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October 28, 2006 - Everyone enjoyed our annual Westie "Howl-O-Ween" Fun Day event, held
this year at the home of Mary and Jim Cross. We are grateful to our hosts, who gave a warm reception to everyone
and provided the perfect setting with lots of Halloween decorations. Jim grilled burgers and hot
dogs, everyone brought a side dish or dessert, and Mary made sure the table remained filled with food. Mellodee
White organized the events for the day, which started with our annual costume contest, followed by bobbing for weenies,
and then the egg race! Helene Wood and her Westie, Wilson, gave a demonstration on the obstacle course, and Mary Cross
gave a pet-grooming demonstration with several volunteers from the audience. Kay McGuire brought "Clay Paws" for
everyone to put their Westie's paw print on a clay plate for a keepsake of the day. The sun was shining and Westies
were everywhere . . . it was a perfect day. We can always count on Dexter White to take some memorable photos for the
club, and below are a couple from our Fun Day (click on any photo to visit our main highlights page).
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Kay McGuire (with Mell White) made it to the Fun Day despite surgery just a
few days earlier
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Booster White enjoying the sunshine
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November 21, 2006 - We are grateful to Stella and Bill Blackwell for hosting our November program
on canine legislation at their beautiful home. Our guest speaker was Jeff Shaver, a volunteer attorney for the American
Canine Foundation who is extremely knowledgeable about dangerous dog laws and breed specific legislation in Texas and
other jurisdictions. Jeff discussed the current state of
Breed Specific Legislation (BSL), which comes in many forms, from extra insurance policies and special licenses, to outright
bans of particular breeds. BSL is now being extended in many areas to include
mandatory spay/neuter laws and fencing and enclosure requirements that many cannot meet. None of these laws are stopping dog
attacks or dog bites. They are, however, increasing the financial burden on taxpayers, animal shelters, and animal control
agencies. None of these laws stop irresponsible dog owners, nor do they educate
anyone about proper dog care. In the end, the punishment is doled out solely on responsible owners and good dogs because law-abiding
owners are the only ones who end up shelling out money to pay for special licenses or souped-up fences, and they are the ones
whose hearts are ripped out when their sweet dog is arbitrarily deemed "dangerous" and euthanized.
Jeff Shaver discussed some of the things
we can do to help fight BSL. Pay attention to the local news and get to
know your local officials. Learn who they are and what they support. Writing letters to your legislators, and encouraging others in your area to do the same, really does work.
Writing an effective letter to the media is another powerful way to get your message across to politicians and others in your
community.
Some helpful websites: American Canine Foundation (www.americancaninefoudationlaw.com), DogWatch (www.dogwatch.net), Responsible Pet Owners Alliance (www.responsiblepetowners.org), National Animal Interest Alliance (www.naiaonline.org), and www.rott-n-chatter.com.
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