The Gossip Column: April 18, 2025

All of us at DOG NEWS are so pleased to welcome ALLISON ALEXANDER and LEADING EDGE DOG SHOW ACADEMY, her hugely popular online learning tool that include webinars on handling, grooming and training of all breeds. ALLISON was a very successful professional handler and is currently the vice president of the CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB FOUNDATION. She can be found on our website, dognews.com, and on her website, leadingedgedogshowacademy.com. 

As GINA DINARDO starts her new position as CEO and president of the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB, she flew down to the Raleigh, North Carolina, offices to introduce and reacquaint herself with the members of the staff. A smart move to make the staff feel more included and involved with the New York headquarters. GINA is certainly starting out on the right foot. ...

If you don’t let the foul weather fool you, it is spring, and that means the start of the outdoor dog shows in the Northeast. A welcome change to the indoor venues over these last several months. This age of ME TOO and other long-held confessions of victims of sexual abuse compounded by the arrest of a well-known and then-respected judge led to the creation of SHOW-SAFE. Its roots started when professional handler and multi-generational fancier CARISSA SHIMPENO spoke of her experience with sexual abuse, shocking all who heard her story. In this issue of DOG NEWS, SHOW-SAFE is explained by three of its organizers: KIKI COURTELIS, CARISSA SHIMPENO and IDI MCCONNIE. ...

For those planning on attending or exhibiting at the WORLD DOG SHOW in Helsinki, Finland, on Friday through Sunday, August 8, 9 and 10, with specialties being held on Tuesday, August 7, you picked a good one to attend. The Finns put on a very professional event, and attention to every detail is evident throughout the weekend. I’m sure the host hotel is booked by the Finnish Kennel Club for their judges and special guests. But I’m told there is a hotel across the street from the spacious and spotless venue called TRIPLA. You might want to contact them while there may be rooms still available. Next year, the 2026 WORLD DOG SHOW will be held in Bologna, Italy. It may not have the organizational skill of its Finnish cousins, but the upside is it’s Italy.

Congratulations to professional handlers ANIA KELLY and PETER KUBACZ on their engagement to be married. PETER waited a long time, but the wait was more than worth it. Although PETER’S mom ANNE MARIE would have pushed up the engagement. Now if only it could be a DISNEY WEDDING.