The Gossip Column: July 5, 2024

Instead of celebrating the FOURTH OF JULY with my bird’s eye view of the STATUE OF LIBERTY in New York Harbor, I’m staring at BIG BEN in London, as they are holding national elections that at the moment seem to be in the Labor Party’s favor. Unlike our national electioneering that starts the day after the previous election, in the U.K. it’s only two weeks of electioneering before election day. The Brits are civilized when it comes the time and cost involved in elections. ...

I attended the very popular WINDSOR DOG SHOW, which was the first English dog show I attended in the 1980s. I’ve been a member of the ROYAL KENNEL CLUB (formerly the ENGLISH KENNEL CLUB) for more than 17 years, and always enjoy spending time with SUE SAMPSON and having lunch in the club’s dining room. On the occasion of the club’s 150th anniversary a year ago, in April 2023, KING CHARLES conferred a “ROYAL” prefix on the club, and since that time it has been known as the ROYAL KENNEL CLUB. The late QUEEN ELIZABETH II was the patron of the kennel club, and now her son and heir KING CHARLES has assumed the role of patron of the ROYAL KENNEL CLUB in keeping with the royal family’s well-known love of animals, especially dogs and horses. ...

Briard breeder and exhibitor TERRY MILLER is home recuperating from surgery and feeling fine. ...

The AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB has announced the names of the 2024-2025 Veterinary Outreach Scholarship Recipients. The total of $122,000 in scholarship funds ranges from $2,000 to $10,000 per recipient. Thanks in part to the Kennel Club of Philadelphia for their support for the students at the University of Pennsylvania and the Wyndham Kennel Club for their support of the students at Tufts University. The recipients include CHRISTINE CAPPARELL (UofP), ROBERT COCHRAN (UofP), ALAINA DUESSEL (UofP), LAURA GRANT (UofP), JULIANNA KING (UofP), MARISA MELO (TEXAS A&M), COLE FERREIRA (UofF), KOEDI LAWLEY (CSU), MELISSA MCBRIDE (NCSU), CLAIRE MERRIMAN (UofM), ELIZABETH PATTON (CSU), DEIRDRE GIVENS MANDRYK (TU), TAYLOR MILLER (TU), CAROLINE BLAIR (TEXASA&M), ALYSA GIUDICI (KSU), ETHAN ELAZEGUI (UofW), ALYSSA LESLIE (KSU), EMMA ROOT (CU), JANAE WILEY (UofM), SKYLAR CARSTAIRS (UofF), BROOKE DOMINELLO (MSU), HALEY HEMMINGS (LMU), JERILYN NELSON (KSU), AMELIA SITZES (PU) and EMILIA STARCHVICK (OSU). Congratulations to these students who one day will be caring for our dogs. ...

Celebrating Birthdays … MARIPI WOOLDRIDGE, BRUCE SCHWARTZ, JOSHUA DESROSIERS, LINDA ROWELL, MARY CLEGG, DELORES BURKHOLDER, MARK THRELFALL, CANDY CARSWELL, MICHELLE STEELE, LAURA KING, BILL DOTY, MATTHEW BETTIS, MARY ELLEN THOMAS, TERRI GALLE, TRACY ABREU, FRED BASSETT, DANA GABEL, GEOFF DAWSON, MICHELLE SCOTT, PAT BILLHARDT, MILTON LOPES, STACEY BORRMANN, GRACE AGOSTA, BOB SHREVE, JANINA LAURIN, CLAY COADY, ANGELA BOOTH, GREG MCCARTHY and DAN BUCHWALD.