The Gossip Column: March 6, 2026

The AKC HUMANE FUND has announced applications are now being accepted for the 2026 JOHN D. SPURLING, KCVO, OBE  SCHOLARSHIP. JOHN, is a vice president of the ROYAL KENNEL CLUB and the founder of PETPARTNERS, the pet insurance company that is associated with the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB. The scholarship provides $2,000. each to five full time students enrolled at accredited institutions in the United States where they are enrolled in courses in pet care, to help with tuition payments that is paid directly to their respective institution. The AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB also announced the ten recipients for the 2025 AKC JUNIOR VERSATILITY SCHOLARSHIPS. These scholarships are funded in part by CAROLYN & GARY KOCH as well as the NORTH CAROLINA TRIANGLE JUDGES EDUCATION GROUP and proceeds from the AKC FIT DOG TURKEY TROT. The top ten juniors have to earn at least three different titles at AKC competitions. The ten scholarship winners from 1 to 10 are THEODORE MOORE ($3,000), ANJA CIKARA-GOCKE ($2,500), TAYLOR STONE ($2,000), SARAH FORD ($1,500), EVELYN CUNNINGHAM ($1,000), SAWYER JOHNSON ($750), HANNAH ROTTER ($500), KAYLIN SMITH ($250), KATRYNA SMITH ($250) and KIRBIE ALLEN ($250). As you are reading this column, the CRUFTS DOG SHOW is being held in Birmingham, England. Where we will be cheering TATUM BARTLETT competing in the International Junior Showmanship competition. The same international competition that her mother JAMIE SOUSA BARTLETT competed in years ago, making TATUM the third generation in her family to be involved in the sport, thanks to her late grandmother accomplished Irish Wolfhound breeder and exhibitor LINDA SOUSA of Limerick fame. DENNIS SPRUNG took a quick day trip to Florida last week to celebrate his birthday. Among those helping him celebrate were DAWN SEARS, GAYLE BONTECOU, ELLIOTT WEISS, EVA & MARK HANSEN, BLAKE HANSEN, CINDY MEYER, MIKE SZABO and BILL SAHLOFF. Celebrating Birthdays…DIEGO GARCIA, ALEX WHEELER, MATTHEW PERCHICK, JANET YORK, DAVID BOLUS, TAYLOR JOHNSON, TARA MARTIN ROWELL, LEONARDO GARCINI, LUKE BAGGENSTOS, PETER KUBACZ, TUNI CONTI, LOIS DEMERS, LETISHA DE LA TORRE, LESLEY POTTS and MARIA ARECHAEDERRA.