In
short, "nobody." No one you've heard of -- never worked
at AKC, never had a Best in Show dog, never been professional
handlers, never headed up a dog-related organization. We aren't
lawyers or lobbyists. Just dog lovers who are very concerned about
the animal rights movement in the United States and what it is
going to do to the rights of dog owners and breeders if we don't
get serious about fighting it.
We
support animal welfare and always have. (Unfortunately,
the term "welfare" has been co-opted by the animal rights
advocates who know that animal "rights" is too extreme
for successful fundraising.) We think cruelty and neglect laws,
as well as leash laws, should be diligently enforced. And we believe
a bit of understanding and compassion for people is an
important component of working for animal welfare. Education without
condescention, counseling without judgment, and moral support
can often make good homes out of bad homes, and great homes out
of okay homes.
We
live in Virginia and are whippet breeders, dog show exhibitors,
and whippet rescuers. Between us, we have about 45 years' experience
in dogs. We share our home with seven whippets (one -- Sam in
the above photo -- is a rescue), a Lab/Chow mix, a German Shepherd
Dog, and U-CDX Judy Street Dog, who is a Lab/Whippet from the
Baltimore SPCA.
Walt's primary canine interests are in obedience, behavior, genetics,
and health. Sharyn showed and bred collies on a small scale between
1973 and 1998, gradually moving into whippets after the first
one arrived in 1992 as a junior showmanship prospect for her daughter
Johannah. We breed about a litter a year, rescue whippets as time,
space, and money permit, show sparingly in conformation, and keep
talking about getting back into obedience. Fortunately, all of
this is still legal in our part of rural Virginia.
We
are members of the American Whippet Club, the American Dog Owners
Association, and the North Carolina Sporting Dogs Association.
Sharyn is also a member of the Shenandoah Valley Kennel Club and
the Virginia Federation of Dog Clubs and Breeders.
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