Editorial: November 20, 2020

A BRIGHT NEW DAY

In this time of repeatedly depressing news, how refreshing it is to read not one, not two, but three uplifting news events that affect us all directly or indirectly. On the global front, there are not one but two new COVID-19 vaccines that have to this point proven to be more than 90% effective. If these extremely high percentages continue through more extensive testing, it opens up our world once again. Another bright spot, the FAA lifting the ban on the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. For those of us who fly on a regular basis, reintroducing this aircraft to the public will make flying to smaller cities and destinations much more comfortable and with greater regularity, as these planes increase the fleet size of the airlines. The third bit of good news is more pointedly directed to our sport: The English Kennel Club has announced that the 2021 Crufts Dog Show will indeed be held. The venue, the NEC in Birmingham, remains the same, but like its American cousin, the Westminster Kennel Club, Crufts has moved its regular date to later in the year: Thursday through Sunday, July 15-18, 2021. So those two events, the June 12-13 Westminster Kennel Club and the July 15-18 Crufts Dog Show, will still be held one month apart. Kudos to the organizers of these two dog shows for bending to but not conceding to the obstacles of putting on their respective dog shows. In particular, Vanessa Alpine, the Crufts show manager amazes us year after year – do we dare say decades? – with her organizational skills in running a four-day event with more than 20,000 dogs in a seamless and effortless manner.

A BRIGHT NEW BREEDERS REWARDS PLAN

On November 10th the AKC Pet Insurance company announced the AKC Breeders Reward Program. This new program will reward breeders who encourage and promote responsible dog ownership. Breeders can earn up to $10 per puppy. The three steps are when the puppy is registered with the AKC ($2), the owner activates the 30 days of pet-insurance courage ($5) and downloads the AKC Pet Insurance TailTrax mobile app ($3) for a total of $10. “We are thrilled to launch this exciting new program,” said Lane Kent , president of PetPartners, the administrator of AKC Pet Insurance. With the increase in pet sales during this pandemic, what a perfect time for this recognition of the breeder.

A BIG BRIGHT STATUE

While we celebrate our love of dogs with the Dog Museum, a larger-than-life recognition of the love of dogs can be found in Turkmenistan. Their president Gurbanguly Berddymukhammedov erected a 19-foot golden-colored bronze of an Alabai, or Central Asian Shepherd. Said to be his favorite breed, it sits on a pedestal in a traffic circle in the country’s capital of Ashgabat. The breed is used for protection and guarding livestock. It may not hold the interest of Greyfriars Bobby, but it is nice to know that the love of dogs is universal.