVE: DR KARIN FROM THE CREATURE COMFORTS WEBSITE

Really I don’t need to write much more to you all than to post this letter that Karen Tracy wrote to nominate her vet as VETERINARY OF THE YEAR.

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To whom it may concern:
I would like to nominate Dr. Karin-Susan Breitlauch for Veterinarian of the Year.  At the time of her graduation from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, she was the youngest practicing veterinarian in the USA.  She was 22.
She has been an AAHA Hospital Director since 1992.  She was certified by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Assoc. in 1999 and is a Lifetime Founding Member.  She is a member of the PVMA.  She owns an emergency clinic called Creature Comforts where they treat small animals and exotics.

At her clinic, when you walk in, she has a very informative bulletin board where she has all kinds of brochures and information on all types of things related to pets.  She also has a website that walks you through a tour of her clinic and what to expect when you take your pet there for a visit.  She lists her staff and tells you about them.  At her clinic, she offers Chiropractic care, Pet Acupuncture, physical rehabilitation, homeopathy, advanced comprehensive dentistry, pain management, reproductive, laser surgery, laser treatments, stem cell procedures,  a blood bank, and an on site lab.

Creature Comforts has received four – year AAHA certification since 1992.  On top of all those impressive credentials, the most important one to me is she is my veterinarian, my friend and a life saver for my dogs.

ABOVE: DR. KARIN GIVING CYRUS A BURN LASER TREATMENT

What Happened ———
On March 6, 2009 there was a propane tank explosion at my kennel.  I have show dogs and I do boarding.  Veterinarians and vet techs came to my kennel that day from all over the area to help with the dogs.  My kennel was completely destroyed, the back of my house was gone and ten of my dogs were killed in the fire along with five boarder dogs.  Several boarder dogs that survived were treated and released that same day by local vets.  But another six of my dogs were severely burned and suffered from smoke inhalation and they needed emergency care.  None of the vets that were here that day to help could undertake such a big task at their clinics.

I called Dr. Karin and explained what happened and asked if she had all the equipment and enough staff necessary to deal with these dogs.  She told me to bring them to her clinic and she would be ready for them.  Some of the vets that were here actually transported the dogs to Dr. Karin’s clinic.  I would like to add that even though I was the breeder of these dogs, I could not identify them, that is how badly they were burned.

When the dogs started arriving at Dr. Karin’s clinic, the entire staff was ready to jump in.  They had to evaluate them, shave dogs down, scan their microchips to identify them, set them up with oxygen, give them IV fluids, medications, do bloodwork,etc.  I was told later by some of the vet techs that they never experienced such a horrible situation as this before and they hoped they never would again.  The dogs had severe
burns on a great part of their bodies, one had the pads burned off of all four feet.

ABOVE: DR. KARIN WORKING WITH KAREN TRACY’S CHOWS

How Dr. Karin helped me——–
Dr. Karin did not hesitate when I told her my situation.  She said get them to her, she would be ready.  She brought in extra staff for the dogs.  She had other vets there that are part of her clinic, ready and waiting for my dogs.  They were working under a great deal of stress and chaos but everyone pulled together and worked like a well oiled machine till all the dogs were taken care of and settled in as patients of the clinic.

ABOVE: CYRUS AFTER SEVERAL LASER TREATMENTS
Reasons I am nominating Dr. Karin for this award—
First of all, I was and still am devastated over the explosion and losing my dogs.  I lost six generations of dogs that day and years and years of work to build a good solid line of show dogs that have been shown all over the country and have been top ranked dogs for many years now.
I lost my very first show dog that day.  She was going on 15 years of age.  I lost her daughter, she was 12 years of age.  I lost her daughter, she was 9 years of age.  I lost two of her daughters.  I could go on but you get the idea.  I did not just place my dogs after they were done showing and breeding.

They were with me for life, they were my life.  When this happened I did not know how to deal with it.  I went to Dr. Karin’s clinic very early the next morning.  When I got there, I was in shock.  I still could not identify my own dogs.

I asked one of the vet techs if they could get Dr. Karin on the phone at 6am and she came right in to talk to me.  I told her that I was devastated, that I didn’t know what to do in this situation.  I have had to make a decision to put a couple of my dogs down before but that was not like this.  That was because of cancer, etc.

ABOVE: CYRUS WEARING HIS BOOTIES TO GO OUTSIDE AT VET

I didn’t know anything about burns or smoke inhalation.
One of the girls passed away that morning.  I cried and Dr. Karin cried right along with me and hugged me.  The rest were in very bad shape.   I asked Dr. Karin to help me with my decisions because I was never in a situation like this and I didn’t want the dogs to suffer but if they had a chance to make it, I wanted them to have that chance.

She took the time to explain the situation with each individual dog and what the prognosis was for each and what was being done for each dog.  I needed her honesty and her advice and she was there for me.

I questioned putting one of the dogs down a couple times because he “looked bad” to me.  She told me that he wants to live, all his organs were functioning properly and he would be fine.  She told me she could fix him and she was right.  She did “fix him”.  On another dog, she told me that she didn’t know, it could go either way as her kidneys were compromised and that she was not as hopeful for that dog.

When that dog took a turn for the worse, I knew she had to be put down but because Dr. Karin went out of her way to explain everything to me everytime I went to see my dogs, the decision was easier on me than had I not been kept informed on every detail.

Dr. Karin allowed me to go visit my dogs any time of the day or night, not just during regular visiting hours.  Dr. Karin talked to me about reporters.  They had approached her about going to her clinic to do stories on the dogs for the television and the newspapers.  She told me it was my decision.  She told me that she would do whatever I wanted her to do.

We talked it over and decided we would allow it as it would bring public awareness to the situation and it might be a good way to bring in donations to help me to pay for the cost of all the medical expenses.  As busy as she was, every time a reporter came to her clinic, she made the time to talk to them and show them different procedures she was using on the dogs.

ABOVE: DR. KARIN ASKED  THE MEDIA TO LIST ADDRESS TO SEND DONATIONS

In conclusion—-
I am just an ordinary person that had a terrible, horrible thing come into my life the day my kennel exploded.  I still smell the smoke every day.  What little is left standing of the kennel has to remain that way till the final inspections take place.  When I mow my yard I have to mow around the dog bowls that are still there that blew out of the kennel because I am not allowed to touch anything yet.  I have the blinds down on the side of my house where the kennel is but I know it is there.  I know what happened there.

I have not even begun to deal with the dogs that died in the fire.  I can’t even go there yet emotionally.  But I do know that Dr. Karin and the staff at Creature Comforts Clinic worked diligently to keep my line going for me.  I know Dr. Karin went easy on me regarding my vet bill and she saved dogs that I would have never imagined would have made it.  If I would be well off financially, I would ask Dr. Karin what piece of equipment she would need for her clinic and I would buy it for her because of everything she has done for me.

But I have no income right now as I have no kennel to do boarding and besides that, equipment wears out.  But , to be Veterinarian of the Year would be an honor that she could cherish forever and I know she would be bursting with pride to receive it and that to me would be priceless and the greatest gift I could give her in return for what she has done for me.

To me, in dealing with this devastation, she was the rock on which I was leaning to hold me up and I would appreciate it with all my heart if you would consider her for Veterinarian of the Year.

Thank you.
Karen Tracy

………………………DRUM ROLL PLEASE……………………….

So to conclude this beautifully written letter by Karen Tracy to the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association…….this was their recent reply back to Karen

“Hi Karen,

Can you tell me the name and location of your kennel please? If I didn‚t already tell you, Dr. Breitlauch was chosen for the Veterinarian of the Year Award, and I am sending her a letter today. Congratulations!”

Karen, thank you for letting me share this story with our Worldchow readers and for sending the articles and photos too!!  I get letters weekly asking how you are doing and I want to also share these 2 photos below with everyone as well (with Karens permission).

Left: Karen Tracy   Center: Dr. Samuel Draper   Right: Desmond Murphy with one of the Miracle Litter puppies

They were taken the end of June when she brought the “miracle litter” to visit with Dr. Sam Draper and Desmond Murphy and introduce them to the newest Liontamer arrivals.  I love these pix Karen. They are something to be treasured forever!!!!

AND ONE MORE THING!!!!….OMG THE PHONE CALLS I GOT FROM KAREN THIS WEEKEND WERE FULL OF NEWS

I can’t conclude this article without extending a huge CONGRATULATIONS on your BACK To BACK BEST in SHOWS this weekend Karen.  To hear the joy in your voice after so many phone conversations in the recent past full of the opposite emotions …………this was absolute music to my ears!!!!   I wish we all could be there with you in person toast the wins and have a party!!!

This month our member interview was with Brenda Buechler of Rhapsody Chows who lives in Alaska, USA

.  Brenda I can’t believe how cute some of these pix are.  This one of Odo in his costume had me rolling on the floor when I saw it in the envelope!

How many years have you been owned by Chows? How many chows do you have today and their names?
Been involved in chows for 20 + years and currently have 2 chows one boy Ch.Rosewines Rockibilli nRhapsody Odo… and 1 female SingFus Kira Nerys..Kira is a little over a year and Odo will be 3 years old in May 2009.

FATHER AND DAUGHTER

When did you acquire your FIRST chow…tell me a little bit about him/her?
My very first chows name was Sampson and I got him in Fairbanks Alaska in 1985 or 86 he was 10 weeks old and very pet but he lived to be 14 years old and lived a wonderful life..I will never forget him as he set me on a path that has been a godsend at times for me if it were not for my chows I dont know how I would of got threw it all with many changes in my life.. I have forever been hooked on the breed.

A LITTER OF PUPPIES AT THE BUECHLER HOUSE

What are your favorite qualities that only a Chow Chow can possess?
Really there are many but the number 1 would be loyalty..This breed is forever loyal to their family and friends. Second the independent nature they have .. and 3rd the incredible intelligence they have..so very very smart..and so clean…

Favorite activities that you and your family share with your chow(s)
my chow kids love to go in the car they never seem to get enough of this they love to stick their heads out and watch everything THEY especially like going to PETCO with mom for dog training class to be involved in class or just to socialize…its all fun especially the Treat Bar loaded with yummy dog treats we never make it passed there…

BRENDA WITH “SHOOTER”

What would you like to see WORLDCHOW MAGAZINE offer to the Chow fancy?
i would like to see educational articles on current events concerning chows and fun stuff to like the photo contests and community events people have participated in….

EXTREMELY RARE COLORED CHOW PUPPIES…OR…..BRENDAS GUINEA PIGS “LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY”

Our dogs have wonderful way of bringing humanimals together. List up to 3 close friends you have met via your chows and dog interests. Tell me a little bit about the connections

The people that got me started in showing chows would be Lewis and Nancy Cuccia I spent alot of time learning under them and they taught me alot also Bob and Love Banghart as this is where I really started understanding dog showing I traveled with them to many shows and watched and observed as well as showed  the knowledge I gained was truly priceless as I still remember things even today that they passed on to me they were wonderful and I cant thank them enough for all the the help they gave me…Chow people are awsome you just need to ask and they will be more than happy to teach you….wonderful

BRENDA WITH KIRA

Tell us about a grooming secret/hint that has really helped you with keeping your chow coat in good shape or any special feeding regime that you find has been helpful for your dogs conditioning.
Feeding the right food is soooooooooo important a good diet is the key to everything else… I had to go thru several foods before I found a food for the chows the fact they are fussy doesnt help..Salmon oil in food also very good for skin and coat….

CALENDAR GIRL KIRA

I recently entered my chows Odo and Kira in a photo contest locally to raise funds for our local dog park and Im happy to say that Kira won the contest with the most votes and was featured on the cover of the calandar for 2009 with all proceeds of calandar going to support the dog park and Odo was a top ten finalist also not to bad as there were ALOT of dogs in this contest and it was a tough competition they also won alot of neat prizes and cool stuff.

BRENDA HAS SOME “SMOOTH MOVES” AS WELL…HEE HEE

What are your 3 biggest concerns regarding the state of the Chow breed right now

• Health Issues
• Loss of overall breed type
• Increase in bad dog laws

Thank you so very much Brenda!!! As much as I already knew about you from years of showing and breeding dogs ..it’s so fun to learn lots more about our fellow chowists through these interviews!

1000 pardons for the OOPS post that went out to a few of the members today and then disappeared off the site.  That was supposed to be   saved as a draft to be posted tomorrow but apparently my computer has different ideas….. I am still having issues with this blog but we got it worked out in the long run!

In the midst of all the worry and heartache surrounding these incredible Chows rescued in my previous WORLDCHOW MAGAZINE article, a bit of comic relief came to Christine and I via email this weekend……..COURTESY “Keefer” and his foster mom Cindy who is with a Chow rescue group in New York.  Thank you so very much Cindy for letting me post this on Worldchow! I know all the readers here will get a chuckle an be incredibly touched by f Keefers new lease on life

Cindy writes:

My step daughter and boyfriend ordered pizza tonight.  She left it in her room on her bed.  She forgot to shut the gate to her room and Keefer must have gone in there and said yeah DINNER…  I was in my room on the computer and all of the sudden I heard this thump, thump, thump.

It was something I have never heard before.  Then walks in Keefer with this box around him neck.  It was the funniest thing I have ever seen.  It didn’t even bother him to have it there.  I took a picture because I thought no one will ever believe this.

I then took off the box and realized he had chewed a hole through the side and got the box stuck on his head.  Just to funny.  Oh, Keefer also watches TV.  Yes, he actually sits there and watches TV.

This photo above is as Keefer was when he was rescued.  Matted terribly with skin issues and eye infection.

ABOVE….little Keefer learning to be the prince probably for the first time in his precious life

BELOW…Keefer following his beauty treatment in the gentle hands of the rescuers

Dear Keefer is available for adoption to the perfect home.  Please contact me if you would like to learn more about Keefer or any of the other rescues from the Lancaster Love project.  I will get you in touch with the proper folks.  There is still a desperate need for homes and funding for the vet bills which are still adding up.

On a great note, we are over $1000.00 in the LANCASTER LOVE CHOW RESCUE PROJECT thanks to all of your generous donations….1/4 of the way to our goal!!!!! Thank you all so very much for your generosity and your comments on Worldchow as well.

Please help us continue to spread the word by

PLEASE IF YOU ARE A FACEBOOK MEMBER, CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK BUTTON AT THE TOP OF THE FUNDRAISING  PAGE TO ADD THIS CAUSE TO YOUR PROFILE PAGE. THE EXTRA EXPOSURE WILL HELP A TON!!

Also post a link to the LANCASTER LOVE project to all your various list, animal and likewise. Spreading the word and making this cause “viral” is what will bring in the funds we need. A little from each of us adds up so very very fast!!

And JUST RELEASED TODAY…..my newest design available at ZAZZLE.  The postage stamp is still in the USPS approval process and will be up on the site within 24 hours, but the cards and postcards are available right now.  I also posted a number of postage stamps featuring my chow artwork for your consideration

25% OF THE PROFIT FROM ALL MY ZAZZLE CHOW DESIGNS PURCHASED BY AUGUST 8, 2009, WILL GO INTO THE LANCASTER LOVE PROJECT

Thank you all so muc;h for your purchases so far

AND COMING THIS WEEK>>>>>>>MEMBER INTERVIEW WITH BRENDA BUECHLER!!!!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE “LANCASTER LOVE” AMAZEE PROJECT AND PLEASE DONATE IF YOU ARE ABLE

In May of this year, 92 Chow dogs were seized from a Lancaster county home and taken to several temporary locations for shelter. Many of the dogs were suffering from various ailments including but not limited to parasites, skin and ear infections and one was said to have been picked up by this rescue person with injuries suffered from a vehicle collision.

Vets and shelters have provided emergency care for these dogs but the time has come where they need to be adopted to their forever homes and the bills for their recovery have to be paid.

The way we look at it, a goal of $4000 U.S. will settle most of the current vet bills, several have already been paid for by generous guarantors.  The bills were well in excess of what we are trying to fundraise right now

ONLY 10.00 EACH FROM 400 PEOPLE AND WE CAN QUICKLY REACH OUR GOAL!!

An auction will also be set up with many really impressive and ‘in demand’ artists’ pieces being offered.

We will keep you posted on the auction progress as it happens.

Today we plead with you to help those who have helped these suffering animals. We ask you to take whatever you can afford and pledge it toward the rehab and repair of these poor little Chows who were left abandoned and forgotten.

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THIS VIDEO IS BY THE HUMANE LEAGUE OF LANCASTER COUNTY TAKEN IN MAY 2009
It is not graphic but provides a lot of information about the seizure situation

A special heartfelt thank you to the HUMANE LEAGUE OF LANCASTER COUNTY, as well as all the volunteers who selflessly put in countless hours, and many times drove half a day to get to these dogs to help groom and assess these 92 Chows.

The volunteers are not compensated, and spent days up to their elbows in dirty dog coat and feces and putting themselves at times in a dangerous situation to comfort and groom a number of the dogs who were in discomfort and fearful of what was happening to their lives.

You are all champions to our breed and there are not enough words to express thanks on behalf of our beloved Chows. Please help give these incredible Chows the dignity and good health and homes they deserve.

Sandra Miller
EDITOR
Worldchow Magazine

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THANK YOU CHRISTINE FARNELL FOR SPEARHEADING THIS FUNDRAISER AND FOR CONTACTING ME TO HELP GET THE BALL ROLLING.  IT’S UP TO ALL OF US NOW TO CROSS POST THIS INFORMATION AND GET THE WORD OUT TO THOSE WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP!! COPY AND PASTE TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT.!!!

If you cannot donate money to the cause at this time, please at least JOIN THE PROJECT at the Amazee page in support of these 92 Chows who need all the positive vibes they can muster up right now.

If you Join the Project,as well as donate via PAYPAL you will be listed on the page as a donator when Christine gets your payment.  All donations are hand entered so may not show up for up to 24 hours

CARAMEL …before cleanup…see the AFTER at the Lancaster Love Project page

AND A GENTLE REMINDER, NO MATTER HOW EMOTIONAL THIS MAKES US ALL FEEL AS DOG LOVERS.  THIS PLEA FOR HELP IS STRICTLY ABOUT THE DOGS AND FOR THE DOGS. HEARTFELT AND  ENCOURAGING COMMENTARY IS WELCOME…TOXIC COMMENTS WILL BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY

Worldchow has an exciting announcement that pertains to all chow fanciers, breeders, companion owners,and judges alike .  Anyone who is craving more information about  our breed in all areas of interest will  benefit greatly from a new committee formed within  the Chow Chow Club Inc.

Heres the scoop.  Following many frustrating attempts to obtain quick and accurate chow data in the past, with the most recent incident being health and structure research for  the UK Standard Change issue, Love Banghart pulled together a proposal to present to the CCCI Board of Directors at the National this past May 2009.

Loves’ request entailed the forming of a new committee ..now  officially called the
Chow Chow Club Inc International Relations Committee  or CCCIIRC

Met with enthusiastic response from our current CCCI president Mike Brantley as well as the entire Board of Directors, approval was unanimously given , assigning  Love Banghart  as Chairperson, and just recently the MISSION STATEMENT (below) was approved unanimously  as well

Yours truly was “over the moon” when I heard this news as you all know my thoughts on International Communications and archiving.  Love invited me to work closely with her on the committee and I am now happily immersed in the building of a new website for the International Chow Library and Archives.

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MISSION STATEMENT

The mission and goal of the CCCI International Relations Committee is to promote international communication between Chow Chow fanciers worldwide via their regional chow chow clubs.

This will be accomplished through exchanging educational resources regarding the Chow Chow breed, health research materials, and an international reference library.

The goal of the communication is to enhance the chow communities’ awareness of available information on chow chow related issues, structure, health and movement; promotion of showing and breeding for type and function of the chow chow based on breed specific facts.

In the meeting of these goals, club members will be more responsive and consistent in replying to legal and health issues as they arise in geographical areas worldwide.

HISTORY

The CCCI International Relations Committee was formed by the CCCI Officers and board of directors on April 25, 2009.
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Implementation of this plan will entail the following steps:

• CCCI committee formed
• Committee Mission Statement developed and approved
• Develop initial international club/ contact list
• Mail introduction letter and package of information to each international chow club
• Request each club to designate an International Relations Associate
• Build a comprehensive online CHOW CHOW reference library to be viewed by all seeking reliable information
• Solicit and collect materials for inclusion in the library from chow fanciers worldwide.
• Contribututors to the archives and library will be given full credit for their submissions

Thank you Love and the CCCI Board for making this happen!! This project  is ground breaking, cutting edge, and will involve the networking of International chowists as we have never seen before to make these long awaited archives a stellar success.

Much more information regarding  this CCCI project will be announced  in a series of Worldchow Magazine updates

Please contact Sandra Miller  with your feedback, suggestions, questions or concerns via the comments section below or use  my email [email protected]

The ultimate success of this project relies on our worldwide chow community participation and support.