Buffalo County KC photos by Roger Frey
I must say, the passing of Dori Auslander was a sad day in our sport. A daughter of Lou and the late Seme Auslander, Dori was always fun to be with and an understanding dog show individual. While not necessarily active on a weekly basis, her presence at IKC was always positive, encouraging, and forthright. I know I'll miss her, and I offer my condolences to her entire family.
For years now, many people have led the good fight in urging “Board” to let Staff act independently, particularly on day-to-day matters. And through the Menaker Board years, this has been one of the major accomplishments of that Board. I can't remember any Staff being permitted the leeway which the Menaker Board, particularly in hiring practices has permitted them to have. The Staff had been operating virtually independently of the Board in these areas. Now comes an internal disagreement in the field rep area, and what does the Fancy attempt to do? It tries to overthrow the years of accomplishments made in this area due to a disagreement between an employer and an employee. Now, then, I have no problem with the Fancy entering the dispute on a proper level! That is complaining like hell to Staff, but why go to the Board, too? The fact of the matter is that Board has and should have no input in the hiring or firing of Staff personnel. By asking Board to get so involved, all the hard work of the past several years promoting independence in these fields goes down the drain in one fell swoop.
I was really unhappy with the so-called “Editorial Observation” that appeared in THE NEW YORK TIMES of July 30. Written by one of the TIMES' editorial consultants who is a “nature specialist,” it is an out-and-out defense of AB 1634. Written by Mr. Verlyn Klinkenborg, who has a history of being an outspoken apologist for PETA (see his July 24, 2005 NEW YORK TIMES article titled “The Story Behind A New York Billboard and the Interests It Serves”) his one-sided and unfair latest writing reads as though PETA and AHA guidelines were his sole source of information. It prompted me to write the newspaper the following letter:
To the Editor of
THE NEW YORK TIMES,
The most glaring misstatement of fact contained in Mr. Klinkenborg's “Editorial Observation” of July 30 was his statement that the American Kennel Club was the bill's (AB 1634's) main opponent. In fact, the main opponents were the concerned dog owners of California! The AKC acted as one of the many channeling agents anxious to protect the rights of dog owners and the dogs themselves!
Hopefully, you too will look his story of July 30 up and respond to his negative words about we breeders and dog owners. These PETA apologists just can't be permitted to go their merry way without being answered, that's for sure.
Well, it's August now, the traditional time for most people to take a vacation or two. Except for dog show people, who seem to extend the show period into August, too. Remember the good old days when the “dog days were really dog days?” I do! •
