Dean's Welcome Notes

Should your dog or cat have the same rights as you? Last month's Costco Connection magazine asked their readers a similar question. No - I'm not going to tell you what their results were - not just yet anyway!   I wondered what you thought.

Email us your thoughts on this - and next month we'll do a small feature on it. You can be as brief or long winded as you like - but the more feedback we get, the more interesting the results are bound to be!

As always, here at BreedersClub.net and CatsForYou.com we value your opinions and enjoy hearing from you.


Until next time,
Dean Hamill

Animal Trivia:

Can you name the two
dogs in the Harry Potter series?

Go to the end of the
newsletter for the answer.

Military Dogs and the U.S. War Dogs Association

It wasn't until January of 1942 that the United States began to get serious about using dogs in the military. Just after Pearl Harbor, a group called "Dogs for Defense" was formed to coordinate a sentry dog program to help with the war effort. Though there were initial ups and downs, by July of 1942 the program included extensive training of both dogs and their handlers for use as sentries, roving patrol messengers and sled dogs. This program became affectionately known as the
"K-9 Corps".

"Dogs For Defense" procured more than 18,000 dogs between 1942-1945. Initially there were more than 30 breeds being trained. By the end of 1944 the breeds that worked best were narrowed down to "German Shepherds, Belgian Sheep Dogs, Doberman-Pinschers, farm Collies, Siberian Huskies, Malamutes and Eskimo dogs".

After WWII, the US military officially sanctioned the German Shepherd as THE standard for the military working dog. The K-9 Corps continued to expand, and was used extensively in the Korean Conflict and Vietnam. It's estimated that more than 4900 dogs were deployed to Vietnam.

The K-9 Corps continues to be a vital, yet largely unsung, part of the U.S. military. One organization in particular, the U.S. War Dogs Association, is doing a great job of trying to change that. They are a non-profit dedicated to expanding public awareness, preserving the history, and commemorating the lives of these courageous and remarkable dogs.

Want more history on the K-9 Corps? Read "Dogs and National Defense" - it's fascinating. To see some great photographs of dogs in the service right now - go to K-9 Teams Around the World. A special thanks to the U.S. War Dogs Association for letting us use photos from their website!

Cyber Fiber

Knowledgerush.com - 3 sections of this site offer decent useful resources - the encyclodpedia, the books, and the authors sections.

The encyclopedia section is divided into large categories, such as mathematical science, applied arts, and culture. Click on a subject and get an overview, terms, fields of study, people, history, and a list of topics within each area. Then click a topic and dig deeper into each specialized area.

The books section actually has entire books you can read - hundreds if not thousands. They are listed alphabetically by title - you can also click on the author's name to get detailed histories and more works by that person. Or go directly to the authors section.

Cattails

Sphynx : a rare breed apart!

Also known as a "Canadian Hairless" - they are not actually hairless! Some of the first ones bred were named Prune, Epidermis, and Dermis - so that tells you a lot about their overall look.

Sphynx cats are one of the more lively breeds and crave attention. Don't be fooled into thinking that they are good for those with allergies - it's the dander and not hair that causes allergic reactions.


Irish Proverb:

"Beware of people who dislike cats."

Animal Trivia Answer:   Fluffy - the three headed dog, and Fang

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