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ARROOOOOOOO! LAND HO! The Coonhound and Foxhound Companions 2020 Wall Calendar has Arrived!
Our 2020 wall calendar is ready to order for holiday giving. Delight friends and family with a whole year of companionable hound friends--from Addie to Skywalker. You'll meet a new hound each month as the calendar showcases the wonderful variety of our long-eared friends, including Poppy, the handsome red dog shown on our cover as she arrives on shore.
In January, tri-colored Addie explores a snow frosted riverbank. In February, Black and Tan Luna poses proudly on a beach before dashing off with her stick. In March, redticked English hound Daisy pauses briefly before tearing into her bright pink stuffy toy.
In April, mischievous Plott puppy Brooklyn pretends to trot back when called, just before veering away. In May, redticked Copper glints in the light of the setting sun. In June, Henry sports a plaid bow tie with his black and white tuxedo markings. Maybe he's on his way to a party in the desert?
In July, Honeybug shows off her remarkable talent for using those long ears to charming effect. In August, big ol' Bob gives the perfect sad look for manipulating humans. In September, sunlit Black and Tan Clooney chills out on a bright green lawn after a vigorous play session.
In October, Redbone Barkley gets his best view from the top of an outsized round hay bale. In November, Bluetick Remi daydreams beyond the fenceline. In December, Skywalker is the most decorative Christmas ornament in the display.
The calendars are 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches high when closed, and open to 17 inches high. We've used heavyweight high quality satin finish paper held together by a refined wire-O binding. Each day's square is big enough to fill in with personal reminders so your hound can track trips to the vet and play dates with friends.
Calendars are $20 apiece, including postage, shipping and handling. Any profits go to support our cause – educating the public about what great pets coonhounds make and supporting homeless hounds with medical needs.
Go to Paypal.me/coonhoundcompanions and send $20 each along with address(s) in the notes section, or click on the Paypal link on our Coonhound and Foxhound Companions' webpage or Facebook page.
Or, you can mail a check and a note with quantity and mailing address(s) to:
Coonhound and Foxhound Companions
℅ Anna Nirva
1511 Travis St.
La Crosse WI 54601
Looking for bulk discounts for orders of 5 or more? Email us at info@coonhoundcompanions.com, or for quickest response, just message us on our Facebook page.
For all orders, please include the number of calendars you want and do the multiplication yourself. You must also include the snail-mail address(es) you want the calendar(s) sent to, and any gift note you want enclosed. Calendars will be mailed from Minnesota or Ontario, depending on where they are going.
A big thank you to all those who contributed photos for consideration for this year's calendar. We left out some really nice pictures. Photos are selected based on multiple factors, including resolution, variety, etc. We encourage submissions throughout the year.
Thank you so very much for supporting our work!
Meet Hamilton, the Tricky Coonhound
Laura Cole posted a video in recent months showing her hound Ham (Hamilton) mastering the last trick he needed before testing for the AKC Advanced Trick Dog Title (now accomplished!). We thought you'd enjoy learning from her experiences as she and Ham moved through the levels of trick dog expertise. A dog with a Canine Good Citizen certification only needs 5 fairly simple tricks for the AKC novice title, so consider spending your rainy days giving treats for tricks and adding to your hound's credentials. You might be surprised how much your coonie already knows.
Ham's odyssey also holds hope and inspiration for those among us owning hounds with challenging behavioral issues.
How did Ham become part of your life?
For the last three years, I have been involved in cat rescue through a local organization, Austin Pets Alive! There, I photograph cats in need of homes to help promote them and get them adopted. In that time, I've met some amazing animals, but I have also met some incredible humans. Natascha, a current staff member and close friend, is a hospice foster. She had recently lost a cat, Barry, who was expected to pull through. After struggling with that loss, she decided she needed a happy change of pace. She took in two bottle baby puppies, Catahoula and hound mixes Ferdinand and Arabella.
Of course, as a dog lover, I had to meet my friend's new fosters and photograph them. I wasn't counting on falling in love. Ferdinand, now Hamilton, came into my life when he was just four weeks old. He was weak and a little skinny, covered in big brown cow spots. But he stole my heart from the beginning, and I visited him every week in foster until I took him home at 8 weeks old.
Had you owned a hound before?
Never. While I wanted every dog under the sun growing up, from Norfolk Terriers to Schipperkes to Rhodesian Ridgebacks, hounds were never truly on my radar. As a city girl, I'd never really noticed them. I grew up with a Chow mix, two Chihuahuas, a Toy Poodle, and a Labrador throughout my childhood years. Based on his markings and his eventual floppy ears, it was easy to guess Ham has Catahoula in his mix.
Even after reading about that breed's respective quirks, I felt that I could handle anything. I intended to go all in with my first dog as an adult — training, socializing, and doing everything right. But boy, Ham has given me a run for my money! I thought I knew so much about dogs before getting him, but he has shown me how much I had (and still have) to learn. He's also turned me into a hound lover for life.
Tell us about Ham
From the time he was a puppy, Hamilton was tenacious. I would say that he was equal parts sweet, goofy, and naughty. From chasing the cat, to nibbling hands, to munching every stick he could get his paws on… he drove me crazy. But it was all worth it when he fell asleep on my chest or showed his smarts in how fast he picked up new tricks or commands. He grew quickly and soon exceeded his estimated adult weight of 35 pounds (topping out at 75). Hamilton grew up as a dog park, go-anywhere dog; but after his first birthday, he started to display signs of fear-based reactivity. It turned our world on its head. Previously, I had aspirations to train him as a therapy dog so he could share his infectious personality with others
While he had never bitten anyone, he would definitely fall under the 'fight' category when it came to a question of fight-or-flight. Suddenly, my over-confident, social puppy was reacting. It was a scary time, when I grew afraid of losing him. But instead of giving up, I took action. I reached out to a behaviorist, and after a long while also decided to add medication into the mix. Addressing his quirks has taken a small village — from my family and friends, to the trainers who love him like I do.
His progress has been tremendous, though he is definitely a "project" dog. As I said, he has given me a run for my money — but for all the effort put into training him, all the emotion and fear, I wouldn't trade him for the world. Our partnership has gotten stronger through our struggles. He's gotten more cuddly, loving, and attentive. We've built trust together. And when it comes to the people and animals he knows and has built up similar trust with, you won't meet a more loving, happy-go-lucky dog. And after all our hard work, and thanks to muzzle training, we are still able to get out in the world, visiting his favorite pet stores, going to plant nurseries, having playdates with his furry friends, going to classes, and hiking. He's come so far!
What spurred your interest in pursuing Trick Dog Titles?
I had never even heard of a Trick Dog Title before attending my training school, Zoom Room. This dog training chain offers a variety of classes, from obedience, to agility, to urban herding in some areas. Alongside that, they also offer various workshops like scent training and tricks and some, including the one in Austin, are AKC certified testing facilities. I started seeing "TKA" listed out on some of my trainer friends' dogs' Instagram profiles and looked into it. I realized that Hamilton was already close to a novice title, so we started working on it.
When I was growing up, I wanted nothing more than a dog I could train with. I taught my childhood Chihuahua a variety of cute tricks, and made homemade agility "courses" for my Labrador. But Hamilton showed an aptitude for picking up new tricks that none of my dogs growing up had. While some tricks aren't suited to his abilities or his large size (no back stalls for this duo), it's been super fun to see how far we can take it. It's been surprisingly accessible, and a great way to earn AKC titles in spite of his quirks.
What training did Ham have before you started working on tricks?
Hamilton and I started training from the moment I brought him home. At first, it was just sit, down, stay, shake, but soon we started to class. Puppy pre-school (a socialization class), puppy obedience, and puppy agility were his first forays into training, and we continued to build up in those different areas. Today, Hamilton is in a Canine Good Citizen level obedience class (though we're not sure if we'll get that title) and level 2 agility which involves some simple courses. We've also done a bit of scent work together, which is a lot of fun for his nose!
What motivates Ham? (food, toys, praise, etc.)
Hamilton is the kind of dog who stares at you when you throw a ball as if he's saying, "What do you think I am, a retriever?" A good treat is Ham's best friend when it comes to rewards — but we have to mix it up so he doesn't get bored. His current favorites range from fancier fare like freeze-dried chicken hearts and lamb lung, to junk food like milk bones and turkey dogs. While he is a pup with a balanced, nutritionally sound diet, sometimes you gotta break out the "bad" stuff when it comes to doing something super hard. He does love a good squeaky toy, but gets a little too excited about them to use them as a training reward — or not excited at all. It really depends on the day. But food is always a winner.
When did Ham get his novice and intermediate titles?
Hamilton earned his novice title in January of 2018, a few months before his first birthday. In between, we did a ton of behavior work, so we took a break from working towards his intermediate title. However, less than one year later, he earned his intermediate title. Between the two, he has showed off 20 different tricks and commands. We've got around 30 now, which moved him on to the advanced title!
Do you work with Ham according to an approximate schedule or just when time and interest allow?
Hamilton and I attend classes at least one to two times per week. Right now, that's usually agility and obedience. In April, we'll be adding in an advanced nosework course to the mix at a sport training facility. We're super excited as we'd love to pick up some scent titles, too! When life gets busy, I don't get as much time to work with him at home on "fun stuff" (e.g. tricks). However, every time we go out into the world I am actively working with him. I don't leave the house without a clicker, harness, treat pouch, and muzzle. Since the world is full of triggers for him, it takes constant vigilance to make sure he is happy and relaxed. One of the biggest challenges in fact has been learning to keep my cool when we hit a stressful spot. He tends to feed off of me!
What trick or types of tricks have been the most challenging for him?
Remember that "not a retriever" comment? Catching and holding objects in his mouth is not his forte. Some tricks we have put aside and may never pursue (e.g. "put away your toys"), but others we've been able to master. One of those is flipping a treat from his nose and catching it.
Does Ham like to ham it up and show off for people?
If he knows them, for sure! When Hamilton is relaxed and comfortable, he lives up to his name — whether it's flashing his pearly whites in a toothy smile, doing a trick, acting like an oversized lapdog, or asking for belly rubs. Strangers, not so much. But if he's relaxed enough, he may show off a trick on command in public!
Books and demonstration videos for teaching tricks are readily available, but did you ever (or often) have to step back and completely rethink your approach for a particular trick in light of what you knew about Ham?
As I mentioned before, catching was initially quite hard for him, so I had to work on his coordination. A few things we tried: using popcorn because it's lighter weight and doesn't fall as quickly, counting to three before tossing to let him know it was coming, and not letting him have the treat unless he catches it (a race to the treat on the floor). In a hound's mind, why should he try to catch it if he can just grab it off the ground? That was actually what really changed the game for us! Shout out to our trainer for the idea.
Does Ham have any "wild card" handler's choice tricks that you slipped in because Ham offered the behaviors on his own?
Yes! One thing I've learned, and advice I'd give, is that things your dog does naturally will be easiest to capture and turn into a trick. For example, Ham loves to be on his back, so play dead ("bang!") and rollover were really easy for him. So was "yoga" (or bow), as he loves to lean down into a big stretch.
How has trick dog training affected your overall relationship with Ham and how you view your hound?
It's been so fun to work on tricks together. I would definitely say it's a bonding experience, and it's such a great feeling when I see the light bulb turn on for him! I also feel really proud that we can get these titles together. It's a good reminder that whether your dog is purebred or mixed breed, you can still achieve together. Go get some ribbons! You may be surprised that your hound is already close to qualifying for a novice trick title. We didn't intend to go past the first level, but after the first one, we gained confidence and I thought — you know, we can do this. We can keep going.
How about sharing some "best practices" and tips for adding trick training to a house hound's curriculum?
Watching videos and asking my trainer who is passionate about tricks for advice was a huge help. But the nice thing is, you don't really need anything special to get started. Some people use a marker word like "yes" when a dog offers the behavior you want, but I far prefer a clicker. It's a more precise marker and it helps your dog understand exactly the moment they offered the correct action. It helps them learn much faster. If you don't know where to start, check out AKC's website for lists of tricks for the various titles for some ideas.
What's next for Ham? Will he advance to a performance dog title or try something completely different?
We plan to stop at the advanced title for tricks. We'll still keep pursuing trick training, but the performer titles are next level (no pun intended). I think rather than trying hard at something that might not come very naturally to Hamilton, we will instead focus on something he was made for: scent work. We've already done a handler discrimination class and a basics workshop, and I'm excited to pursue more oil identification via container searches. We'll also continue our recreational agility. While he'll never be an agility dog for many reasons, it's just another way we bond and grow our relationship. Training is truly a way to deeply connect with your dog.
To follow Hamilton's adventures, see training videos, and read about his journey with reactivity, head over to Ham's Instagram, which is updated daily at http://www.instagram.com/hamiltontherescue.
Dogs of any breed or mix at any age and size can earn trick dog titles. Classes are available in many areas, but trick training is also a great DIY activity. Check local training centers to find an authorized evaluator. The titling entities are American Kennel Club and Do More with Your Dog.
The MUZZLE UP Project (https://muzzleupproject.com/muzzle-training), though no longer being updated, houses excellent resources on training your dog to a muzzle.
The opinions expressed in this guest blog are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily endorsed by Coonhound and Foxhound Companions.
Picturing Honeybug
You've undoubtedly noticed this precious TWC on coonhound facebook pages; and Honeybug with ears flying recently commanded the cover of the 2019 Coonhound Companions Calendar. We asked her owner, Sandy Decker (Sandra Ann), to share her secrets and experiences in photographing her coonie.
Coonhound Companions (CC): First, how did Honeybug come into your life?
Sandra Ann (SA): I actually was looking at another hound at a rescue in Virginia; but when I inquired, that hound had been adopted. I then gave Bawf Rescue the type of hound I was looking for: shy, timid, scared, and a failed hunting dog. This describes the previous three I have had, and I know they are difficult to adopt out. They almost immediately found one at a local shelter and pulled her for me. Living in an apartment, I have always adopted the shy and gentle hounds because they tend to be less vocal. In fact, 2 out of the 4 I've had never barked in the years I had them. And Honeybug, like the others, rarely bays except for a minute of excitement when I get home.
CC: When did you first realize that Honeybug has star quality?
SA: I believe all coonhounds or foxhounds have star quality if treated well and with patience. A photo of my lost foxhound Daiseybug went viral. I later stumbled across a painting, jewelry, and t-shirts of her on the Internet created from the photo I posted years back. At that point I even made her a facebook page: Daiseybug American Foxhound, which now has posts of my beautiful Honeybug.
CC: I've seen great action shots of Honeybug as well as lovely portraits. What camera set-ups and settings do you use to photograph Honeybug?
SA: Nearly all photos are taken on my Galaxy smartphone.
CC: How much image editing do you do in terms of cropping, adjusting exposures, tweaking colors, etc?
SA: I rarely edit any coloring or exposures. I try and wait for the right time of day or night. However, on occasion I do have fun with the Prisma app that makes a photo look more like a painting.
CC: Some hounds are impatient if not averse to having their pictures taken. How do you coax Honeybug's cooperation?
SA: Well, Honeybug is pretty cooperative and queen of the side eye. I just have to be patient and give her time and space, then snap several at a time. I do not really teach her any commands; instead, I focus on her responses to everyday noises, distractions, and nature. She was in a shelter for over two years and was scared of a leaf falling. Its been 3.5 years now, and I still see many things that she isn't comfortable with; so I don't push. I don't want her to revert to being so scared and anxious.
CC: Honeybug's face conveys a luminous sweetness in many of her pictures. How would you describe your coonhound's temperament and personality, and how does this inform the images you capture?
SA: Honeybug is a very good girl. She is never destructive or loud. She is shy of humans but loves other animals and doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She acts scared and puts her head down when a stranger tries to pet her but is completely harmless. Once she warms up to someone, she may even let them get a pet in. She's a couch potato with very little to say. She is just so happy to be loved and cared for that she sticks by my side. She is pretty attached to just me. Even though my elderly parents have Honeybug every day when I am at work, she doesn't come out of her shell until she hears me walk in to pick her up. Then she comes running out of her bed and jumps all over me.
CC: I've also seen pictures of Honeybug amazingly calm and collected close to other animals, such as deer and geese. Is this a learned behavior, or is it just who Honeybug is?
SA: She's gentle with anyone and any animal she comes across. Honeybug has been nose to nose with deer, raccoons, opossums, cats, dogs, and even vultures. She simply sniffs them and walks away. They also must know she is a gentle soul, since they do not fear her either.
CC: Do you have any additional tips for fellow hound owners trying to capture the essence of their own beloved hounds?
SA: Patience, patience, patience. Let them be comfortable in whatever environment and take a candid shot. Forcing them in a position or environment they are not comfortable with will not benefit them or the photo.
CC: Has the time spent photographing Honeybug and focusing on her images influenced your understanding of and relationship with your hound?
SA: Well, I didn't realize how much side eye she had until the photos (lol!). Overall, I think my experience with these shy and sensitive hounds helps me understand them pretty well going into the adoption. However, I find it pretty interesting how my photos touch so many dog owners and how the images actually allow them to read her personality. So many of the comments by strangers, just from the photos I post, are amazingly accurate with their descriptions of Honeybug's nature.
CC: Thanks for sharing Honeybug with the hound community and contributing that engaging photo for the calendar cover. We'll be tracking Honeybug on facebook.
Get a whiff of this…The 2019 Coonhound Calendar is here! AROOOOOO!
Our 2019 Coonhound and Foxhound Companions wall calendar is ready for holiday giving (for just $20US including shipping). Delight friends, family, and hunting buddies with an entire year of scenthound friends – from Autumn to Willy. You'll meet at least one hound each month as the calendar showcases long-eared best friends in various scenes such as our cover shot of Honeybug, a stunning Walker, bounding across an ocean beach.
In January, Marilla the redtick English dons a fleecy vest to brave her snowy yard. Autumn takes a break from nosing around in February's snow to let you know she scented something worth thinking about.
In March, Cooper lifts his nose to the wind at the end of a lakeside pier. For all of April, Slyder, an adorable pup with pleading eyes, rests his chin on a pipe amidst architectural plumbing.
Maggie takes a break from playing soccer with her family for the month of May, and Maybelle invites you to play in a mountain meadow with her during the month of June.
Gambit celebrates Independence Day by cooling off belly up on a flag-print picnic blanket in July. Clooney beats the August heat by heading for his toys in the air conditioning.
For September, Harper displays wisdom gained with a few gray chin hairs. Hank hangs out by an old-timey farm wagon for October, and mature Plott Max contemplates the future in November.
A pack of sweet faces representing the coonhound breeds and a foxhound – Batman Jack (Foxhound), Belle (Treeing Walker), Greg (Black and Tan), Hansel (Plott), Lexi (Redbone), Loo (English), Sadie (Leopard Hound), and Willy (Bluetick) – decorates a peppermint candy for the December holiday season.
The calendars are 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches high when closed and open to 17 inches high. We've used heavyweight high quality satin finish paper with a refined wire-O binding. Each day's square is big enough to fill in with personal reminders so your hound can track trips to the vet, competition events, and play dates with friends.
Calendars are $20US apiece, including postage, shipping and handling. Buy 4 and get the fifth free. Any profits go to support our cause – educating the public that coonhounds make great pets – and funding medical care for homeless hounds with curable health problems.
To order, go to Paypal.me/coonhoundcompanions or click on the Paypal link on our Coonhound and Foxhound Companions' webpage coonhoundcompanions.com or our Facebook page coonhound companions. IMPORTANT: be sure to type in the mailing address in the Notes section.
Or, you can mail a check and note with order info to:
Contact coonhoundcalendar@gmail.com to request discount information for orders of over 10.
A big thank you to all who contributed photos for consideration for this year's calendar. Photos are selected based on multiple factors, including resolution, variety, etc. We reluctantly had to leave out some great pictures of very lovely hounds. Some images will appear as cover shots on the Facebook page during the year. We welcome submissions for next year's calendar all during the year (see contact email above) and will announce deadlines and additional guidelines in early summer.
Basil's Story
by Courtney Harris
My husband and I both grew up with family pets. One of the things we found ourselves dreaming about before getting married was our future four-pawed family. By the time we hit our first anniversary, we had adopted two cats. We loved dogs but had decided to "cool our jets" before we turned into a proper zoo by Year Two.
Fast forward to late, muggy August of 2016.
One of my friends was ready to add a dog to her family. We bonded strongly over animals, and she graciously let me tag along when she went to check out a small, rural animal shelter in the neighboring county. We navigated the gravel road and barely put the car in park before hopping out and hustling to the door. We checked out the first few inside kennels first. There were adorable Lab mixes that stopped Katie in her tracks. Every pup was cute, but we'd only seen one side. I rounded the corner and a dog instantly caught my eye. In the second kennel, there was an orange and white dog with floppy ears watching me. I started talking to him. I forgot about the dogs immediately to my right and left. In fact, I may forget many things over the course of my lifetime, but I will never EVER forget this moment I'm chronicling right now. Although he started towards the wall of his cage, he was quick to come to the front to interact with me. Do you know how you feel after watching a two hour film that fills you with more emotions than you can recount? Well, this dog had eyes like the end of a good movie. He looked tired, hungry for affection, and melancholy. But more than that, he looked relentlessly hopeful. My new floppy-eared friend ran his face against the cage wire so that I could squeeze in a few pets.
Howard, soon to be Basil, at the Shelter
I backtracked to Katie and told her about "Howard" and how I'd like to take him on a walk. Howard was just patient enough to let me leash him up before he scampered across the concrete floors to get outside. He knew right where outside was, and he made sure we got there quickly. He stopped to sniff and pee about every five feet. He was just about beside himself with joy being in the fresh air again. When it was time to go back in, I stopped and chatted with the shelter manager about Howard. We discussed that he was a hound mix and the word "coonhound" was thrown around. I'd never seen a coonhound in person, and I'd barely even heard of one. I just knew that I didn't come to the shelter prepared to or even looking to adopt, but I sure was praying that my husband fell in love with Howard at first sight like I had. Before leaving, I stopped at the front desk again and expressed that I was very serious about this dog and would bring my husband back the next day. That's when I found out that, due to an overcrowded shelter, longtime resident Howard was slated for euthanasia in two days.
So, I trust that your deduction skills will help you figure out what happened next. The following day, my husband met the dog of our dreams. After we decided "Howard" aged this six-year-old pup, we dubbed him "Basil" and made him a Harris.
Basil's first picture inside his forever home: He's nervous and won't leave the wood-floored kitchen to walk on the carpeted parts of the house.
Basil and his Dog Mom are pretty attached to each other.
It's hard work being a beloved family member.
This guy's always trying to drive the car!
If you only remember one thing from this little story of mine, I hope it is this: Hounds make extraordinary family members. They don't make adequate, okay, or even good pets. They are extraordinary pets. I have never been so enamored with a breed. Basil is gentle, affectionate, and loyal to a degree that impresses me every single day. He loves everyone he meets. Although hounds are known for being noisy, I've found that this isn't always the case. He is one of the quietest dogs I've ever met. He is as happy to sniff some scents as he is to lovingly snuggle against me on the couch. He's the doggie best friend that I never knew I needed. It's a truly a case of "who rescued who?"
Are you considering adding a dog to your pack? I beg you to go check out a hound. That's right—I'm begging you, stranger. Basil made me crazy for the breed, but he's not the only wonderful hound I know. I volunteer with a few animal rescues, and I have engaged dozens of coonhounds and foxhounds. Although every dog has its flaws, the love of a hound is infectious. I hope that you'll take a chance and visit one at your local shelter. I have a pretty good feeling that the floppy-eared canine on the inside of the kennel will be all the convincing you need.
The opinions expressed in this guest blog are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by Coonhound and Foxhound Companions.
The Cross Country Journeys of Charley and Batman Jack
Collage of Charley and Batman Jack by John Shafer
It all started one day in February 2017. Animal lovers Patricia and Jim Matthews found one of the stray coonhounds they had been feeding lying still on the highway near their home in Duplin County, NC. He had been hit by a car. So the kind couple rushed him to their vet and paid to have the injured dog checked out. A thorough examination and x-ray revealed a concussion but no broken bones.
Afterwards, the couple brought the poor hound to the Duplin County shelter, where he was named "Jim." The Duplin County shelter seemed like Jim's best chance to find a home. The sympathetic staff was known to work with volunteer groups like Pet Friends of Duplin County.
About five days later, far off in Wisconsin, coonhound rescuer Anna Nirva checked her FaceBook feed. A post of a cute hound with a concussion caught her attention, Jim. Jim was slated for euthanasia in North Carolina that afternoon, February 24. Unfortunately, in keeping with NC state requirements, the time limit for each animal in a shelter is five days. And for Jim, time had run out. Having pulled other coonhounds from the Duplin County shelter in the past, Anna had worked with several people at Pet Friends before, so she reached out to her cyber contacts, sharing Jim's picture and asking, "Is anyone interested in helping to save his life today?"
Anna posted Jim's pictures on her Facebook page, asking for help to save his life.
Within minutes, she had not one answer, but two! Diamond Dogs Rescue in Wisconsin offered to accept him into their rescue and Rebecca (Becca) Wise offered to adopt him. Already familiar with procedures at the shelter, Anna texted Bobbie Kennedy, the animal control officer in Duplin County, to "pull" him and pay the fee. Pet Friends volunteer Elaine Scott drove Jim to Riverbank Vet, where Anna has an account, for tests, vaccines, de-worming and neutering before interstate transport and adoption. Thomas Marley graciously offered to foster Jim with additional coordination from longtime rescuer Dorsey Patrick, who had also been networking feverishly to help Jim get rescued. Then Anna set up a youcaring.com fundraiser page to pay for the cost of Jim's vetting in addition to the cost of treating his concussion. The youcaring.com fund began filling up right away, auspiciously beginning with the pledge of $100 from supportive coonhound rescuer Marc Ehrenberg.
Jim was obviously in pain from the concussion. This photo was taken at Riverbank Vet.
A week later, though, Patricia Matthews contacted Anna in Wisconsin again. Why? Jim's brother, Jack, was in the same shelter as Jim, and, like Jim, was slated for imminent euthanasia! But Anna didn't know about Jack until the story unfolded. Apparently Jim and his brother, now named Jack, had been running loose for weeks. They had been fed by a woman named Tracy as well as the Mathews couple. All three had been trying to lure the second dog to safety since Jim's accident. Their perseverance had finally paid off. But when the elusive Jack had finally allowed Tracy to touch him, the frightened and skinny dog was trembling. His tail was tucked underneath his belly as though he had never felt a kind human touch before, and it had nearly broken everyone's hearts. Could Anna do something to help Jack too?
The FaceBook page showed 18-month old Jack, scrawny, fearful and hunched over as if trying to draw himself inwards for safety.
Jack was frozen in fear at the shelter. Photo from Pet Friends of Duplin County Facebook page.
Once Patricia assured Anna that a friend of hers, schoolteacher Kristen Nicole Fowler, was prepared to foster Jack, Anna texted Marc Ehrenberg who generously offered to pay for all of Jack's medical expenses. She then called the shelter to pull the thin and withdrawn dog, to the great relief of Bobbie Kennedy, who whooped with joy on the phone. Elaine Scott from Pet Friends of Duplin County drove him to the vet.
Soon after, Anna received a call from Kristen, Jack's promised foster in North Carolina. She was eager to meet Jack, and told Anna that Patricia, who had initially helped Jim with her husband, would stop by at lunchtime on Kristen's workdays and let Jack out to potty. Kristen also committed herself to working with Jack every night to help him overcome his shyness. Brother Jim, however, was outgoing and happy; he thrived in his foster home with the Marleys and continued to recover from his accident.
Jack was quiet and shy in his NC foster home. Photo from Kristin Fowler.
It took three weeks to complete the vetting process for Jim and Jack, and for independent transport coordinator Melanie Hendricks to arrange both dogs' travel plans. On transport day, Kristin Fowler drove Jack while Kathy Fowler (unrelated), drove Jim to the pre-arranged meeting place.
Jim gained weight and continued to recover in his foster home. Photo from Thomas Marley.
Then, with the money Anna had raised for their journey, Al & Cena's Transport placed the reunited brothers in adjoining crates inside a van and drove them from North Carolina to Wisconsin.
Jack's foster and transporter Kristen Fowler was so happy to see the brothers reunite.
They arrived the last Saturday of March. The next day, Becca adopted Jim from Diamond Dogs Rescue and changed his name to Charley.
Jim at Diamond Dogs Rescue with Penny, daughter of Kimberly Schweigert, rescue co-founder.
Outgoing and confident, he adjusted immediately to her home and quickly made friends with his new doggy sister, also named Penny, a senior rat terrier.
Becca and Charley (Jim) at adoption.
Much to Anna's surprise, Becca turned out to live only two blocks from Anna and Terry! The coonhound brothers had remained neighbors halfway across the country!
Further complicating the plot, Becca found romance through her new hound. When Becca had posted on FaceBook that she was adopting a coonhound from North Carolina, a friend of a friend, Sean, read it. As a dog lover himself, Sean thought that a woman who would adopt a dog sight unseen from so far away was a woman with HEART! He knew then that he had to meet her and promptly messaged her. They met in person shortly after Jim, now Charley, arrived. Not only does Sean love Charley, but Charley also loves Sean, and he and Becca have been dating ever since.
In the meantime, Anna and her husband, Terry, began fostering Jack, who was not as quick to adjust. When Jack first arrived at their home, Anna or Terry had to carry him everywhere since he was too frightened to walk. It appeared that he hadn't spent much time in a house before his capture. He would "tip toe" a little bit, but that was all. It took a week for him to gain enough confidence to walk through the hall and kitchen in order to get outside.
Jack and Charley (Jim) at Becca's house in late March. That afternoon play date made a big difference in Jack's confidence. The brothers romped and galloped around the house and finally Jack started to relax indoors.
In April, Becca had knee surgery, and during the first week of her recovery, Charley lived with Anna and Terry, their two resident dogs, Belle and Maddax, and, of course, his beloved brother Jack. What a hound party!
Charley is always ready for some play time at Jack's house!
Several months later, though, there was a hitch. On a Sunday in June, Anna and friend Karen Lee took Jack for a walk along a dike beside the Mississippi River. As they approached a spillway, Jack panicked at the noise of the rushing water, and although he was leashed and wearing his Batman harness, he pulled backward out of his harness and escaped, dashing into the woods and failing to answer Anna's frantic calls.
Jack's Batman harness, a gift from foster Kristin Fowler, had loosened during wear and he backed out of it. Lesson learned!
After several fruitless hours of looking for him, the search party expanded to include Anna's husband, her visiting cousin Chris Stiehm and their friend, Bob Maier, who set up Jack's crate, his blankets and some food and treats near the spot where he had disappeared.
No Jack.
With encouragement from friend Matt Sheehy, Anna then enlisted The Retrievers, a non-profit group in Minneapolis devoted to finding lost dogs, as well as the Humane Society that "owned" Jack (she always transfers her rescues to a regional shelter or rescue). The happy result was a larger live trap expertly set up with guidance from Mary McCarthy, a caseworker from The Retrievers.
Over the next few days, a trail cam borrowed from a friend of Matt's showed Jack visiting the trap at night, eating and staying close to his blankets for several hours before disappearing again. But he wouldn't enter the trap. Heartened by his appearances, Anna contacted Becca who brought Charley to the site in the hopes of luring his brother out. Friend Britney Ziemetz joined Anna another night and they searched for hours, calling as they waded through swampy grass. Every morning and evening, teams would search for Jack with waning confidence.
Matt Sheehy and friend helped set the live trap, loaned by Coulee Region Humane Society and delivered by foster coordinator Arika Arndt.
Anna's devoted friend Karen, who lived nearby, visited the trap every two hours while it was light outside, using her bicycle. Her commitment finally paid off when she spotted Jack some distance from the trap! But he heard her bicycle squeak when she braked and he raced back into the woods. Terry and Bob promptly responded by moving both the trap and the trail cam to a narrow, wooded trail not far from where Jack had been seen, as Mary had advised Anna.
But still no Jack.
On Thursday night, with storms forecast for Friday, a desperate and determined Anna, joined by friends Karen, Matt, Britney, and Becca with coonhound Charley, set up camp near the live trap. With guidance from Mary, Britney grilled hamburgers and crumbled the meat over the nearby trails and they walked Charley around the area to entice Jack to safety with his brother's scent. Then Anna and Charley lay side by side, restless and uneasy, on her sleeping bag all night … listening.
When the morning light arrived with no sign of Jack, a discouraged Anna put the camping gear back in the car, then returned to the dike with Charley who seemed eager to go for a walk. He walked ahead of her on a 20-foot leash, and she followed where he led along a wooded trail.
As she rounded a shady bend, her heart stopped. Twenty feet away stood two dogs: Batman Jack was happily greeting his brother! Scarcely daring to breathe, she called softly to him and he came towards her, wagging his tail. With shaking hands and pounding heart, she took hold of his collar, wrapped one end of the long leash around it and led them back to the trap where she finally attached a leash to him. Then she and the two brothers walked down the spillway dike to her car and drove home.
Anna was shaking all over from stress relief and this is the best picture available.
After searching the woods for days, despite precautions, both Karen and Anna got head-to-toe poison ivy! The habitat of the island is perfect for the pesky plant and it grows with vigor everywhere, winding up tree trunks and shrubs and surrounding trails forming huge leafy bowers. The friends shared advice and remedies as rashes erupted and crusted over.
After his week AWOL, Anna and Terry were even fonder of Jack, but he had a persistent case of hookworms. Anna was only fostering Jack for Coulee Region Humane Society until he could be given a clean bill of health and cleared for adoption to a forever home. Six treatments later, in August, when the hookworms were finally gone, Anna and Terry decided they needed to keep him, and signed his adoption papers, officially renaming him "Batman Jack."
Anna and Terry were elated to adopt Batman Jack at last.
And so, these two coonhound brothers, who had traveled so far to find home, now live two blocks apart and enjoy frequent joyous play dates together!
Enjoying a September play date, Batman Jack, left, and Charley are smiling at Becca.
A note about the story:
Because of the broad sweep of rescue, from helping a stray or abused dog to living in a loving home, the many volunteers who help a dog or cat along their journey often don't hear about the start or the end of the rescue story. For Jim and Jack, we do know the entire rescue story. We've attempted to include all of the volunteers and offer apologies if we have missed someone. The blog post writers are also a team of volunteers.
Jim and Jack, now Charley and Batman Jack, are probably American Foxhounds. Our team has just launched a new Facebook group, "Life with My Rescued Foxhound," and we invite you to visit and join. We will be sharing more about the brothers and we hope many adopters of foxhounds and mixes will share their stories too. Foxhounds are often confused with other hound breeds and deserve more focus and attention from hound lovers.
AROOOOOO! MAKE FOR SHORE! The 2018 Coonhound Calendar is here!
Our Coonhound and Foxhound Companions 2018 wall calendar is ready to order for holiday giving. Delight friends and family with an entire year of companionable hound friends – from Astoria to Wiley. You'll meet at least one hound each month as the calendar showcases a wonderful variety of long-eared friends in daytime settings, some spectacular – like the clear mountain lake on our cover this year, featuring a pair of well-behaved hounds contentedly riding on a paddleboard.
In January, Hudson, a young redbone with pleading eyes, will pull your heartstrings.
In February, tricolored English Cora emerges from her local dog park's Hobbit Habitat.
In March, red-ticked Cooper scratches his back, wiggling on the grass and exposing his belly to the warming sun.
In April, Walker mom Astoria gambols with her pups.
In May, Walker Maddy May poses with poise in front of posies.
In June, Plott Poppy ponders a wild river over her shoulder.
July showcases Walker Georgia mourning the end of a picnic on the beach.
In August, Hamilton goes for a lake cruise.
September's Walker Lily gazes at the horizon from the seashore.
October's mature Walker Jackson suns himself outside his tent on a camping trip.
Boone sings in the Holiday season, first looking dignified, then howling with joy.
And the year ends with a full set of hounds gathering around a Christmas tree: B&T Otis & friends, Willy, Hope, Homer, Stella, Hank, Susie Q, Pebbles, Buckeye, Fargo, Watson, and Smokey.
The calendars are 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches high when closed, and open to 17 inches high. We've used heavyweight high quality white glossy paper held together by a refined wire-O binding. Each day's square is big enough to fill in with personal reminders so your hound can track trips to the vet and play dates with friends.
Calendars are $20 apiece, including postage, shipping and handling. Buy 4 and get the fifth free. Any profits go to support our cause – educating the public that coonhounds make great pets – and supporting homeless hounds with medical needs.
We will be using a new method for distribution this year. Go to Paypal.me/coonhoundcompanions or click on the Paypal link on our Coonhound and Foxhound Companions' webpage or Facebook page. Or, you can mail a check and note with order info to:
c/o Anna Nirva
1511 Travis St., La Crosse WI 54601
Click here to get more information on bulk discounts for orders of over 10.
For all orders, please include the number of calendars you want and do the multiplication yourself. You must also include the snail-mail address(es) you want the calendar(s) sent to, and any gift note you want enclosed. Calendars will be mailed from Minnesota..
A big thank you to all those who contributed photos for consideration for this year's calendar. We left out some really nice pictures. Photos are selected based on multiple factors, including resolution, variety, etc. We welcome submissions for next year's calendar. In general, we prefer action shots to sleeping dogs. Hunting pictures are welcome as long as they are not gruesome. Indoor pictures are also welcome. However, it's not easy for night hunting or indoor resolution quality to come up to daylight shots. You can see guidelines here.
A Memorial to Gabriel
by Dianne Channell
Gabriel was so special, so wonderful, so charming and so beloved that I have no words to describe how amazing he was and no words to describe my sorrow at his death. Gabriel had to be experienced. The "extraordinary" that I saw in Gabriel may be commonplace for big hounds. I don't know where it came from or why it was there, but it was definitely there. It had to do with his understanding and interaction with humans as equals and his ability to bend us with charm to satisfy his desires. And his charisma with dogs.
All my human friends are dog-obsessed people. We meet for lunch occasionally. At the end of an hour, non-dog people in the restaurant have quietly moved their chairs and tables away from us. We are a group apart. Our phones are low on memory because we have photos and videos of our dogs — not babies, friends, or family! Our forté is dog conversation and vivid descriptions of our wonderful dogs. But even after years of discussing dogs with a dog-obsessed group, my language fails to fully capture our Gabriel's ineffable charm.
Here's my best try.
Background. Gabriel was a mature dog when we met. One day, in my inbox: an email from a woman in Mississippi begging for help. Someone wanted to "get rid" of their dog. I forwarded the email to other people and groups who might be able to help. I forgot about it until a month later, when I got the same email. This time in a bigger font. "This woman wants to dump this dog." I have the utmost contempt for such people! I spend no time pondering such requests. I speedily clicked "Forward" as if the monstrous contents were infectious.
But I made a fatal error with the third plea: I looked at the pictures of the dog. Specifically, I looked into his eyes and I saw the message clearly: "Why are you waiting?"
A few weeks and a thousand miles later, one of my dog-obsessed friends pulled into my driveway and I met a brown and white dog, slender in build. Pretty, but not amazing. He walked into our home and met the 13, or 10, or 8 (I can't remember) or so, other dogs he'd be living with.
Gabriel's history came to me bit by bit. He was reputed to be a "Treeing Walker Coonhound," later revised to "Probably Foxhound." It didn't matter to me. Breeds were beside the point. I'd never met one of his ilk and I didn't know what the words meant, but who cares? He was a dog. Whatever his breed, it was one not often seen here Santa Fe, where we live. While on walks, people would stop their cars. inquiring about his breed.
His early history was murky. He hadn't had an easy time of it. He'd been found by a hunter, who also happened to be veterinarian, who came across him and a second dog, thought to be a sibling, lost in the woods. Possibly, dumped in the woods, although he was wearing an expensive tracking collar. Through the information on the collar, his owner was contacted. The owner said "Just throw rocks at him if he comes around. I don't want him. He can't hunt."
The veterinarian took both dogs with him. Gabriel was taken into the veterinarian's home and the second dog was boarded in the man's clinic. (The other dog now lives in Colorado with a loving family.)
Then something changed. Divorce or moving or both. Gabriel was in the way and needed a new home. He went into boarding at the vet's clinic. Not really as safe as it sounds. The veterinarian himself gave little to no thought to the dogs in boarding out in the back. Food, water and exercise were sporadic.
Enter a recently widowed woman who wanted a companion. She chose Gabriel. Off he went for two or three years. The woman worked 8 to 10 hours a day, then often went straight to church. Gabriel was alone for as much as 12 hours some days. He was kenneled when home alone. Eventually he let his view of things be known. When the woman returned home in the evening, and he was released from his kennel, he would run up the stairs to her bedroom and pee on her rug. I hope he ruined it.
Once more, Gabriel was looking for a new home. And that's when he came to us.
At home with us. At first, he took to my husband, but merely tolerated me. Unprecedented! But Gabriel was unprecedented.
In the beginning, Gabriel sat with my husband as often as possible. seemingly to avoid me. He even growled at me and bared his teeth when I removed a bit of cardboard he was pulverizing. Another unprecedented event. Women were clearly not high on his list.
He got into a battle with our irascible male who is also highly reactive. Gabriel's foot got broken. But Gabriel wore his protective Elizabethan collar with aplomb (wearing the E collar should not be taken for granted. We have one dog who throws himself against the wall until either he breaks all his bones or the collar breaks. All kinds of collars.) Never complained about the weekly vet visits for new x-rays and bandages.
On early car rides our new hound emitted a low, fearful whining sound. He needed dental work. His teeth were chewed down and told the tragic story of a very smart, active dog, kenneled day after day and hour after hour. He had worn his teeth down chewing on the metal of his kennel. One tooth could not be saved. He had a yeast infection in his ear and blood work showed him to be low on thyroid. We had a spray to try to save his teeth, ointment for his ear, and pills for his thyroid. His age was uncertain. His advocate in Mississippi thought he might be 7 years; our vet thought he might be 10.
Gabriel was smart. He had us figured out in short order and became more relaxed. He knew where the treats were stored and when he determined it was treat time, manipulated the handle to the defunct dryer where they were stored to help himself. We then moved them to the top of the oven. Out of reach but not out of sight or smell. Now when he wanted a treat, he would sit to one side of the oven and look at the treats and then look at us. Then he'd look at the treats and back to us. Our other dogs would try to knock the treats off their perch, but none of them had thought of telling us that he/she wanted one.
Gabriel was highly civilized. Always a polite, gentlemanly dog, he believed the better path to his goals was a clear request. If my husband gave him a treat once, he'd ask for another at that exact time the next day. He learned from the first experience--it didn't even take twice. He was mannerly about it, but he never accepted defeat — we would continue to provide chew things at the immutably appointed hour. Extras outside the normal schedule were fine too. He loved to chew.
We never trained Gabriel in any way. He came housebroken and always came instantly when called. But he persistently wanted what he wanted and never gave up. My husband, only peripherally aware of the rest of the pack, would exclaim, "He is one stubborn dog!".
Gabriel was a very self-assured and confident canine. I think the self-assurance and confidence translated as stubbornness. He learned all the schedules and that was all he needed to know to train us to fulfill his wishes. He could also move the other dogs to his will. When the Kuranda bed (a raised pet bed, sort of like a non-bouncy trampoline, see pic below) was crowded with bodies, he would stand in the front and use his Jedi mind powers to tell the interlopers that their time was up. It worked.
On one occasion, he demonstrated the essence of what it means to be a houndy escape artist. My husband was taking him and another of our dogs into the clinic for toenail clipping. At the door to the vet's office, where Gabriel had been numerous times for the broken foot and blood tests for thyroid, he slipped his lead and ran, at about 30 miles per hour, into oncoming traffic. We never determined what the allure was. There were no critters. Just asphalt and cars. He was there one minute and without prelude, he was a blur dodging cars!
Thankfully, a stranger stopped and opened her car door, and Mr. Sociability hopped in. She drove him back to the vet's front door. There had been no warning. It never happened again, but we also took extra precautions to keep him in hand. Collar, harness, a firm hand and hyper-awareness.
Gabriel made a wonderful but subtle transition. He worked out whatever kinks he had on his own.
All our dogs have learned our feeding routine immediately and he was no exception, although for the first two weeks or so he only picked at his food. Our pack eats in their individual kennels (inside — all our dogs live in the house). He knew his feeding kennel. He'd go to his kennel immediately and sit and wait for his food.
Because of the incident early on, which broke his foot, we decided to keep Gabriel and the other male apart. The dogs always sleep inside and no one stays out for more than 2 hours at a time. Those two dogs were never out simultaneously. He learned that timetable by himself. Down to the minute. At the end of his "out" time, he'd walk to his kennel and get comfy with his blankets, all without any reminder or argument. When it's snowing, no one goes out to play; when it stops no one goes out for more than 20 minutes unless they are wearing booties. He figured it out.
Gabriel seemed to have a strong desire to earn our trust. Once he was living with us, his life was under his control. Within the the larger schedule of the pack and within the larger protocols of our daily lives, he was the captain of his ship. He did not counter surf (some of our others still do); he did not steal food from my hands (some do). Our dogs aren't allowed to eat the pillows or the tin foil. They don't eat my shoes or the elastic laces. They don't always get to go in the car. We never leave the dogs alone. Never. One of us is always here. My husband missed our son's wedding on that account. I believe this policy probably aided Gabriel's adjustment. It was a policy we had adopted a few years before, but it works well for all the dogs.
Fears and phobias. Gabriel did come with some baggage. He was terrified of thunderstorms and other loud noises. While sitting in the waiting room at the vet's, we heard a terrific crash. Sounded like someone had dropped a pallet loaded with 20 big bags of dog food. It scared me, but it terrified Gabriel. I had him on a lead. When he jerked in shock and surprise, he nearly pulled me off the chair.
We have magnificent summer storms here, with sheet lightning and booming that rattles the dishes on the shelves. We live within hearing distance of a national cemetery. A gun salute sent him running to his kennel.
Those fears taught me to understand "gun shy" in very physical way, transmitted through the lead. At home, as long as he could get into his kennel, he felt safe. Sometimes, if I had enough warning, I'd give him Zylkene, a milk peptide that is naturally produced by the brain to effect tranquility. The French put it into a pill and it's effective but I don't always have it around.
Gabriel seemed afraid of the dark, so we left hall and bathroom lights on for him at night. I learned not to pick up a broom, shovel or rake in front of him but silently wept inside that this wonderful dog had learned to be afraid of these simple things. I learned to announce my intention to turn on the water hose, giving him time to get to higher ground.
He charmed my vet. "Look at him," she would say. "He understands everything we are saying". Eventually, he came to me with the same faith he had exhibited in my husband. He came to me of his own volition. He would stand up, placing his front paws on a chair, mattress, low table, and I was to rub his chest and kiss him on the top of his head. Car rides were now fun. No more whining. He lacked only a full time playmate.
Our social butterfly. He blossomed into wonderfully sociable dog. After he got over his fear of women and began to actually hang around with me, he was great with everyone. He loved it when one of the dog-people came to visit. (Non-dog people do not visit.)
My vague and totally unaware husband became a huge fan. "Hi Gabriel" oozed out of him like honey on a spoon.
Gabriel was great with other dogs, too. At first, our menagerie lacked a good playmate for him, but that soon chang. We got yet another dog (even though we are no longer taking dogs in … ) who became the perfect and steadfast playmate for Gabriel. On a few mornings, we'd find both of them sleeping in Gabriel's kennel. That never happened with any of our other dogs. This newcomer was young and as a bonus, hyperactive, and now Gabriel was in hog heaven. He held his head high as he jogged, danced, pirouetted and waltzed through the backyard. He smiled. He was grace personified. He had élan and a good buddy besides! His mission was found: play and more play.
My husband, always a good sport about the dogs and the innumeracy that overtakes my brain when it comes to dogs, makes the occasional sarcastic crack. It was true: we had more dogs at any given time than most people would have in their entire lifetimes. No one ever left. "Until death do us part" is definitely my motto.
So one day, when my husband tracked me down in the house to say to me, "Have we gotten another dog?" I thought he was being a smart aleck and I snapped back, "Look, just go get Gabriel and Flynn in the backyard. It's time for them to come in."
He said, "I'm not kidding. There is another dog out there. Go look."
I did. There was another dog out there. one I had never seen before. He was quite friendly, did not object when I held his collar up to the light to read his ID, but clearly intended to follow Gabriel and Flynn into the house. My other dogs were more territorial and would not tolerate a strange dog walking into the house without lengthy and time-consuming introductions. As far as that goes, none of them would have accepted a strange dog hopping the fence. But Gabriel enjoyed it.
It turned out that this stranger dog's owner had left his pet with his parents down the street while on a trip. The owner had just returned to Albuquerque from wherever he'd been and was, at that very moment, on his way to his parents' house in Santa Fe to retrieve his buddy. In anticipation of their son's arrival and the dog's departure, the pet sitting grandparents had removed a taller safety fence from their yard that they'd put up for the duration of the dog's stay.
But "stay" he did not. Unbeknownst to us, Grandpa had been regularly walking our visitor in the arroyo behind our house. He caught a whiff of Gabriel and our other dogs through the fence, and that's where he apparently wanted to be. Gabriel was the bee's' knees!
We figured out later that this was not the first time this visitor had hopped our 6' fence. It explained certain late night knockings on our front gate. People were coming around looking for their "missing" dogs!
I called Grandpa and explained that we had his charge in our yard. He immediately set out to collect him. My husband put a lead on our now-recalcitrant guest who clearly had no intention of leaving the party. He had found the greatest fun on the block and he wasn't about to give it up. My husband alternately pulled and coaxed and eventually the visitor was back in the hands of his babysitter.
A half hour later, I heard a dog barking. I don't know how it happens but we've learn to identify our dogs' barks. Not only which dog it's coming from, but whether it's distress or joy, let-me-in or something else. This was an unknown something else and it wasn't coming from any of my dogs, all of whom were in the house.
It was October and it was getting dark early and had begun snowing. I went outside. The barking was insistent. I found our former guest on the north side of the house, barking to beat the band, at an empty yard. Gabriel was now inside. I called Grandpa again and once again a broken hearted dog was led away.
We never saw our Mysterious Stranger again, but my heart was touched. It explained why one afternoon I heard another two dogs barking at our fence, again on the north side. If they had been children, they would have been saying "Can Gabriel come out and play?" A strange dog hopping the fence could only happen with Gabriel because Gabriel was a special social magnet.
In retrospect, we realized we must have had several interlopers stopping by to play with Gabriel. Gabriel never hopped the fence, although he could have done so easily. Why bother? Everyone was coming to him. The True Story of Gabriel is the story of dogs coming from blocks away (our neighborhood has few dogs) to hop the fence and play with him.
Those party dogs knew what I can't express. Gabriel was the essence of joy, joy in its most undiluted and perfect form! Gabriel was everything life should be. He was fulfilled, confident and happy. He was pure bliss. He knew his mission in life: to have fun. That was his path. He went to bed every night with a smile on his sweet face, secure in himself and in the knowledge that we loved him immensely.
We had Gabriel for too short a time, only about a year and a half, when he died in November of 2015. When I lost him, my insides turned to glass and shattered. I cry blood-tears for Gabriel, our amazing, wonderful, extraordinary hound who left us all too soon. I love him now as I always have.
The opinions expressed in this guest blog are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by Coonhound and Foxhound Companions.
HEADS UP! The 2017 coonhound calendar is here
Our 2017 wall calendar is ready to order for holiday giving. Delight friends and family with a whole year of companionable hound friends – from an adorable youngster with his toy prey to a distinguished adult sporting a competition ribbon; from a sleepy-eyed beauty to a dock-diving athlete. You'll meet a new hound each month as the calendar showcases the wonderful variety of coonhound personalities and good looks.
Click here to order. The page will open in a new window. Remember to select January as your "starting month" on the order page to avoid disappointment. The calendars are 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches high when closed and open to 17 inches high.
The paper is heavyweight high quality white glossy held together by a refined wire-O binding. Each day's square is big enough to fill in with personal reminders so your hound can track trips to the vet and play dates with friends. Your price is $17.99 plus shipping. Every penny of profit goes directly to our programs. Thank you so very much for supporting our work!
The Truth About Coonhounds ...
"Coonhounds and Foxhounds Are Only Good for One Thing… HUNTING!"
The Secret's Out: They Make Great Pets!
There's a myth still circulating about coonhounds and foxhounds: They are only good for one thing — hunting. But anyone who's ever shared home and hearth with one quickly learns that they make great pets too.
Austin in his t-shirt wagging his tail. His tail never stopped.
Black and Tan, Bluetick, English, Plott, Redbone, or Treeing Walker coonhounds, and all foxhounds, are pretty darn resilient, and incredibly forgiving toward humans. No other breed that I know of would tolerate the cramped quarters of a dog "box" in the back of a pickup truck, cooking in the heat during a Texas summer or freezing in the cold during a Minnesota winter, moving along at highway speeds, without emerging with some physical or psychological damage. The big hounds usually come through that perfectly happy, which I attribute to their inherently benevolent temperaments.
Bred to work as full partners, out of sight of their human hunting buddies, they are also about the most loyal, affectionate dogs around, closely attuned to the wishes of their handlers and eager to please.
I've been rescuing hounds, mostly Treeing Walkers, for over 30 years. Almost all of mine have been exceptional companions. Not only are they affectionate by nature, they are rarely quarrelsome with other dogs. Coonhounds are bred to team up, hunting with dogs they've never met before, so they're good at making friends with strangers.
Foxhounds resting together after a hunt.
They're generally pretty easy to house train, too, even if some rescue hounds need to be taught all sorts of indoor manners before they are adopted out because they haven't shared quarters with humans before.
Coonhounds and foxhounds are really beautiful dogs, too. They come in a wide variety of rich coat colors and patterns -- red, "blue" (mottled black and white), black, brindled (striped), tri-colored like a beagle -- with such endearing features as tan "almonds" over the eyes, black "pencil lines" on the toes, and perfect spots for kissing on the top of the head, to say nothing of those long silky ears. Hounds have a short, dense coat which is easy to keep clean. Ninety-eight percent of the Walkers I've rescued over the years lived long, healthy lives, with none of the health issues (hip dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, hypothyroidism, cancer, etc.) that seem to plague so many of the more popular breeds.
One of our Walkers, a male named "T.J.," lived to the ripe old age of 17, with clear eyes, no skin or ear problems, and cancer-free. Without a doubt, he was the finest example of a well-bred coonhound I've ever known. Breed longevity is a bonus for any dog lover, but longevity and good health is the ultimate "package" deal. Of course, T.J. was exceptionally long-lived, but 12-14 years is not unusual for a coonhound or foxhound that hasn't met an unnatural death in a "shelter" or crossing a road, intent after game.
And there's a new concern added to the burdens that coonhounds in shelters have faced. Over the last few years, the American Kennel Club, the largest registry of purebred dogs in this country, has begun to recognize most of the coonhound breeds. (They've recognized two breeds of foxhounds and American Black and Tan Coonhounds for much longer.) That may well increase the price breeders, both good and bad, will charge for purebred puppies. In the past, only the United Kennel Club, the National Coon Hound Association, and the Continental Kennel Club, much smaller registries, recognized these coonhound breeds, and these are largely hunting registries. Puppies weren't worth much until they were trained to hunt and proved their skills. AKC registration may give breeders an incentive to produce pups without regard for the working characteristics that have kept coonhounds and foxhounds so robust until now. I hope that AKC recognition for conformation doesn't prove disastrous for these hounds, as it was for German Shepherd Dogs and a host of other breeds which became popular after gaining recognition from the most recognized registry in the world.
So the next time you visit a shelter, rescue, or animal control facility and see one of those "only good for one thing" hounds, please consider adopting it and giving it a chance to be your beloved pet. Chances are it will be a great companion. Perhaps some hunter had too many dogs to feed, the hound is gun-shy, or your candidate came into the shelter as a stray after it went too far afield, lost its tracking collar, and couldn't find its way home. Kill shelters in almost every southern state are brimming with unwanted coonhounds and foxhounds, which are usually near the top of the euthanasia list at public shelters, outranked only by pit bulls and owner surrenders. The myth about coonhounds and foxhounds is so widespread that I believe that only one in five shelters in the South even attempts to find rescue for them. When shelters do reach out, the few rescues willing to take hounds are often full to capacity. I know. I've turned down too many needy hounds myself, although I always try to help if I possibly can.
Bonney Williams
Director, Etosha Rescue and Adoption Center
The Coonie Team
Jerry Dunham
Mary Ann Emerson
Marybeth Brown
Anna Nirva
Emily Plishner
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Jean Stone
Black & Tan Coonhounds
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Coonhound Advice
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Coonhound Rescue & Adoption
Coonhounds In Competition
Coonhound Stories
Coonhound Temperament
Fun With Coonhounds
In Memory Of Special Coonhounds
Redbone Coonhounds
Senior Coonhounds
Training Coonhounds
Walker Coonhounds


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text:
Abu Dhabi OFW
Soon to Rise: World's Largest Power Plant in Abu Dhabi
The Emirates Water and Electricity Company, EWEC, announced the award for the world's largest solar power plant in Abu Dhabi.
The project was awarded to a consortium led by the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, TAQA, and Masdar, with partners French electric utility company, EDF, and JinkoPower, for the development of the 2 GW Al Dhafra Solar Photovoltaic, PV, Independent Power Producer, IPP, project, which will be located approximately 35 kilometers from the city of Abu Dhabi. The project's power purchase agreement, PPA, and shareholders' agreement were signed with EWEC on Sunday, July 26.
'World's Largest Power Plant' Soon to Rise in Abu Dhabi
Othman Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer of EWEC shared: "We are delighted to work with our partners and sign a PPA with a record-low tariff for solar power. We are working to secure long-term energy supply and reinforce solar power's integral role in meeting current and future energy needs. Combined with key technological advances, the Al Dhafra Solar PV project will have a significant impact on diversifying the approach to our current electricity supply, and drive our strategic plan to further contribute towards the sector's transformation in water and electricity production, as we develop a low-carbon grid in the UAE," as shared in a report by WAM.
Commenting on the important milestone, Jasim Husain Thabet, Group CEO and Managing Director at TAQA, noted: "The Al Dhafra Solar PV plant is a benchmark project for our nation and the global energy sector. The project's low tariff and utilization of best-in-class technology further demonstrate the feasibility of utility-scale renewable energy projects that are accelerating our nation's progress on meeting the ambitious energy objectives outlined in the UAE Energy Strategy 2050."
He added, "Once fully operational, the plant will increase Abu Dhabi's solar power capacity to approximately 3.2 GW."
Anticipating ahead of its operation, the Al Dhafra Solar PV project is expected to provide approximately 160,000 households across the UAE with electricity.
It will be larger than TAQA's existing 1.2 GW 'Noor Abu Dhabi' solar plant, which is currently the world's largest operational single-project solar PV plant.
Commenting on this development, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, shared, "Through the award of the Al Dhafra project, the UAE is affirming once again its determination to lead the global transition to cleaner energy sources, deploying the latest advances in solar power technology at tremendous scale cost-efficiently. At Masdar, we are honored to join EWEC, TAQA, EDF, JinkoPower, and the many other prestigious partners involved in this outstanding project."
"We are excited to be working with them to realize the world's largest single-site solar power plant in Abu Dhabi, building on our existing portfolio of world-class projects in the UAE, including Shams in Madinat Zayed in Abu Dhabi, and the third phase of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai," Al Ramahi added.
The project's financial closure is expected to occur in Q3 2020, enabling initial power generation in H1 2022 and full generation by H2 2022. Once fully operational, the plant will increase Abu Dhabi's solar power capacity to approximately 3.2 GW.
ALSO READ: What You Need to Know about the New Electronic Toll System in Abu Dhabi
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The Irvine, California-based chain was alerted to the copycat logo by disappointed customers who allegedly thought that one of its restaurants was opening in Kansas.
It has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but imitation also seems to be the sincerest way to find yourself on the receiving end of a lawsuit.
At least, that's what's happening to In-N-Out Cleaners in Wichita, Kansas, which seems to have borrowed both its name and its logo from the iconic California burger chain.
TMZ reports that the dry cleaner, which opened last September, is being sued for an undisclosed amount over its name and logo design. It's hard to argue with In-N-Out Burger (the edible version), because In-N-Out (the neatly pressed version) has copied everything from the red and yellow color scheme to the logo, with a yellow clothes hanger that leans at an almost identical angle to the burger slinger's yellow arrow.
According to TMZ, the Irvine, California-based chain was alerted to the copycat logo by disappointed customers who allegedly thought that one of its restaurants was opening in Kansas. It took the complaints seriously—and apparently called its lawyers.
Wichita television station KWCH reports that the lawsuit against the Kansan In-N-Out has six counts, including trademark infringement and trademark dilution. The company is asking for punitive damages and to hand over everything it has with the nearly identical logo, including advertising materials and signs. The dry cleaner appeared to be responding yesterday; it has changed its Facebook profile picture and cover photo to generic versions of the building's exterior that do not have any kind of name or logo.
In-N-Out has gone to great lengths to protect its brand in the United States and abroad; despite not owning or operating any restaurants outside the western US, it has paid big money for trademark protections in Europe, Mexico, Canada, China, Korea and the Philippines. And when eerily similar competitor Caliburger opened with familiar-looking color schemes and menu items, it filed a lawsuit forcing Caliburger to change the name of its "Animal Style" and "Double Double" burgers.
We're gonna guess that Wichita is going to lose its In-N-Out—although it will probably still have a reasonably priced dry cleaner. MUNCHIES has reached out to both In-N-Out Burger and In-N-Out Cleaners for comment but has not yet received a response.


Haiti rejects US Ambassador Pamela White's "too little too late" attempt to save the corrupt Martelly-Lamothe Regime.Haiti Message to US Ambassador Pamela White, Sandra Honore and Barack Obama/Bill Clinton: Stop Blocking Removal of Corrupt Martelly-Lamothe Regime | Bloodshed continues as militarized Haiti police kills 3-month old baby with tear gas, wounds four protestors.
Top photo: US Ambassador Pamela White with Pres. Martelly, drink-in-hand at beach. Bottom photos: Amb.White hugging on Prime Minister Lamothe. US/Pamela White's close relationship with Haiti corruption is a hot Haiti media topic.
In a letter dated November 28, 2014, the United States Ambassador to Haiti, Pamela White commanded a close-door meeting at the Fusion political party headquarters with the six opposition parties who are demanding an end to the US-supported Martelly-Lamothe regime and its harmful, pro-imperialist and unrestrained neoliberal economic policies in Haiti.
Fanmi Lavalas and Kontra Pèp La did not attend the meeting with US ambassador Pamela White. The four others – MOPOD, Fusion, Ayisyen Pou Ayiti, INITE – met with the US Ambassador at Fusion headquarters at the appointed December 2nd time at 4pm.
During First US occupation of Haiti (1915-1934), the traitor, Jean-Baptiste Conze betrayed Charlemagne Peralte, Leader of armed warriors against invading US Marine imperialism. Hanneken captured Peralte, terrorized, murdered and nailed his corpse to a door the Marines hung at the public square in Cap Haitian, Haiti.
A large protest crowd in front of the Fusion headquarters made it difficult for the US ambassador and her convoy to easily past without facing and hearing the demands of the people to take Martelly back to the US with her. There were many shouting "Go home USA, Go home Pamela White." Other extraordinary demands by the streets were in the signs which begged Russia for help against the US occupation. There are reports of signs: "Vladimir Putin please help us, Haiti." A sign where Vladimir is boxing with Obama read: "Vladimir Putin help us with Obama's regime in Haiti!" These signs were waved at the US Ambassador.
Throughout Haiti, tens of thousands of Haitians are holding anti-government protest rallies. As the January 12th date for dissolution of Parliament approaches with no realistic plans for new parliamentary elections in the works, the tense encounter is viewed as the US Ambassador's "too little too late" attempt to save the corrupt Martelly-Lamothe regime. The demonstrators' demands of the US Ambassador Pamela White, the UN-MINUSTAH head and spokesperson Sandra Honore, President Barack Obama and former UN envoy to Haiti, Bill Clinton is that they stop blocking: fair and honest elections. Stop blocking the people's removal of the corrupt Martelly-Lamothe regime from Haiti.
Most in the crowd outside were protesting the four political parties, who agreed to meet with the US Ambassador, calling them collaborators with the big powers and denouncing any agreement these political parties might take to retain the Martelly-Lamothe regime. They said the "Conzes meeting with the imperialist forces will not be negotiating on the back of the people on the streets." The militants on the streets said the people won't easily be ignored or betrayed by the political parties who accepted to meet with US Ambassador Pamela White. The spokespeople on the streets denounced any negotiations of all the four political parties who attended the meeting.
This was the first time, in the three years since the imposition of the US Martelly-Lamothe regime that the US expressed any interest in the voices of the people in the streets for participatory democracy or in sitting down with the anti-Martelly-Lamothe political sectors in Haiti.
Go Home USA, Go Home Pamela White- MECHAN: Mouvman Etidyan pou Chanjman (Student Movement for Change).
The people on the streets indicated to the four parties who attended the US meeting, that no matter what they say, the people do not trust them not to work over their heads with the imperial powers.
Nonetheless, here are the points, so far, made by the head of MOPOD, representing to the public what happened at the meeting between the four parties and the US highest representative in Haiti.
without the participation of the people of Haiti.
for determining, quantifying a Haiti resolution.
population in prison, the population participation.
Throughout Haiti, the anti-government protests are rising. Haiti National Police reportedly also fired tear gas to disperse protesters who also blocked hundreds of workers from entering the Codevi Industrial Free Zone in Ouanaminthe, owned by Dominican businessman Fernando Capellan.
Frustrated and angry Haitian villagers near the border with the Dominican Republic, like Haitians throughout Haiti are demanding that Michell Martelly's regime stop flying to foreign capitals and spending State monies on luxury hotel tours and attend to the social needs of the people of Haiti such as providing safe and affordable housing, clean drinking water, sanitation, health care, energy/electricity, local agricultural investment, street and road repairs among Haiti domestic needs.
For more critical Haiti commentary on the current situation in Haiti, count on the Ezili Network/Free Haiti Movement.
– An end to unfair US-Euro trade in Haiti and the NGO invasion that's mostly humanitarian imperialism.
– An accounting of the Haiti Interim "Hillary and Billy" Reconstruction funds, collected in the name of suffering Haitians.
Ezili interview on Black Agenda Report weekly radio broadcast with Glen Ford plus interview with Cornel West and Bob Avakian Dialogue at Riverside Church, published by BAR, Nov. 26, 2014. Ten of thousands of Haitians demonstrated in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and throughout Haiti said Ezili Dantò.
A mob of angry Haitians on Monday attacked the Dominican Consulate building in Ouanaminthe, northeast Haiti, which prompted the evacuation of the staff. The rioters pelted the consulate's windows and staged protests by torching tires nearby.
Haiti National Police reportedly fired tear gas to disperse protesters who also blocked the hundreds of workers from entering the Codevi Industrial Free Zone in Ouanaminthe, owned by Dominican businessman Fernando Capellan.
Outlet listin.com.do reports that the riots continue in Haitian villages near the border with the Dominican Republic, on demands that Michell Martelly's administration attend social needs such as drinking water, energy, street and roads repairs among others.
On Monday the cross-border market reopened after being shuttered last Friday on protests staged by Haitians in several towns, to demand that Port-au-Prince lower the taxes levied on products imported from Dominican territory.
ont été blessées par balles.
suivant divers témoignages recueillis par des correspondants de presse.
ce lundi 1er décembre 2014.
manifestants dans la zone de Fort Liberté et de Ouanaminthe.
lors de manifestations, depuis plusieurs jours, Ã Fort Liberté.
nationale (Cspn) sur les événements en cours dans le Nord-Est d"€™Haïti.
l"€™occasion, sur le territoire d"€™Haïti.
informations font état d"€™affrontements entre groupes rivaux.
divers quartiers de la municipalité de Cité Soleil.


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text:
Whipping Boy: The Forty-Year Search for My Twelve-Year-Old Bully
by Allen Kurzweil
Publishers Weekly Childhood trauma fuels an adult obsession and an exploration of a flamboyant criminal caper in this rollicking but unfocused memoir. Novelist Kurzweil (A Case of Curiosities) was bullied by a roommate named Cesar Augustus at a tiny Swiss boarding school-being whipped with a belt is the worst outrage-and later in life set out to learn what had become of his tormentor. He discovered after many years that Cesar had gone to prison for his involvement in investment fraud. Cesar is a marginal figure through much of the book, and when we finally meet him, his impact is underwhelming; he comes off as an evasive and self-deluding hollow man with a repertoire of pathetic shady business ventures. But Kurzweil crafts an entertaining, sharply reported picaresque centering on the colorful leaders of the scam, who bamboozled their marks by posing as monocled European aristocrats and produced a fake deed from the fictional King of Mombessa, and on the investigators who caught them. The psychodrama between Kurzweil and Cesar doesn't have much emotional payoff, but it makes a serviceable hook for a comic-opera true crime saga that's ripe with hilarious humbuggery. Photos. Agent: Liz Darhansoff, Darhansoff & Verrill. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Book list Many people faced bullies as children. Not many have devoted considerable time and energy to tracking them down as adults. But that's just what author Kurzweil did, uncovering a remarkable tale of fraud, which he recounts in this plainspoken and earnest book. Decades after enduring abuse at the hands of his 12-year-old roommate, Cesar Augustus, at a Swiss boarding school, Kurzweil endeavors to track him down. The hunt, through thousands of pages of legal documents that fill milk crates and through encounters with unwilling or unhelpful contacts, reads like an engrossing detective story. Kurzweil is, by his own admission, a man obsessed. His emotions take a backseat to describing his investigatory feats, which lead him to a wide-ranging, multimillion-dollar scam in which Cesar played a role. More important than even the scam and the man Cesar became, however, is the poignant way that Kurzweil strives to get an explanation for the bully's bad behavior in order to heal the wounds he's carried since school. The story will resonate with anyone who had a Cesar growing up, as so many did.--Thoreson, Bridget Copyright 2015 Booklist
Library Journal Novelist Kurzweil (A Case of Curiosities) has given us a story too strange not to be true. As a ten-year-old attending boarding school in Switzerland, he was the victim of an especially cruel bully with the improbable name of Cesar Augustus. Then one day, Cesar was gone. Kurzweil finished out the year, and he too left the school, never to return. But he is nagged by memories of Cesar, and with his wife's encouragement, he begins to search for him. In the process he comes across a financial scheme that makes Bernie Madoff's look positively banal. One of the major players in the scheme is Cesar, whom Kurzweil eventually confronts. One flaw of the book is that, though what Cesar is described as having done to Kurzweil is horrendous, we are given an inadequate subjective or introspective sense of how the bullying made Kurzweil feel as an adult. For a memoirist, he is unusually distant from himself, making Cesar and his fellow schemers the true subject of this book. In that sense, Cesar still has the final word. VERDICT Criticisms of this memoir qua memoir aside, Kurzweil paces his book beautifully and it is recommended even for those who normally don't read nonfiction or memoirs. It moves like a thriller, is very funny, and in the right hands, would make a great movie. [See Prepub Alert, 7/7/14.] (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.


text:
Beatrice Freeman
I invited Beatrice to perform as a stand up comedian at one of the events, I produced-World Retail Forum, March 15-16, Amsterdam. I must say she was a delight to work with and she prepares well for her performance by understanding her audience and their background, especially when she had to perform for executives from top global companies like IBM, Google, Hershey, Shell and Lidl. Beatrice's stand up comedy was really refreshing. The uniqueness of her performance is - she can sing Opera as well. Yes, you heard it right, she can do live Opera as good as her comedy, which I am sure only a handful of people can do. It was much like a story, just great, funny, silly (clever) comedy - no pretence, no politics and no defaming. We definitely had a good laugh!
Dr. Rashmi Kurmati, Event Production Manager, Corporate Parity
To be on stage in front of 700 people is one thing. To hold court, field questions from the crowd and conduct fascinating and insightful interviews with fellow adventurers is entirely another.Congratulations on hosting the best female adventure panel I've had the pleasure to watch. More time next year please - 30 minutes is not enough!
The Adventure Travel Show, Olympia, London
Hugely engaging and entertaining with plenty of food for thought for all of us watching. Thank you for not just having great stories to tell, but for telling them in such a compelling way. One of the team at dinner tonight has now pledged to cycle around the world for charity – or rather the distance equivalent to round the world… how about that!GlaxoSmithKline - Global Leadership ConferenceAll of those in the room at the Gold Award Presentation raved about you! Having you as a presenter really made all the difference, and made the day extra special for the young people and their families. We can't thank you enough.
Duke of Edinburgh presentation, St James' Palace
It really felt like we experienced the journey with Anna. Her passion for pursuing a life beyond the norm, and her drive to encourage others to do the same shone through from start to finish.She delivered a truly memorable presentation and I would welcome her back to speak at future events in a heartbeat.
I laughed, I cried, and I left ready to take on the world.
Deloitte, Auckland
You are an incredibly talented speaker - full of guts, energy, determination, stamina and vision.Without the use of any visual aids, you told your story with great humour. You placed us right in the heart of the action, and as a result encouraged each and every one of us to try new things and push ourselves more. Personally, as your shadow for the evening, it was great to see how well you interacted with all of the attendees - they adored you. We can't wait to hear what you get up tonext!
What you do is absolutely fantastic.
HRH Prince Edward
Anis Qizilbash
Anis' talk was empowering... I'm very reserved about selling, due to the perceived personality traits needed (which I don't have!), Anis' talk changed my opinion.
Events Manager, Ordnance Survey
Inspiring. Empowering.
Isabel Oswell, Head of Business Audiences, British Library
Inspires, engages and energises. Anis doesn't talk at attendees but with them and that's what make her talks so valuable. I would highly recommend Anis to anyone that is looking to grow their sales.
Lorna Bladen, Head of Events, Enterprise Nation
A fantastic speaker – thorough, dedicated and insightful. She delivered the presentation faultlessly, was extremely authentic and our audience of business owners from a variety of sectors and business size found her "inspiring and uplifting".
Paula Kemp, Business Breakthrough Manager, Santander UK
Andy Lopata
Andy's 'The Networking Mindset' networking event was fascinating. I've been to loads of networking events over the years which are always full of people who don't quite know why they're there.... myself included. Really enjoyed it, and would highly recommend.
Nicholas Harkin, Head of Risk & Governance at Close Brothers Retail Finance
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Presbyterians II

<time datetime="2010-07-16T00:00:00-05:00" itemprop="datePublished">Jul 16, 2010</time>

The trio made their way down the central staircase of the round sanctuary.
      Montano spied a small desk that was gated off in the corner of the organ loft, and turned to
      The Man In Glasses:    "What is that for?"    "Oh, it
      is there in case there is a guest clerk of sessions."    "Ah."    They continued their descent, eventually reaching a door that lead outside to
      a series of small gray town homes. The Stern Man stood guard in front of one of the doors, and
      after greeting him, they all entered together into the dark chambers.    "I have a gift for you," said Montano.    "What is it?" asked The
      Stern Man    "A purple French novel!" Montano excitedly handed him the
      book, which The Stern Man took without a word.    As he glanced through
      its pages, discontent grew inside Montano. That was the fourth book in the series; it wouldn't
      make any sense if he started with that one. But deep down, the real reason was that Montano
      had already read the first three books, and wanted that purple book for himself. It was a very
      thick book, which only increased his desire.    "Give me that book back,"
      he demanded. "I messed up. You're supposed to start with the pink French novel. That's the
      first one in the series. I'll get it for you later. Besides, the first one isn't as
      thick."    The Stern Man stared at Montano before finally placing the
      purple book back in his hands after a few tense moments.    Montano became
      angry as he flipped through its pages. This book wasn't thick at all.

© erik radio 2016

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