Owensboro Kennel Club photos by Jeri Poller
Chet Collier died last week. He was 80 years old. Where has the time flown? We had a long but somewhat peculiar relationship, filled with a series of “ups and downs.” The major “up” period was when he served on the Board of AKC. We spoke frequently then, almost on a daily basis. Philosophically and principally in matters AKC, we were in almost total agreement. When it came to baseball, totally opposite. He was a rabid Red Sox fan. Me, I'm a New York Yankees fan! While we were in sync philosophically about what to accomplish for AKC, I rarely agreed with the methods he chose to accomplish them. He was too aggressive for my taste. Indeed, after the mishandling, in my opinion, of the Marden situation (a dismissal I totally agreed with at the time but not the way in which it was handled), I believe Chet's power at AKC began to decline. On the other hand, his influence at Westminster, Westchester and Eastern—three of the most prestigious shows on the circuit—increased tremendously. There's little doubt in my mind that just as Chet was so innovative at Westminster, he was also the guiding spirit in helping AKC to become a more liberal and open organization, rejecting the elitist attitudes of so many people. Many of his proposed changes were either immediately adopted or adopted years later. This, in the long run, is what he truly should be remembered for, as his premier contribution to the dog show world. He had his detractors, too, many of whom considered him too Machiavellian for their liking. Personally, in his heyday, I thought, and still think, for his time he would have made an excellent chairman of the board.
Chet's out of dog accomplishments were legend in the television and news industries. I mean, seven Emmy Awards associated with names such as Griffin, Mike Douglas, et al. are so above the ordinary, they border on being mind-blowing achievements. Chet was a fierce and active campaigner of Bouvier des Flandres, and with handler Roy Holloway made a formidable team on the show circuit. He graduated from Emerson College, where he had been elected as a member of the Board of Trustees and was honored with an honorary degree of Doctor of Human Letters. Together with his wife, Dorothy, they were an inseparable and respected husband-wife judging duo who added glamour to even the most mundane of judging panels. Dottie was the light and love of his life, as was he to her. My thoughts are with Dottie during this most trying time. Chet was truly an unusual, complicated, and accomplished individual whose presence will be missed.
In this issue is reprinted an article by Lyle Davis of THE PAPER, published in North San Diego County. It is entitled “The Two Faces of PETA.” I strongly suggest you read it. It was sent to us by the ever-alert Marion Bradshaw, and we should all thank her for bringing this article to our attention. I see where Louis Alexander, the billionaire owner of the Houston Rockets basketball team, gave $2.5 million to The Humane Society of the United States. He has also given money to PETA. Not that I equate HSUS to be on the same vicious level as PETA, but I wonder if he would consider giving money to PETA again after reading Mr. Davis's article. The WALL STREET JOURNAL calls this the “Gift of the Week.” I call it a questionable attempt to help animals. The funds are earmarked to boost the group's legal and other capabilities to fight animal cruelty. Good luck is my reaction. I just can't help but get nervous about HSUS. They seem to say one thing one day and do the exact opposite the next. Certainly, it appears more rational than PETA, insofar as the means to their “ends,” but what truly are their end goals? They seem to be as two-faced as PETA in that respect, don't you think?
