The Gossip Column: May 8, 2026

This week was the wedding of ANIA KELLY & PETER KUBACZ, unfortunately a prior obligation kept me from attending but I know I join all those attending and those not in wishing the happy couple MR & MRS. PETER KUBACZ our best wishes for along and happy marriage and couple of baby Kubaczs running around. With the Maine dog shows canceled next weekend, the two Long Island dog shows, the LADIES KENNEL ASSOCIATION and the LONG ISLAND KENNEL CLUB were hoping for a larger entry for their two shows in one day events. Even these two shows caved into hosting two shows in one day in hopes of surviving. Sadly the powers that be are saying this is the last of these old and once very prestigious events. They are victim, like many other shows, of decreasing entries and amount of dog shows being held coast to coast. The numbers are in for the upcoming WORLD DOG SHOW to be held in Bologna, Italy. According to DINO MUTE the president of the ITALIAN KENNEL CLUB (ENCI) the entries for the World Dog show and accompanying dog shows tallied an entry of 30,700. Far surpassing their entry of the 2015 hosting of the World Dog Show. Of course entries are always larger than the number of dogs entered, as additional and non-regular classes are included in entry figures. The actual dog entry figures at the WORLD DOG SHOW were not available. Still a fabulous entry and one that beats all pre pandemic figures.  Just a reminder, don’t forget that you need an EES FORM to enter a EUROPEAN UNION country and that includes Italy. Your first entry into the country requires photos, passport and figure print scans. Depending on your arrival time and connections, be sure to leave extra time between flights. Just ten short days after losing her father, DR. FLOYD SEARS, DAWN SEARS lost her beloved mother, WILMA SEARS. I can’t imagine losing both your parents in such a short time. There are no words. Sending DAWN and her family lots of love and our deepest condolences. On Saturday, June 13th, there will be a Celebration of Life for the late artist extraordinaire HEIDI MARTIN at the SKOKIE VALLEY KENNEL dog show. The MARTIN FAMILY are generational dog family, her late parents, father DON a judge, and mother BARBARA, brothers BRYAN, professional handler, AKC representative and group judge and PETER a judge and her step mother, MIDGE a judge. Steeped in the Chicago area of pure bred dogs and the whole family were and are involved in the sport. You can’t say Basset Hound without thinking of the MARTIN FAMILY. HEIDI’s great artistic portraits of dogs grace the walls of many in the sport, not to mention magazine covers including DOG NEWS, show catalogs and illustrated breed standards. She was a great talent and she is missed.