Minutes for the BTCP Meetings are not available for website viewing.  For copies of the minutes and/or details, please contact the

President at WidgetsBTs@aol.com

or the

Secretary at KellanRevere@verizon.net

Say what????

An older gentleman sees a sign in front of a house: "Talking Dog for Sale."

He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard. The man goes to the backyard where he finds a black mutt just sitting there. "You talk?" he asks.

"Sure do," the dog replies.

"So, what's your story?"

The dog looks up and says, "Well, I discovered my gift of speech as a young pup. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA about my gift, and in no time they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies eight years running. The jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger and I wanted to settle down. So I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security work, mostly wandering near suspicious characters and listening in."
"I uncovered some incredible dealings there and was awarded loads of medals. Had a wife, a few puppies, and now I'm just retired."

The geezer is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.

The owner says, "Ten bucks."

The bloke says, "This dog is amazing. Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?"

"Cause he's a damn liar. He's never done any of that stuff ..."

* * * PUPPIES * * *

Ed Arnold still has a couple of puppies left from his last litter.  If you know of someone looking for a Boston, please have them contact him at (541)922-0623, (541)561-5445, or by email at edarnold@eoni.com.

Kelly Estes has a female puppy for sale out of Amer/Can CH Kennedy’s Storm Watch Bramley x Bramley’s American Classic (Rev’s daughter).  You can contact Kelly at (503)642-5209 or by email at Kellanrevere@verizon.net.

Introduction of  "Puppy Protection Act" Appears Imminent

[Friday, October 31, 2003] – From the AKC Website…

Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), the principal sponsor of the so-called “Puppy Protection Act” (PPA) in the 107th Congress has informed the American Kennel Club that he plans to introduce a modified version of the PPA in the near future. The new version of the PPA will be virtually identical to the original, except that it will not require setting “socialization standards” for puppies. The principal Senate co-sponsor of the PPA is expected to be Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL). Legislation is also expected to be introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) and Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA).

The PPA is once again being promoted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), a Washington-based animal rights organization that opposes purposeful breeding of purebred dogs. The PPA would amend the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to require the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to regulate the breeding practices of dog breeders covered by the Act, including the frequency and age at which bitches are bred. It would also require the USDA to adopt a punitive “three-strikes-and-you’re-out” enforcement policy revoking the license to breed and sell dogs of persons who commit three violations of the USDA’s regulations over an eight year period.

In the 107th Congress the PPA was opposed by the AKC, the American Veterinary Medical Association, most other animal interest organizations, and even some animal welfare organizations. An attempt to circumvent normal legislative processes and attach the PPA to the 2002 Farm Bill was soundly rejected by House-Senate conferees.

The AKC strongly supports the Animal Welfare Act and has a longstanding history of opposing substandard kennel operations. The AKC maintains care and condition requirements which it enforces through regular inspections of all breeding establishments. In 2002 the AKC conducted more than 4000 kennel inspections. The AKC denies registration and other privileges to breeders who do not comply with the AKC’s standards. Nevertheless, the AKC opposes the PPA because it is bad public policy and sets dangerous federal legislative precedents.

• While the PPA is advocated as legislation to regulate “puppy mills”, its real purpose is to restrict the breeding of purebred dogs. The HSUS has historically opposed the breeding of purebred dogs. Several years ago the HSUS conducted a nationwide campaign to persuade municipalities to completely ban purposeful breeding of dogs. The campaign was spectacularly unsuccessful.
• The Animal Welfare Act currently does not regulate breeding practices of any species of animals. The PPA will, for the first time, thrust the federal government into a whole new arena of animal regulation. The federal government should not be in the business of specifying and regulating breeding practices of dog breeders. Furthermore, and very importantly, there is no scientific basis for the specific breeding restrictions included in the PPA.
• The USDA’s Animal Care regulations already require commercial dog breeders to follow a program of veterinary care developed and supervised by a licensed veterinarian to protect the health of all animals in commercial breeding facilities, including the breeding stock. Breeding decisions should be made by breeders and their veterinarians. The PPA would co-opt the judgment and discretion of breeders and veterinarians.
• As a practical matter, it will be impossible for the USDA, which enforces the Animal Welfare Act, to police breeding practices without imposing overwhelmingly intrusive burdens on persons who breed dogs.
• The “three-strikes-and-you’re-out” approach to enforcement of the animal care regulations will undermine rather than enhance compliance with USDA’s regulations. Rather than providing incentives to admit and promptly correct violations, it will create incentives to contest alleged violations, and bog down the USDA’s enforcement process in litigation.
• Compliance with the Animal Welfare Act has improved substantially in recent years. Congress has increased appropriations for USDA enforcement by more than 50 percent over the past several budget cycles, and the number of USDA inspectors has nearly doubled. Industry groups such as the AKC also conduct educational programs and kennel inspections. The AKC alone conducted more than 4000 kennel inspections in 2002, about half as many kennel inspections annually as the USDA.
• Current USDA Animal Care regulations, including the veterinary care standards, strike an appropriate balance in protecting both the welfare of dogs in commercial breeding establishments and the public who purchase those dogs, without being overly intrusive or injecting the federal government into decisions which should properly be the province of individual dog breeders and owners. The PPA would upset this balance, and impose excessive burdens on small business owners without improving the welfare of animals.

The AKC believes that what is needed to improve the welfare of dogs in substandard kennel operations is not legislation imposing new standards on dog breeders, but legislation that would strengthen the USDA’s tools for achieving compliance with the existing standards. We believe the purpose of the Animal Welfare Act is to assure compliance, not put breeders out of business. The proposed new PPA would undermine rather than enhance the USDA’s efforts to achieve compliance with its regulations.

The AKC has urged Sen. Santorum and other supporters of the PPA not to reintroduce the discredited PPA, but to instead engage in dialogue with organizations like the AKC and the purebred dog fancy, which have historically been dedicated to promoting the welfare of purebred dogs.

The AKC is monitoring developments with the PPA closely and is in communication with members of Congress and the Administration. Please check www.akc.org regularly for further developments, including any call to action that may become appropriate.

The Adventures of Jet As told by BJ…

Jet is my adventure pal.  Not that we’ve been having many adventures lately but that has been, admittedly, my entire fault.

When I first brought him home, I had visions of me and Jackie and Jet in an open-topped Jeep, cruising America’s back roads.  The sun is strong and the wind whips about us forcefully, yet playfully.  Jet is lounging on the backseat, protected from the brunt of the wind by a combination of the crude aerodynamics of the Jeep and his diminutive stature.

But, besides the county park, we haven’t really adventured anywhere.  Of course it’s my fault since Jet can’t very well start up the car and hit the highway.  Then again, these guys are pretty smart so who knows?  But the onus is on me to get my pack going.

Excuses abound.  Not enough extra cash right now, not enough vacation time banked.

But the Maestro has shown me, once again, that adventure can be right around the corner.

The other day, we were going on a longer walk.  This was all part and parcel to our new “slim Jet down” program.  We get to the usual turn around point but Jet had his stubby nose pointed in the other direction.  He strained mildly on the leash, trying to get a whiff of what was “over there”.  I decided to oblige and we walked another 10 feet or so.

Jet then continued to strain and sniff and at this point, I figured, “What the hell…” and let his nose lead us.

He snorffled along taking us through the neighboring college’s back lots and around closed buildings.  He never really settled on any one thing too long but seemed preoccupied with what was just beyond.

After some extra walking, he stopped sniffing and pulling as we neared the softball field.  At this point he just looked up at me as if to say, “Hey bub.  What are we doin’ here?”  I just sat on the bleachers so he plopped himself on the grass and stared out at nothing in particular, sniffing nearby stalks of grass.

It was a nice, autumn day and everything seemed so mellow.  The leaves had been changing colors for a few weeks now and the ground was a doppled array of dropped foliage.  The sun was just right to make everything glow in a placid, ephemeral way. 

I then realized that I was only able to view this scene and enjoy this particular moment because I let my dog pull “just a little further”.  I followed him and he followed his nose.

I never figured out what he was pulling after but I did learn that, if you follow your nose, adventure can be right around the corner.

You don’t need to load up a Jeep, and fill gas cans or pack a compass.  All you need to do is just pull a little further.

May you and your four-legged companions find similar adventures, both great and small.

.                          

Novice: 6:30-7:30  -  Open: 7:30 - 8:30  -  Utility: 8:30 - 9:30

Competition Obedience Classes, Vancouver, WA – Every Monday evening
Smart Partners Dog Training - Instructor: Joan Armstrong - near Clark County Fairgrounds - Contact: joana@zoiedog.com for availability and registration