Downeast (Maine) Dog News: Publisher's Letter, August 2009
Publisher's Letter, August 2009
Three Papillons, a Border Collie, bribery and bacon. That was the story my husband came home with after working the day in Rockland’s Harbor Park.
Your response might be, “Huh?” just like mine was at the time. That is, unless you’ve already read this month’s feature story about the upcoming Boatyard Dog Trials. It’s an event where anything goes and bribery of the judges is not only tolerated, but openly encouraged.
Armed with this knowledge, my husband Pete decided to use it to his advantage when he met a team known as the “Outward Hounds” looking for a place to practice for their upcoming appearance in the Boatyard Dog Trials.
After pointing them in the right direction, Pete asked if they were familiar with the rules of the game. They confirmed that they were and he casually “mentioned” that his wife was a judge for the trials, and that as a husband of a judge, he might be “persuaded” to put in a good word for the team.
That elicited a good natured chuckle from the contestants who, Pete soon discovered, work at a well known local diner in the Midcoast. I’m unclear about the rest of the discussion, but the outcome had to do with bacon. A bribe of bacon.
Bacon doesn’t do much for me, but it pleased Pete, and I suppose for that, I’m obliged to give a second look at this special bacon-bribing team. It’s shaping up to be another entertaining event again this year and I encourage you to attend and cheer on the contestants.
With the record-setting rain we’ve received this spring, red tide has been a constant problem on the coast of Maine. But, what’s the danger to dogs? In this issue, Jeff Inglis tackles the topic of red tide and blue-green algae. After a lot of research on the topic, you may be surprised to learn the result. Don’t miss his article “Summertime Blues” on page 5.
And if you’re sick of the rain and longing for the Dog Days of Summer, don’t miss Jen Blood’s piece “Dog Days Deconstructed” on page 9. Find out the true meaning of dog days and, while you’re there, enjoy photos submitted by readers showing how their dogs spend their Maine summer. Submit your own photos at DogNewsIsGoodNews.com/page
Downeast Dog News ... because dog news is good news.
Read the August issue online now! http://tinyurl.com/aug09fb
Your response might be, “Huh?” just like mine was at the time. That is, unless you’ve already read this month’s feature story about the upcoming Boatyard Dog Trials. It’s an event where anything goes and bribery of the judges is not only tolerated, but openly encouraged.
Armed with this knowledge, my husband Pete decided to use it to his advantage when he met a team known as the “Outward Hounds” looking for a place to practice for their upcoming appearance in the Boatyard Dog Trials.
After pointing them in the right direction, Pete asked if they were familiar with the rules of the game. They confirmed that they were and he casually “mentioned” that his wife was a judge for the trials, and that as a husband of a judge, he might be “persuaded” to put in a good word for the team.
That elicited a good natured chuckle from the contestants who, Pete soon discovered, work at a well known local diner in the Midcoast. I’m unclear about the rest of the discussion, but the outcome had to do with bacon. A bribe of bacon.
Bacon doesn’t do much for me, but it pleased Pete, and I suppose for that, I’m obliged to give a second look at this special bacon-bribing team. It’s shaping up to be another entertaining event again this year and I encourage you to attend and cheer on the contestants.
With the record-setting rain we’ve received this spring, red tide has been a constant problem on the coast of Maine. But, what’s the danger to dogs? In this issue, Jeff Inglis tackles the topic of red tide and blue-green algae. After a lot of research on the topic, you may be surprised to learn the result. Don’t miss his article “Summertime Blues” on page 5.
And if you’re sick of the rain and longing for the Dog Days of Summer, don’t miss Jen Blood’s piece “Dog Days Deconstructed” on page 9. Find out the true meaning of dog days and, while you’re there, enjoy photos submitted by readers showing how their dogs spend their Maine summer. Submit your own photos at DogNewsIsGoodNews.com/page
Downeast Dog News ... because dog news is good news.
Read the August issue online now! http://tinyurl.com/aug09fb
It’s common practice—almost expected—that judges will receive bribes from competitors during the Boatyard Dog Trials. In this photo (from left, standing in boat), judges Cynthia Lang, Bjorn Lee and Holly Sherburne receive loot in front of a standing room only crowd.
