The summer of 1993 saw the deaths of a number of dogs away at show weekends with their handlers. Most of them died in heat related incidents; one escaped or was let out of a crate and died under the wheels of a commuter train. While several articles in dog publications were quick to blame the handlers, all of whom are dog lovers who were devastated by their losses, nowhere did I read about how we in the show community can avoid such tragedies.
At the risk of sounding like a proponent of "the good old days," may I remind you of the simpler time when handlers carried smaller strings of dogs and were therefore able to watch over them more effectively. I remember a Florida circuit in 1973 where my handler carried two sets of crates---one permanently built into the van, the other assembled in the hotel room each night. The dogs were never left unattended in the evening. Ideally, handlers should still travel this way. However, hotels are increasingly refusing to accept dogs because of the occasional abuses of hotel privileges by inconsiderate travelers and a small group of dogshow people. What can we do to protect our dogs?.
I believe breeders and exhibitors have been far too lenient toward, and trusting of, a very faulty system. We live in an extremely complicated age. Not only must we be alert to weather conditions, but also to so-called "animal rights" activists who let dogs loose on show grounds and to thieves who prowl about looking for dogs to steal for resale. These problems may not be common, but they can and do occur. If you received that dreaded phone call that your dog was dead or missing, the fact that this sort of thing is unlikely would mean nothing to you.
The show going community must take responsibility for the animals it loves. Handlers should hire helpers to watch over dogs in their charge, so that rigs are not abandoned at night or while the handlers are busy in the ring. If this is too expensive, then several handlers should pool resources and hire someone to monitor the welfare of their dogs in a number of vans. To facilitate this, handlers and other exhibitors can arrange to park near each other. All it takes is a little planning and cooperation.
If these precautions were taken, otherwise heartbreaking situations such as failed generators or air conditioners and malicious prowlers would be resolved before any harm is done. Unless we exhibitors demand no less from our handlers, the system as we know it will not change.
This is not a handler's issue alone. We who owner-handle our dogs must take the same precautions and responsibility ourselves. How many of us finish exhibiting, leave our dog in the car or van and go off to watch the other breeds, stand in the food line or just visit with our friends? Most of us, I'm sure. We too must act more responsibly.
A phone call to a major dog show superintendent revealed that neither they nor the showgiving clubs hire any security personnel to patrol dog show sites. When you enter your dog, the agreement on the back of the official American Kennel Club entry form provides that you hold the showgiving club and superintendent, as well as their employees, harmless in the event of ". . . loss or injury of this dog by disappearance, theft, death or otherwise...." It is not difficult to appreciate that such disclaimers must be made or we would not have the privilege of having any dog shows at all.
In any case, it is we who remain ultimately responsible for the safekeeping of our dogs. While accidents will always happen, they should never be the easily preventable ones. If our standards of conduct need changing, then let us change them- yesterday.
1994 ABC Specialty
It is not too early to remind you that the American Boxer Club specialty will be held at the Holiday Inn North, Newark, New Jersey, during the week of May 9 to 14. A seminar for breeders and judges will be held early in the week. All are welcome.
Stephanie Abraham
P. O. Box 346
Scotland, CT 06264
