Animal House

Travel tips with staying power

By DENISE FLAIM

Whippet breeder Bo Bengtson of Ojai, Calif., has been through more than enough in the past year.

Last February, a dog he bred and loved, a brindle-and-white whippet named Vivi who is now arguably the most famous show dog in the world, escaped from her crate en route to a Delta Airlines flight after competing at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

Bengtson knew this year's show (which concluded on Tuesday night with a English springer spaniel named James crowned Best in Show) would be deja vu all over again, as concerned friends and fanciers asked over and over about Vivi and whether she has been sighted again. (Not for several months.)

But the replay Bengtson was unprepared for took place two weeks earlier, when he went to Los Angeles International Airport to send a 6-month-old whippet named Griffin -- who also happens to be Vivi's nephew -- to a friend in Florida.

"It was the first time since Vivi's disappearance almost exactly a year ago that I shipped a dog. ... I was pretty nervous about the experience and had spent a lot of time preparing for it," Bengtson wrote in an e-mail that has circulated widely on the Internet. Among his precautions: several plastic "zip-ties" to secure the crate door and signs with Griffin's name and the words "DO NOT OPEN!"

The American Airlines staff was "helpful and considerate," Bengtson recalls. "They actually remembered the Vivi incident, even though that involved another airline and a different airport."

The airline checked the crate, the paperwork was signed, the zip-ties were secured, and Griffin chomped contentedly on his chew toy as his crate was loaded on a cart and wheeled away.

Then, as a relieved Bengtson headed toward the door, he overheard the cart-pushing employee say: "Security wants to open the crate again."

The zip-ties were snipped, and Griffin was removed and placed in Bengtson's arms as the crate was scrutinized.

"The inspection took place in an open building, with hundreds of passengers milling about, less than 6 feet from an open door with very heavy traffic outside," Bengtson notes. "I still get weak at the knees thinking about what could have happened if we had not been present," and if a decidedly whippet-unsavvy security staff had taken matters -- not to mention Griffin -- into their own hands.

An estimated half-million companion animals fly every year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Most of these animals travel in the cabin, and are processed at security checkpoints along with their humans. But if you fly an animal as "checked luggage" -- that is, in the airplane's belly -- there is one acronym you need to know: TSA, for the Transportation Security Administration.

TSA spokeswoman Amy Kudwa says the agency checks "100 percent of checked luggage" -- animals included. During the inspection, carriers are swabbed and checked for explosives, although Kudwa says Bengtson's experience is not typical: "It is my understanding that TSA does not open the carriers" unless an owner is present, or unless security concerns prompted a more thorough search. Once the TSA inspection is complete, a holographic sticker is placed on the crate indicating that it has been checked.

At LAX, Kudwa says, the majority of TSA screenings are done in the airport lobby.

How and when TSA inspections take place "depend on what airport you're in," warns Susan Kerwin-Hagen, coordinator for Midwest Airlines' Premier Pet program. In her Milwaukee airport, for example, "the TSA agent asks the owner to remain with the pet until the carrier is examined." The dog is then also examined, with the owner holding the dog's head while the TSA agent "pats it down."

The key to avoiding a scenario such as Bengtson's is to ask to stay with your animal until the TSA inspection is done.

Bengtson -- who wonders if Vivi was lost as part of a botched security check -- certainly will. And he's determined to push for changes in how airports process animals, including requiring crate inspections only in secure areas.

"It's actually surprising that more pets aren't lost at airports," he muses, noting that from now on, any dogs he flies will keep their collars on, even though there is a slight risk of it getting caught on something. "Many dogs are nervous while being shipped and would bolt at the first opportunity to get out of the crate."

Kerwin-Hagen reminds that exposing animals to crates and carriers at an early age is vital, so they aren't panic-striken if they ever have to travel in one.

As for Griffin, he "got to Florida safe and sound, not in the least upset by his experience," concludes Bengtson, who, though he stayed on terra firma, can't say the same for himself.

WRITE TO Denise Flaim, c/o Newsday, 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY 11747-4250; or e-mail denise.flaim@newsday.com.

A nice job covering the Vivi phenom, and retracing some old tracks:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=vivi

A year ago today, the disappearance of a pretty little wisp of a whippet prompted me to use this blog to help keep people up to date on rescue efforts. It became inextricably linked with this spunky little show dog, who had a knack for capturing hearts as effortlessly as she did ribbons.

A year later, and still no Vivi. But in the meantime, this blog has become a place for dog lovers to come for the latest news -- even if that is that there is no news.

I still leave room for the hope that a page-one "Vivi Found" story lurks around the bend. I hope you do, too, if only because it's nice to believe in happy endings -- and to believe in believing.

If you were at Westminster on Tuesday, you might have seen search coordinator Bonnie Folz tooling around with the hottest accessory for the Vivi faithful: the Vivi bag.

Rich chocolate brown with hot-pink accents, the glossy-paper tote bags have a photo of the missing Westminster whippet, along with the hot line number: 877-JFK-VIVI.

The bags are $5.95, and can also be ordered in bulk. A portion of proceeds will benefit two local no-kill rescue groups: Bide-a-Wee in Manhattan and Bobbi & the Strays in Queens.

Visit vivibags.com, or call (201) 265-0014.

Dr. Robert Indeglia wasn't so wild about Harry.

At a Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show that was notable for its prodigious giant-slaying, Indeglia, a cardiac surgeon who was officiating in the Best in Show ring, passed over "Harry," the Dandie Dinmont terrier and number-one dog co-owned by Bill Cosby, to give top honors to an English Springer spaniel named James.

Champion Felicity's Diamond Jim, the number-two dog in the country, was the sixth Springer to garner Best in Show honors at the Garden. Though the majority of Westminster wins have been taken by terriers, a Dandie has never won at the vaunted Manhattan show.

Harry's handler, Bill McFadden, knows all about how the phoenix can rise again: After his much-hyped Kerry Blue, Mick, won the Terrier group but failed to snag Best in Show in 2002, he came back to earn the coveted ribbon the following year.

Can Harry hope for a similar comeback? Stranger things have happened.

The Garden continued to surprise today: In the Herding Group, "Smokin'," last year's Group winner, got dumped in the breed, as we like to say.

Two other favorites emerged unscathed, though: The number-eight dog in the counttry -- Champion Celestial's Cj's Jolly Fairchild ("Fairchild"), the petit basset griffon vendeen (just call her a PBGV and get it over with) -- and number two -- James the English springer spaniel (listed in the catalog by his formal name, Champion Felicity's Diamond Jim) -- won their breeds handily, and are headed to their respective group rings.

Look for James to give Harry the Dandie Dinmont a run for his money.

For this fancier, the only ring that mattered today was the Ridgeback ring, which burst at the seams with the day's largest entry of 50 dogs. And the winner was family to me -- literally: Mafu (Champion Kimani's Aires Above the Ground), who is the sire to my current litter of 14 puppies.

You pick your favorite. I've already got mine.

This is my idea of wiling away a Monday night … watching the Groups at the Garden. Part conformation analysis, part tarot-card reading, it’s an exercise is suspense and showmanship.

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What happened? Who’s hot? Here goes:

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Love me, love terrier

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Maybe he won’t be a bridesmaid this time around.

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No joking: Comedian Bill Cosby has backed dozens of show dogs in the last three decades, co-owning them with fellow Navy alum Col. Jean Heath of Pleasanton, Calif. Some have placed in, and even won, Groups at the Garden. But that is where their winning has ended.

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Now there’s Harry.

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As the pundits predicted, New Zealand-born Champion Hobergays Fineus Fogg vanquished the Terrier group tonight, beating the Sealyham terrier named Ben, who was his stiffest competition. Now all he has to do is go Best in Show tomorrow night.

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As for Cosby, he was most definitely not in the reviewing stands. (That would have been a sure way of deflecting attention from where it belongs -- on the dog, stupid.)

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“Mr. Cosby thinks it’s bad luck to be in New York,” says Harry’s handler, Bill McFadden, who knows from winning at Westminster – he won in 2003 with Mick the Kerry blue terrier. He added that he hopes to prove his boss wrong.

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Standing in for Cosby was his 40-year-old daughter Erinn, who scooped Harry up in the arms of her poofy Giants jacket and hugged him till his big dark round eyes – a signature of his breed, by the way – nearly popped.

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Why did Harry win the competitive Terrier group, over the aforementioned Sealy, second-place smooth fox terrier, and fourth-place Staffordshire bull terrier (a breed, by the way, that is banned in the judge’s home province of Ontario)?

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“He just asked for it,” said Group judge Dr. Richard Meen.

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Don’t they all.

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Yo, you pointin’ at me?

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Go, Lawn Guyland!

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The first Group up at the Garden tonight was Working dogs, and it was won handily by an Akita -- the aptly named Ch Redwitch Reason to Believe, also known as “Macey.”

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Macy is owned by local real-estate mogul Roger Rechler, who is perhaps best-known for his Afghan hounds, bred until the kennel name Grandeur.

Preferring California climes, Macey lives with her handler, Laurie Jordan-Fenner.

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After Macey took her all-important Group-winning photo, Rechler’s 11-year-old son, Bill, hugged the 3-year-old English import. (Sure-fire way to elicit awwwws from reporters.)

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The Alaskan malamute took the second-place ribbon, followed by a Newfoundland who is the son of Josh, the 2004 Westminster winner. Fourth place went to the Kuvacz. (It’s OK if you don’t know what it is: It’s fleecy, it’s white, and it looks like what might result if dogs and sheep were chromosomally capable of procreating.)

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Poodles, poodles everywhere

No surprise in the Toy group: Vikki the toy poodle (Champion Smash Jp Win a Victory), piloted by Kaz Hosaka won handily, despite a judge who was rumored to prefer Pekes.

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Vikki ended 200 as the number-five dog in the country, and the top toy.

And in the last group of the evening, Non-Sporting (otherwise known as the "We Don't Know Where Else to Put Them" Group), the standard choice -- the standard poodle took the blue ribbon.

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The poodle in question, Champion Brighton Minimoto, is the daughter of  Champion Ale Kai Mikomoto on Fifth -- a two-time Westminster group winner himself.

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Another giant falls

The Boxer ring was abuzz today when the nation's number-three dog, Champion Bayview Some Like It Hot, better known as "Monroe," lost to the number-two boxer, Champion Ein-Von's Just A Rumor, whose friends call her "Jasmine."

Still-another fall from grace echoed in the Airedale ring, where the number-six dog last year, Champion Evermay’s High Performance, forfeited the Best of Breed ribbon to a girl named Champion Huntwood’s Waltzing Mahtilda.

Such tumbles from once-lofty heights are pretty much standard fare at the Garden, which one long-time judge affectionately calls "the day for losers."

To relive the torturous ups and downs, visit westminsterkennelclub.org, which is offering streaming video of the breed competitions. (Do it soon, though: It's free for now, but in a week you'll have to pay for the privilege.)

No kidding around

The youngest handler competing in the Juniors competition is a homegrown Long Islander: Jayme Baum, 9, of Huntington, made the rounds accompanied by her elkhound Royce, her mom Janet and beaming uncle Donald Sturz, an AKC judge who judged the Hound group at Westminster last year.

Juniors competition is intended encourage participation by youngsters in the sport of dogs; unlike the rest of dogs shows, in Juniors competitions, it is the handlers who are judged, not the dogs.

Jayme is a third-generation dog-show person: Her grandmother, who was also at the Garden today, started in golden retrievers. Jayme's arsenal for tempting 7-year-old Royce tomorrow night? Chicken, steak and hot dogs -- not necessarily in that order.

The legs have it

Westminster is a stage, and many attendees are happy to dress the part, from rhinestone-studdede jackets to breed-specific bling-bling. (Speaking of breed-specific, as in legislation, many of the bullie-breed owners were sporting purple ribbons, to protest New York City councilman Peter Vallone's recent proposal to ban pitbulls in the city.)

But the biggest satorial statement on the floor of the Garden today was made by Graham Mocklow of Bermuda, who wore -- what else? -- Bermuda shorts to show his Shipperke, "Nam." (For his part, "Nam" was the oldest dog entered in  the show, at a sprightly 13 1/2.)

How do Bermuda shorts look with black socks and dress shoes? Just about how you would expect.

In a world where things change as rapidly as Britney Spears' gestational status, it's comforting to have a constant like Westminster.

The carpet is always green, the benching area always cramped, the jostling omnipresent.

In the press room, the insane phone calls come in with regularity, fielded by Eric, who speaks both Cantonese, Italian and Spanish (a benefit of growing up in Little Italy).

Every third call is for someone demanding to speak to David Frei, the show's tuxedoed emcee and the literal face of Westminster.

Ring, ring. Finally, a media person looking for someone other than Frei.

"Someone wants to interview Bill Cosby," says Erich Menendez, holding the phone to his chest.

Cosby, of course, owns the top-winning dog in the country, a Dandie Dinmont terrier named Harry. He (Cosby, not Harry) does  not make it a habit of hanging out in the press room -- and  according to show chairman Thomas H. Bradley 3rd,the famous comedian will not be at the Garden for Best in Show tomorrow night if Harry wins the Terrier group.

Ring, ring. "New Mexico -- Land of enchantment?"Eric says to a reporter calling to ask if any Albuquerque fanciers are entered in the show. "I know where that is --West Side, right?"

Out on the floor, things are equally as frenetic. Commandeering well-positioned seats that belong to others is a well-practiced sport, and just this morning I was shooed from mine by the handler belonging to real-estate heiress and poodle fancier Karen LeFrak, who was being assiduously filmed by PetStyle.com. (Karen, ever the lady, apologized profusely. Hey, it was the best seat I ever squatted in -- I deserved it.)

Amid all this, there was time for watching dogs. In the pug ring, "Tucker," the number-one pug and number-two toy dog last year, went down in flames, losing to a female named Cherry. Cheery's breeder, Machiko Nomura, pretty in pink and pearls, happening to be sitting in front of us, and all she could do was put her hands over her mouth as tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.

That's what Westminster's about -- the possibility.

Tucker, for his part, earned an Award of Merit -- dogdom's version of "runner-up" -- and left the ring sprawled on his owner's shoulders, languidly -- and perhaps appropriately -- belly up.

Westminster doyenne's absence felt

By Denise Flaim

STAFF WRITER

Before the terriers trot in front of the cameras tonight, the lights at Madison Square Garden will dim in memory of the woman who was to have judged them: Anne Hone Rogers Clark of Greenwood, Del.

With a commanding presence (she was 6-foot-2) and literally encyclopedic knowledge of dogs (she co-wrote a dog bible), "Annie," as she was referred to by those who knew her well and those who wished they did, was the grand-dam of dogdom. She died in December of cancer at age 77.

A descendant of early 19th century New York City mayor Philip Hone, Clark was a self-proclaimed "stock market crash child" whose mother bred English cockers and poodles and operated a midtown grooming shop called Dogs Inc. Passing up a scholarship to vet school, Clark became a top professional handler. As a judge, she was known for her no-nonsense demeanor and tendency to give handling instructions in the ring, especially when an inept exhibitor jeopardized a good dog's chances at winning.

Never once missing Westminster since she first attended in 1941, Clark was the only person to have judged all seven groups and Best in Show at the champions-only show. She was also the first professional female handler to win top honors there, with a toy poodle named Champion Wilbur White Swan in 1956.

Everyone has an Annie story, and I am no exception. In only my second time in the ring, I ran around with my frisky, galloping puppy, cooing encouragingly, until she called me back. "Take that collar, put the ring under her neck, give it a pop and stop making those ridiculous noises," she barked. "She thinks you are playing with her."

I did as I was told, my puppy magically settled down, and I earned my second-place ribbon.

Goodbye, Mrs. Clark.

Two-legged competitors are driven to show their four-legged champs at the Garden

By Denise Flaim

STAFF WRITER

Maybe to you, they look like a bunch of liver-throwing, crate-hauling, blowdryer-brandishing weirdos.

But they're dog family to me.

Today, the 131st annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show engulfs Madison Square Garden, rolling out an emerald-green carpet where the Knicks usually tread, constructing a backstage maze of yellow wooden benches where dogs lounge in their off time to greet the thronging public, and where even perfect size 6s cannot pass without perennial excuse-me's.

Westminster is dogdom's mecca. For fanciers, handlers and breeders, the annual pilgrimage to "the Garden" is a chance to connect with far-away people we know best through the furious click of computer keys. It's where rumors are fanned and gossip is doled. It's the venue to see the big winners in the flesh, and decide if they live up to their hype.

But for the "pet people" - sorry, that's what we call you - who wend their way through the Garden's tight (and, near the sawdust-strewn potty areas, aromatic) backstage quarters, this is a subculture that can bear more than a passing resemblance to Barnum & Bailey. Indeed, the dog-show life has a bit of the carny to it, especially for those who make it more than a hobby. The cities, and often states, change every weekend, but the people never do, caravanning in motor homes and minivans packed with stainless-steel water buckets, squeak toys - and limitless ambition.

So, taking our attention off the dogs for a moment, here are some frequently asked questions about that most fascinating - and misunderstood - breed of all: the dog-show fanatic.

Are these people doing it for the money? In a word: no. If you win at Westminster, you leave with a silver trophy (plated, no less), a streaming rosette and bragging rights. You'd do better holding up a liquor store.

While theoretically, a Westminster winner could charge exorbitant puppy prices and stud fees, the truth is that even the most libidinous dog would be hard-pressed to recoup a fraction of the cost it took to get him on the map in the first place.

Piloting a successful show dog to the pinnacle can't be done on a shoestring. Champion dogs that are "campaigned" or "specialed" - that is, shown with the goal of securing a top spot in their breed or group rankings - are advertised in slick show magazines and sent off with professional handlers for umpteen weekends on the road. The price tag for all this publicity and visibility can easily surpass five digits, if you are serious - and deep-pocketed - enough.

People show dogs for the same reason they play golf: It's genially - sometimes not so genially - competitive. It's a bug they inexplicably catch and cannot shake. And nobody really wants to add up what it costs them between show entries, gas, mileage and sundry supplies, because nobody really wants to know.

What's with these, er, zaftig ladies running around in polyester? Rather than decrying their sartorial shortcomings, I encourage you to look at such fashion failures as walking - or, when they are running around the ring lacking the proper foundation support, jiggling - evidence of the great democracy of dog shows.

It is easy to spot the professional handlers, those who are paid to condition, present and show dogs for owners who are too clumsy, shy, busy or disinterested to do so themselves. They exude polish and poise. If they are women, they know to choose the chignon over the ponytail, the tailored suit over the gauzy peasant dress. If they are men ... well, as with everything else in the world, no one cares what they wear.

The pro handler's counterpart is the owner-handler - a person who shows his or her own dog. (If they also bred the dog at the end of the lead, they get an extra hyphen and are called breeder-owner-handlers.) Some owner-handlers are so polished as to be indistinguishable from the pros. Others are dead giveaways, from their less-than-graceful locomotion to their choppy responses to a judge's subtle gestures in the ring, to the presence of the dangling "bait bag." (Eschewing any method of treat storage that even hints of a fanny pack, professional handlers stash their motivating pieces of baked liver in discreet pockets or under the rubber band securing their numbered armband in place.)

"I find dog shows an incredible blending of cultures and backgrounds," says Carol Reisman of Baldwin, a dog-show person for 40 years and an AKC judge who judged the Hound group at the Garden in 2003. "You can have heiresses running with their own dogs behind people who don't have enough money to feed their kids. And all socializing, to a degree, together. The dogs are your common ground."

Indeed, I have competed in the ring against country-and-western saloon owners, nuclear-plant workers, thoracic surgeons and at least one board member of the NRA. And too many lawyers to count.

Why are most dog-show breeders women? Dog shows skew disproportionately female, though the higher up the pyramid you go, the less the gender disequilibrium.

When Westminster was founded in the late 1800s, dog shows were dominated by wealthy white men, and some vestiges of that remain today: The club still does not accept female members, though having two X chromosomes certainly does not prohibit you from competing at its high-profile show. (Before you get all suffragette on me, there are also long-standing women-only dog clubs - including the Long Island-based Ladies Kennel Association, which presumably has concluded that men will not look good in the billowy hats and white gloves that are its required dress code on show days.)

Today, women are overwhelmingly in the trenches, breeding the dogs that go on to win big. But when it comes to handlers in the ultra-competitive Group and Best in Show rings, "there are usually more men in the line," says Chris Walkowicz of Sherrard, Ill., an AKC judge and onetime bearded-collie and German shepherd dog breeder. "Ahem."

Is it really like "Best in Show"? Dog-show people don't like answering this question because if we get all huffy and start talking about things like breed type and adherence to the standard and the objective evaluation of breeding stock, we sound defensive.

And if we say yes, we sound stupid.

Perhaps the best answer is this: That mockumentary offers archetypes found at virtually every dog show, from dawg-loving good-ol' boys to swishy handlers to latte-sipping A types.

After all, everyone I know has had a "Busy Bee" moment.

That said, these days being a dog-show handler has an air of cachet. "When I went to my high-school reunion, people were like, 'Oh, my God, I saw you on TV,'" says Kimberly Pastella-Calvacca of Westbury, a third-generation dog person and professional handler who will show her homebred miniature pinscher, along with other breeds like a Doberman and boxer, at the Garden.

What do dog show people talk about? We use the "B" word a lot, because "dog" is taken to mean only a male specimen of the species. Immunity to the repeated utterance of that five-letter word - including on the USA Network telecast - is recommended.

We talk about our frustrations - the breedings that didn't take, the pet owners who return their babies to us to be shown with 10 extra pounds and untrimmed nails that resemble eagle talons. We talk about our aspirations - the promising new dog - and share tips and advice, from nutrition to training to grooming. And no matter how long they are involved with dogs, no one tires of a cute puppy story - provided you only tell it once.

Likely topics of conversation this year will be The Times' recent Sunday magazine story about "designer dogs," and the decision by a prominent breed club to grant membership to the nation's biggest puppy broker. (If you have to ask who, then it's probably too much inside baseball for you, anyway.)

And, of course, there's the inevitable scatology. Housebreaking issues loom large, as do observations about the amount, appearance, consistency and prognostic qualities of, er, output.

"Talk to dog people long enough," says Reisman with a grin, "and it always turns to crap."

Tall, dark strangers - not.

This trio of low-riding, economically sized dogs - a Dandie Dinmont terrier named Harry, a Sealyham terrier nicknamed Ben, and a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen called Fairchild - needs no introduction to dog fanciers. Last year, they were among the biggest-winning show dogs in the nation. And tomorrow and Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, they will be among the hottest contenders at the Westminster Kennel Dog Show, even if much of the general public has never heard of their respective breeds.

"These are not dogs you see on the street every day, and they are not dogs everyone should own," says American Kennel Club judge Patricia Cruz of Coram, noting the hound's independence and vocalness, and the terriers' scrappiness. "Even though they can be small, terriers are tough - they come by their reputation honestly. It's a lot of fun to see them, but to own one is quite another story."

(See Pat's judging of entrants in Newsday's Virtual Dog Dog at newsday.com/virtualdogshow.)

No matter who wins the purple-and-gold Best in Show rosette Tuesday night, the exposure these charming little dogs get at the Garden might very well increase demand for them. And that's a double-edged sword, Cruz reminds, as increased popularity brings with it incentive for the less-than-scrupulous to overbreed and cash in.

When it comes to winning at Westminster, perfection counts - a simple misstep can knock a dog out of the running. But so does personality. AKC judge Carol Reisman of Baldwin thinks all three dogs have built-in audience appeal, with their reputation for showmanship and clownishness.

"All three have a sense of humor, and the crowd loves that," she says, thinking back to 2004, when a personality-packed Newfoundland named Josh charmed the audience with his exuberant bark. "There are people who say that's when the dog won Best in Show."

Champion Hobergays Fineus Fogg
Dandie Dinmont Terrier

"Harry," as this Australian import is known, was the No. 1 dog in the nation in 2006. Not bad for a breed that's so rare a whopping 84 puppies were registered last year.

The only breed named after a literary character - Dandie Dinmont was a farmer with a pack of terriers in Sir Walter Scott's 1814 novel, "Guy Mannering" - this densely built fellow was bred to hunt vermin on the punishing terrain of the English-Scottish border country.

Six-year-old "Harry" is owned by Jean Heath of Pleasanton, Calif., a Navy colonel and veteran terrier breeder, and comedian Bill Cosby.

The two met long before Cosby was famous, when he was convalescing in a naval hospital and took a fancy to Heath's miniature-schnauzer puppy, Clipper.

Since the mid-1970s, Cosby has financially backed dozens of Heath's show dogs, many of them Lakeland terriers.

Heath says she persuaded Cosby to sign on to the Dandie by sending him a head shot of the wise-eyed terrier with the distinctive silky topknot, inscribed with the words, "Hi, Mr. C. My name is Harry - and I'm hot."

Harry is assured a spot in the Terrier Group tonight, as he is the only Dandie entered.

Champion Stonebroke Right On The Money
Sealyham Terrier

Another earthdog, "Ben Low" was the No. 4 dog in the country last year, and No. 2 terrier, right behind Harry the Dandie. The top-winning Sealyham of all time, the 4-year-old captured terrierdom's most prestigious win in October: Best in Show at the Montgomery County Kennel Club.

Originating in Wales and named for Sealy Ham, the estate of Captain John Edwards, who developed it, the Sealyham was bred to quarry badger, fox and otter. Required by its standard to be "the embodiment of power and determination," the Sealyham is believed to have corgi, Dandie Dinmont, West Highland White terrier, wire-haired fox terrier and Bull Terrier in its lineage.

"Sealys are the sweetest, and their disposition is fabulous, especially with children," says Ben's owner, Linda Low of Scottsdale, Ariz., though they are often victims of mistaken identity. "People will say, 'That's not a white Scottie, is it?' Or 'The ears don't look right for a Westie.'"

Champion Celestial CJ's Jolly Fairchild
Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen

Say this breed's name three times fast. See? That's why everyone just calls them PBGVs ("pee-VEE-gee-VEE"). A deconstruction of the French name provides a good description of this rough-coated scenthound: "Petit" means small; "basset" means low to the ground; "griffon" is for wire coated, and Vendéen is the area of France where the breed originated.

"Fairchild," the nation's No. 1 hound and No. 8 dog overall in last year, has earned her fair share of wins: The 4-year-old won the Hound group at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in California, the nation's second most prestigious show.

Fairchild took the breed at the Garden last year, and her team hopes for a repeat this year.

Westminster doesn’t technically begin until the first champion canine trots into Madison Square Garden's spectator-rimmed rings at 8:30 Monday morning, but the parties started in earnest this weekend.

Sunday’s hot ticket was dachshund doyenne Iris Love’s annual soiree; partygoers left with a stuffed black-and-tan dachshund dressed like a jester to commemorate the 2006 passing of American/Canadian/Bermuda Champion Dachsmith Love’s Tyche Tyche. Hey, everyone mourns differently.

Over at the American Kennel Club headquarters on Madison Avenue, the late-afternoon cocktail party for local media and dog writers included chicken sate and sushi, leisurely viewing of the office’s socko antique oil paintings and an open bar in the board room (Sorry Cosmo lovers, no cranberry juice – there was genuine concern over the fate of the beige wall-to-wall.) Parting gifts were a set of Best in Show-themed dominos.

Some might have been tempted to break out those tiles at the Dog Writers Association of America annual dinner at the Affinia Hotel. (Dog writers eat there, but most can never afford to stay; even vaunted dog show judges bunk in threes and fours in the $400-a-night rooms.) Traditionally, it has taken hours for all the nominees’ names to be read and winners announced – all the while as restless natives threaten to storm the buffet dinner. This year, only winners were announced, and the whole affair took a mere hour and a half. Time went speedily at our table, which included a psychologist, search-and-rescue handler, a groovy PR chick with Dolce & Gabbanas perched atop her head, a chef who was writing a book about Italian Holocaust survivors (“I’m not one of you -- I don’t have a dog,” she whispered with not a little bit of concern), and two artfully smuggled bottles of Perrier Jouet.

Tomorrow, the dogs.

Joshua and Justin Moulder, who admitted to duct-taping, torturing and baking a 3-month old pitbull puppy in the fully heated gas oven of a community center, received the maximum sentence today in an Atlanta court room.

The brothers, aged 17 and 19, were each sentenced to 10 years for burglary and five years for animal cruelty. The sentences are to be served concurrently, not consecutively.

The Moulders -- who prosectuors called the "BTK brothers," for "bind, torture and kill" -- received the same sentence offered in a plea deal they had rejected.

The Moulders' first trial ended in a hung jury when one juror refused to convict.

County officials say they have received more than 5,000 emails and cards about the trial from all over the country, and even the world.

Inspired by Vivi breeder Bo Bengtson's upsetting experience at an airport while shipping a whippet, search coordinator Bonnie Folz has printed thousands of fliers containing the information below on safe airline handling for dogs. Rules at Madison Square Garden prohibit leafletting, but Bonnie hopes to distribute these at nearby hotels and the pre-Westminster specialty shows this weekend.

If you will be in the city and can transport or distribute fliers, please contact Bonnie at pawsativebf@aol.com.

URGENT MESSAGE

IF YOU ARE FLYING DOGS

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT MULTIPLE LAYERS OF SECURITY CHECKS CAN BE PERFORMED WHILE HANDLING YOUR DOGS DURING AND AFTER CHECK-IN AT YOUR AIRLINES

PLEASE TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS WHEN FLYING YOUR DOGS

- Carefully inspect your own crates. Check all locks, screws and connections. Have zip ties readily available. Drill holes at the top and both sides of the crate. This will allow you to add the zip ties AFTER the Transportation Security Administration's inspection of the crate.

- When checking in, have the ticket agent call a TSA agent over or ask where to take the crate to a TSA security station for inspection before handing the dog over to the AIRLINES for shipping. Airline employees may not know to do so. TSA work for the US Government and AIRPORT not the airlines.

- After TSA inspects the crate they will place a Homeland Security tag on the crate and then the zip ties can be applied to further secure the dog.

- Post a sign that says DO NOT OPEN EXCEPT IN EMERGENCY & ONLY IN AN ENCLOSED ROOM on top of the crate, above the door.

- Post your contact information, including CELL PHONE NUMBER boldly on all sides of the crate, with instructions to contact you immediately if needed for the handling of your dog. Keep your cell phone on until the very last minute.

- Let the airline personnel know to immediately notify you in the event any additional security checks are needed.

- Do not hesitate to request your dog NOT be transported on a tug to the aircraft.

- Ask where your dog will be kept until loaded. Go to your gate and watch the crate being loaded. Dogs are last to load and first off, this is an FAA rule.

- Tell the ticket agent at the gate you are waiting for a dog to be loaded before you board the plane. If you MUST board the plane before the dog is loaded, tell the flight attendant to notify the Captain to confirm the dog has been safely loaded (describe the crate) or you will have to get off the plane!

- Upon arrival, make sure your crate was taken off the plane.

- DO NOT BE SHY, ask questions. Make people aware. Be assertive but professional and take whatever steps necessary to insure your dogs are handled correctly.

- Your knowledge and involvement can mean a world of difference in the safe handling of your dog.

STILL MISSING from JFK Airport - Vivi, the whippet - any info please call 877-JFK-VIVI

Laurette Richin, the Long Island-based bulldog rescuer who was instrumental in saving Duke the bulldog for an unjustified death sentence, now needs help to save her own life.

You can read about Laurette's battle with a rare form of cancer, and how to help, at www.helplaurette.com.

Search coordinator Bonnie Folz sends this on:

<<Rosa got a call of a sighting tonight [Monday, Feb. 5] at 10:30 p.m. The president of the Forest Park Dog Run, called to say he believes he saw Vivi around the picnic area by the band shell in Forest Park while walking his dog. His dog is who actually spotted Vivi first and the dog was about 20 foot away from his dog.  I was just finishing up my training class. I called and spoke with the man (a former student, owns an Irish Wolfhound) and asked if he could pick the dog he saw out of a line-up?  He said he thought it was a saluki at first and it looked beige in color.  When I asked him about any markings he said he couldn't be sure because it was dark and the dog ran off.  But he believes it was our dog.  I finished at class and one of my friends/students followed me up to Forest Park to the area of the sighting.  We met up with Gail, got out with flash lights and looked around but it's got to be below zero and the wind was just too much for us to stay out too long.  We all headed back to our cars and canvassed the area and some surrounding blocks.  Gail and I met up with Rosa and her room mate Wendy at the bandshell parking lot, discussed the sighting and where the dog could have gone for shelter.  Being it was sighted not far from the hole in the fence of the golf course where we once had a feeding station set up and the camera was stolen, the dog very well could have ducked back into the golf course and is hiding out there.  It got to be too late so I left Gail, Rosa and Wendy, drove around the golf course parameter and headed home.  Gail and Rosa were going to put out some food for the dog in case it was hungry.  Guess the Forest Park area needs to be posted again. >>

Is your dog show worthy?

With the famous Westminster Kennel Club dog show right around the corner, here's your chance to see if your pooch has what it takes to be "in the ribbons."

As we did last year, we will forward your dog's photos to an AKC-licensed judge, who will offer informal comments about how well your dog measures up to the official standard, or blueprint, for the breed.

Please, no "professional" show dogs. This is for amateurs only!

Here's how to participate:

1. Take two photographs of your dog: a "head shot" (preferably a three-quarter view of his head) and a "stack shot" (a side profile). See examples below.

Head Shot

Stack Shot

Photos by Jens Ratsey-Woodroffe

2. Using our MyCapture function, submit your photos, along with your dog's name, age and breed, as well as your name, town and state.

3. Check newsday.com/virtualdogshow late next week to see what the judges have to say!

Vivi's breeder, Bo Bengtson, sends this on:

<<SHIPPING DOGS: “SECURITY CHECKS” PROVIDE “NEW” RISK?

The following recent experience exposed an obvious risk in shipping dogs and other pets and could, I hope, be used as a catalyst for change and new federal regulations in how animals are treated while in transit.

On Friday, Feb. 2, 2007, I went to LAX to ship a Whippet puppy to Florida. It was the first time since Vivi’s disappearance almost exactly a year ago that I shipped a dog, which only affects the following in so far as I was pretty nervous about the experience and had spent a lot of time preparing for it. We had several plastic “zip-ties” to secure the crate and signs with the dog’s name, “DO NOT OPEN!” etc. The puppy, Griffin, is a nearly six-month-old son of Vivi’s older half brother, Chili.

I chose American Airlines because their web site impressed me as being very sensible and dog-friendly with a lot of specific information. Griffin was booked on non-stop flight AA262 departing at 9:25 PM and arriving in Fort Lauderdale at 5:10 AM local time. He was shipped Priority Parcel, which meant that we had to bring him to the AA baggage area at LAX. The airline staff was very helpful and considerate; they actually remembered the Vivi incident even though that involved another airline and a different airport.

With the crate checked and approved, and all paperwork done, we secured the gate with the zip-ties. Griffin was totally unconcerned and only focused on playing with his chew toy. Having paid the shipping charge we saw the crate being loaded on a cart and wheeled out; we were ready to leave the building when — by pure chance and because the cargo employee with the cart returned to the front desk — we overheard him saying that “Security wants to open the crate again.”

Obviously airport security staff works independenly from the airlines, and obviously they have the right to inspect any piece of luggage as they feel is necessary at any time. Reasoning with an unsmiling security officer exercising her authority was useless. The upshot was that the zip-ties had to be cut, the gate opened and Griffin taken out of the crate while the officer inspected the crate. Since I could hold the puppy in my arms, all went well – in spite of the fact that the inspection took place in an open building, with hundreds of passengers milling about, less than six feet from an open door with very heavy traffic outside. Any dog who ran out that door would unquestionably be killed by traffic in a matter of minutes.

I still get weak at the knees thinking about what could have happened if we had not been present. Certainly none of the security staff had any dog experience whatsoever; Griffin would have wriggled in their arms and tried to lick their faces; if they had dropped him they would not have had any idea how to catch him again. (Everyone who knows him is aware that he’d come to anyone who showed him a treat!)

It is appalling that living animals are not treated differently than other cargo in this respect. Quite obviously, from every point of view, it would make sense that security should check crates BEFORE they are closed by the airline staff at check-in, and that no crate containing a live animal should ever be opened unless it is inside a closed room and the owner (or at the very least an experienced animal handler) is present. Once the crate has been inspected, a sticker or plastic seal should be placed on the gate indicating that it cannot be opened again while in transit.

With the above in mind, it’s actually surprising that not more pets are lost at airports. Many dogs are nervous while being shipped and would bolt at the first opportunity to get out of the crate. A scared dog might bite a security officer, who then most likely would let the dog go.

There has been much discussion about whether it’s safer to leave a collar on a dog being shipped or not. While I agree that there is a small risk that the collar could get stuck in something during the flight, I now feel that it’s probably safer to leave it on, since this would at least increase the dog’s risks of not getting loose if it’s taken out of its crate after check-in.

We will never know whether it was a last-minute security inspection of Vivi’s crate what forced her to get out of her crate and eventually get lost. It is certain, however, that a new federal regulation needs to be introduced to prevent similar occurrences from happening again.

Griffin got to Florida safe and sound, not in the least upset by his experience. However, I urge anyone with contacts in the right places to help us push for a change in the federal regulations for how live animals in transit are treated by airport staff.

Thanks for your patience!

Bo Bengtson>>
    

A year later, is finding Vivi a lost cause?

BY DENISE FLAIM
Newsday Staff Writer

Vivi has come full circle.

The California whippet who became a household name when she bolted from her crate at Kennedy Airport almost a year ago after the Westminster Kennel Club dog show -- and who kindled hopes of her capture after six months of catch-me-if-you-can sightings all over Queens -- hasn't been seen in months. And as the anniversary of her airport escape approaches, some searchers worry that she truly is gone, this time for good.

Champion Bohem C'est la Vie, as Vivi was formally known, disappeared last Feb. 15 en route to a Delta Airlines flight. Searches of the airport marshland, cargo areas and surrounding neighborhoods yielded not so much as a glimpse of her.

Then, more than three weeks later, Vivi was spotted north of the airport, in Jamaica. Soon after, the white-and-brown whippet, which resembles a miniature greyhound, began a tour of Queens, sparking sightings in Flushing, Whitestone and College Point, some of which were confirmed by pet-detection tracking dogs.

Vivi's hot trail came to a sudden halt in August in Glendale, near the Brooklyn border. Since then, only sporadic calls have come through the Vivi hotline, 877-JFK-VIVI, all of them unverifiable dead-ends.

"I'm really saddened to realize it's been a whole year," said Vivi's breeder, Bo Bengtson, of Ojai, Calif., who will soon head east to attend the Westminster show at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 12 and 13, his annual ritual for more than 30 years. "I'll never forget the desolation of trudging through the areas around the airport that first night, or the following days and weeks and months. ... If there's been anything positive coming from all this, it's that we've concrete proof of how much people love dogs."

Indeed, throughout the year-long search, a die-hard group of local volunteers rescued more than 60 animals, from a batch of kittens nicknamed The Honeymooners to a Chihuahua called Pablo.

None of them, however, has been Vivi, a fact that disheartens search coordinator Bonnie Folz of Howard Beach.

"I don't think it's ever going to end -- I don't think I'm ever going to find her," she said. "My heart says yes, but my head says she could have been dead that night in the marshland a year ago. I hope that I'm wrong, but there are so many what-ifs and why-fors."

If Vivi is still alive, the dearth of recent sightings suggests she is no longer on the lam. Searchers are following up on reports that dogs matching Vivi's description have been seen walking on leash in East New York, Astoria, Glendale, and southeastern Nassau County.

"I hope someone has her," said Vivi's owner, Jil Walton of Claremont, Calif., who delayed her wedding from May until November "because we kept thinking, 'This is the weekend we are going to have to go to New York to get her.'"

Along with the nuptials, Walton's other concession to reality was her new puppy, a 5-month-old Jack Russell terrier mix named Lucy Brown, whose feistiness is a stark contrast to her devoted, shadow-like whippet.

Walton said she still occasionally speaks to animal communicators, who themselves are divided about her missing dog's fate. "Some say she's dead, some say they are still in touch with her," said Walton, who is moving to Montana in May to have more room for her horses.

If the optimists are right, "Vivi will have a great spread when she comes home."

Copyright 2007 Newsday Inc.

Team Vivi Update 2/01/07

The one-year anniversary of the day that Vivi was carelessly mishandled and lost at JFK Airport while entrusted to Delta Airlines to get her home, safely, to California, is only two weeks away.

Vivi is still missing.

There have been no confirmed sightings of Vivi since November. Since that time, we have received calls of people seen “walking” Vivi, unfortunately, the volunteers have not been successful in seeing these people walking Vivi while doing stake-outs of the areas.  There are three areas, one in Astoria, Queens, one in East New York, Brooklyn and one in Long Island, not far from JFK Airport.

We are considering hiring professionals to try and confirm these as the volunteer’s schedules and daily lives prohibit us from checking these calls out effectively.  Seems the Vivi Team is everywhere but never in the right place at the right time. I can only hope that if someone does have Vivi, that she is being cared for.

The media blitz surrounding Vivi’s unfortunate anniversary has already begun. As hard as it is, to relive what happened and all that the Vivi Team and people from all over the country have done to help with Vivi’s search, it is very important to keep the public informed that Vivi is still missing. Someone, somewhere, will see her and give us the call we have long awaited.

Besides learning about lost dog’s habits, what to do, and where to go for help, I’ve met some very incredible and caring people. The Vivi Team and Vivi’s Out-of Town Team, as well as other volunteers, brought together because of Vivi, have been instrumental in helping to rescue and re-home over 60 animals! A litter of puppies was rescued from a vacant lot in Queens by Team Vivi’s Barbara Jean and Nancy, just last week! All of these animals now have loving homes.

Many of Vivi’s volunteers, while out posting flyers and searching for Vivi, are helping to locate other missing dogs as well. Max, a white and brown pitbull went missing after a car accident in Kew Gardens, Queens in November. Bailey, a black and white Alaskan Malamute, was stolen from her home on January 18, and was seen wandering in Elmont, Long Island.

Whatever eyes were opened, because of Vivi, will never see things the same.  We will always look at a loose dog, not so much as a stray, but possibly as someone’s lost pet.

A small group of us, formed from the Vivi search, had our first meeting about how to change the way airlines treat and handle animals while in their care. We do not want what happened to Vivi and the torment that Jil, Rick, Paul and Bo have been put through, to ever happen again. There is no reason for it.  We never heard the outcome of Delta’s “internal investigation.” The report Delta did file is below:

Delta Air Lines

Live Animal Incident Report - REDACTED

Reporting Period:  February 1 – February 28, 2006

Carrier

Delta Air Lines

Flight Number

Scheduled Flight # DL2027 JFK-LAX

Date and Time of Incident

February 15, 2006 – approximately 1100

Type of Incident

Escape

Description of Animal

Breed:  Whippet

Name:  ViVi

Age: 3 years

Description of the Incident

Passenger checked one dog to travel on Flight DL2027 from JFK to LAX.   At acceptance, a visual inspection of the kennel did not reveal any defects.  All locking pins appeared to be fully engaged. This kennel and two additional kennels were transported in a secured conveyance to the gate.  When the driver disconnected the conveyance, the driver noticed that one dog was out of its kennel.  Ramp agents attempted to secure the dog but were unsuccessful.  Delta, with assistance from the Port Authority, provided additional resources for the search efforts. 

Cause of the Incident

A manual inspection revealed that the kennel’s locking mechanism appeared defective, as it lacked adequate tension to keep the locking pins properly engaged.

Corrective Action Taken

System review of pet acceptance procedures, with an emphasis on kennel specifications.  Additional procedures implemented requiring kennel doors to be secured with releasable cable ties where possible.

Delta did not return Vivi’s crate to her owners for two weeks after they lost Vivi.

We are in the research phase right now and are compiling information of airline procedures for checking in animals. We are putting together a list of questions to forward out to whoever flies or has flown an animal, and what their experience was, good and/or bad. In doing some research already, animals flying in cargo are considered baggage and it seems that many airlines subcontract baggage handlers.  It doesn’t make a difference to me who handles the baggage but whoever is handling the animals checked in MUST have some sort of training on the care and handling of the animal. A trained supervisor, from the airlines, should be on hand to make sure the animal boards the plane safely and arrives safely. I will make  the questionnaires available as soon as they are finished.

There are a few people on the Vivi Team that are still working on different tactics and angles. There are people on the Vivi Team that feel she’ll never be found. Everyone will have to decide for themselves when to stop their active search. Other than following up on incoming calls to Vivi’s 800 number and keeping in contact with the rest of Team Vivi, there’s not much more, I feel, can be done. In my heart, I’ll never give up hope. I’ll always be looking for Vivi as I drive.  I’ll continue to check the local shelter and will continue to tell people as I see them that Vivi is still missing. And I pray, someday, Vivi is found.

Jil, Rick, Paul and Bo have told me time and again, they could never thank all of the volunteers enough for the time, effort and donations put forth for Vivi’s search. I know we are all very appreciated for doing all that we have.

I’ll be attending and exhibiting at the Westminster Kennel Club show again this year, as I have since 1998. I know this year, and every year thereafter, will never be the same for me, all because of a beautiful lost Whippet, CH Bohem’s C’est La Vie.

As always, and forever, keeping the faith.

Bonnie