:: DECEMBER 2007 ::
Hello Everyone!
Once again, we all find ourselves saying the inevitable; “where has the year gone?”. For our club, this year has been a flurry of meetings, paperwork, new members, rescue and incorporation.
Our meetings are well attended by our regular members, new members most welcome! Please keep an eye out on the web site for meeting dates and venues. Most often, we meet at the Quakers Hill Inn under the pretense that it's convenient for the majority. In reality, it's the food that keeps us going back for more! Feel free to join us.
Welcome to the steady flow of new members. This is a friendly club dedicated to promoting all the great aspects of our breed. You are most welcome to write in with suggestions and new ideas. We are a fresh new club always happy to incorporate fresh new ideas. Talking of incorporation, this year saw us becoming an 'Inc'. Yes, we are registered with Fair Trading as an Incorporated Club, making us officially able to carry out our activities and promotions.
:: Christmas Digby ::
Rescue has been busy all year, but especially in the traditional pre-Easter and Christmas dumping seasons. As I write this report, I have just received a call from a Dane owner wanting to get rid of her Dane before Christmas (10 days away). So sad for our beautiful breed. It is one of the aims of this club to help educate potential Great Dane owners on important aspects of owning a giant breed, such as socialising and basic training. Hopefully, this will reduce the amount of dogs needing to be rescued in the long run.
And so, all that is left is for me to wish you and your Great Danes a wonderful, safe and happy Festive Season. If you are traveling, please do so carefully. Be aware of how sensitive Danes are to the heat and provide extra fresh water and shade for them during the hot months ahead (a lounge in the air conditioning is perfect, thank you!).
Merry Christmas and Happy 2008!
Marie Bowyer-Jennison
Club President
:: SEPTEMBER 2007 ::
Hello members,
Welcome to my inaugural president’s report, but please don’t expect it to be of the same calibre nor have the same entertainment factor as our previous president's reports. Grant’s shoes will be extremely difficult to fill. He worked incredibly hard for our club and remains an active and passionate member. Good luck Grant.
At our recent AGM over a delicious lunch at the Quaker’s Hill Inn (members, if you haven’t attended a meeting yet, it’s worth it for the food!), our new committee was elected. These consist of:
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Vice President
Mr Fred Ludwell
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Club Secretary
Ms Donna Carroll
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Club Treasurer
Mrs Julie Hyde
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Club Social Secretary
Mrs Sandra Ludwell |
Thank you to the previous committee and all the work they have put in to keep this club going from strength to strength. Membership numbers are always on the increase, something we find very heartening.
The past year has been a very busy one. Our focus remains on our wonderful breed and the betterment of all Great Danes. We stand firmly by our Code of Ethics as it exists to protect our Danes and their owners. We will be hosting our 'Dane's Day Out' in the autumn when the weather cools down – so check the web site regularly for updates on our events.
Rescue remains busy, with the unfortunate pre-Christmas dumping season soon to be upon us. It makes my blood boil to hear some reasons why owners feel they should divest themselves of their adult dog and buy a new puppy when they return from holidays! On the flip side, those dogs are better out of that kind of home and into a genuine 'forever' home. Jenni Cazalas, our Rescue Coordinator in Victoria has also had a very busy year and I thank her for helping me re home dogs across the border. Jenni does an incredible job there, so please support her if you can if you live in that part of the world.
Lastly, I would like to welcome our new members, Paul Watson and Kirsty McLaughlin!
That’s it for now.
Go the Danes!
Marie Bowyer-Jennison
Club President
:: AUGUST 2007 ::
Hello members,
Welcome to my August presidents report. Well isn't the year flying by! Soon the shops will be full of Christmas decorations & we will all be running around fighting the crowds, trying to find that perfect present for all of our four legged friends.
The club is still moving ahead in leaps & bounds. New membership applications are turning up at a very pleasing rate. Exciting social events are planned for the club & will be announced very shortly. The date for our club's inaugural Fun Day will be posted within weeks & our next edition of the club newsletter will be hitting the press in the very near future.
Other big news for the club includes the fact that the Eastern & Coastal Region of NSW Great Dane Club has become an incorporated body! The club has also re-submitted an application to Dogs NSW for affiliation, so we wait with baited breath for their response.
Some concerning news recently was a health related issue for our club's web site coordinator with her beautiful black boy, Lionel. Lionel's problems started quite innocently with a damaged toe nail. The recent long, wet periods that the east coast of NSW experienced led to a nice wet, muddy environment for Lionel’s toe to breed bacteria and pick up a nasty infection.
:: Shanna & Lionel ::
Ultimately, Lionel had to have his toe removed but he is now back to his old self jumping around full of beans. The point of Lionel's experience is that if his swollen toe was not picked up early, the outcome may have been a very different one. So take a few minutes once a week at least, to check over your Dane. Keep a look out for lumps, ticks sores, tender joints, rashes, anything at all. As with humans early detection can make all the difference, not only for your Dane's well being but also in the hip pocket!
On a lighter note, one of our members has hit the jackpot by having three bitches all in season at the same time. Wow! I find it hard enough living with one woman. LOL! Way to go Leanne!!!
Further news is that our club's social secretary, Julie Hyde has shown true dedication to the club, by investing her own time and money to further enhance her role within the club by taking herself off to socialise in Canada on a holiday! Now there’s the type of club spirit that we need more of!
That’s all for now.
Happy Daning!
Grant Lawrence
Club President
:: JUNE 2007 ::
Hello & welcome to the June edition of the Eastern & Coastal Region of NSW Great Dane Club President's Report. A lot has been happening around the club over the past two months. The highlights have been that a healthy, steady stream of new membership applications have been arriving in the mail & another two new club sponsors have come on line! Welcome to the club!
Our club web site (as you all have seen) is coming along in leaps & bounds - thanks Shanna, your contribution is invaluable. The club newsletter was a great success - Nic, well done! Then, there is our forever behind the scenes member, Marie Bowyer-Jennison who is the club’s vice president & our rescue coordinator. Marie is a very special contributor to the Great Dane breed. The tasks involved with running a rescue operation are continuous, difficult & time consuming but, as I'm sure Marie would agree, very rewarding. The big news is that recently Marie was married. Congratulations Marie & Lance! The very best wishes from all of the club members & everyone of your extended family of re-homed Great Danes!
The other important event for the club was our attendance (by invitation) to the Dangerous Dog Rally in Sydney Park. The day itself was a great success & the weather was absolutely glorious. The dozen or so Danes that were there all enjoyed themselves, lapping up all of the attention & watching the fly ball. You could see in their eyes that they were dying to jump that fence & get involved in the excitement themselves!
:: Grant with Dangerous Dog Rally coordinator, Mrs Melissa Greenall ::
There was a very pleasing attendance at the rally with Clover Moore (Sydney Lord Mayor) & Keith Irwin (President Dogs NSW) heading a vast line up of dignitaries & guest speakers who showed great support for this very important issue.
You may not be aware & asking the question, 'But how does this affect our beloved Great Dane?' Issues, we as Great Dane owners face (as well as other dogs targeted under Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)) include our dogs being listed as restricted, prohibited or as Dangerous Dogs.
Already, the QLD shire council of Mount Morgan has implemented Breed Specific Legislation against the Great Dane. What does this mean? The Mount Morgan Shire Council has the Great Dane listed in their local council laws & as such, the Great Dane is not declared dangerous by deed, the Great Dane is automatically declared dangerous by the breed.
Mount Morgan Shire Council has banned certain breeds from being allowed to 'live' within their municipality. For the Great Dane, this appears to be based on bodyweight & height alone! Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Great Danes, Dobermans, Bull Mastiffs, Marrenas & the Anatolian Karabash are simply out! This is obviously a totally ridiculous situation but this is what breed specific legislation lobby groups are working towards.
The scary thing is that these lobby groups have had success which is very, very concerning. What will be next? People with blue eye’s not being allowed out during daylight hours??? Responsible dog ownership is the answer - Breed Specific Legislation bans the wrong end of the leash. These council’s would be far better off allocating some funding towards providing proper venues, advisory services & training instead of funding all of the council staff, legal teams & rangers (including their equipment) that is required to enforce these ludicrous regulations.
:: Breed Bans Punish the Wrong End of the Leash! - Punish the Deed, not the Breed! ::
On a more pleasant note - I am pleased to say that a number of our members have been achieving great success in the show ring of late with Donna Carroll & Kisha leading the way by taking first place in class, Challenge Bitch (Best Female), Best Opposite Sex & Runner Best in Show at a recent Easter Great Dane Specialty Show.
Remember in a past president’s report when I told you all to look out for those magnificent mantles when they hit the show ring??? Well, the mantles have been enjoying great success at a number of shows (including the Sydney Royal!!!) with Nicola Hooper & Leanne Arnold leading the way. Well done! Congratulations to all & keep up the great work!
Go the Danes!!!
Regards,
Grant Lawrence
Club President
FURTHER READING ON BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION
Dog (Amendment) Bill; Crimes (Dogs) Amendment Bill
EDBA (Endangered Dog Breed Association) NSW - E-mail
Legislation Issues relating to the control of Dangerous Dogs
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:: MARCH 2007 ::
Hello & welcome to my presidents report for yet another month.
Well March is already upon us & 2007 is flying past us once again. Our rescue operations are experiencing wonderful success & our club web site continues to improve & excel. Keep up the great work Marie, Shanna & everyone else who has importantly contributed behind the scenes.
I would like to welcome our five new club members who have joined us over the past bi-monthly period. I am sure that you will enjoy the benefits that are available to members of our club & the camaraderie that is enjoyed by all. We are glad to have you with us!
Another special welcome goes out to Scott Williams. Scott is the sales & marketing manager for Jet Pets Animal Transport. Scott & his team have agreed to come online with the E&CR of NSW Great Dane Club as our first ever club sponsor! We are all very excited about this development & we look forward to a union that is long & productive for both organisations. Jet Pets are in the hands of a new advertising campaign & soon will be launching new ads & company logos. Once available, the E&CR of NSW Great Dane Club will be featuring Jet Pets in upcoming editions of our newsletter & also on our web site. So keep an eye out for that & support the sponsors who support us!
I have suggested to Scott that he may like to propose to their advertising company that they could use Great Danes in their feature ads to exemplify the size of their large crates & Scott has asked me for photo’s so that he can pass them on which I have supplied him with. Now that would be an exciting development!!!
I am more than pleased to be writing this report with the knowledge that it will be published in our first ever club newsletter which has been put together by our club editor, Nicola Hooper. Nic has had the extremely difficult task of putting something together from the ground up. It is not an easy job by any means & your efforts are noted & appreciated by all. Thanks again to all of those behind the scenes people.
April 29th 2007! - the E&CR of NSW Great Dane Club has been invited to attend an important community education day relating to 'The Dangerous Dog Dilemma- Solutions & Strategies'. It will be held at 'The Village Green' Sydney Park, St Peters from 10am to 2 pm. The day is being MC'd by Pet Talk Radio & has the full endorsement of Dogs NSW. The president of Dogs NSW, Mr Keith Irwin will be in attendance to give a speech on the benefits of buying a purebred dog from a registered breeder & membership with Dogs NSW.
Members of the E&CR of NSW Great Dane Club will be giving a talk on the merits of the Great Dane breed when raised in a responsible, loving home & exhibiting various examples of our breed. We will be conducting an information stall where we will be further promoting the Great Dane breed as well as talking to members of the public & allowing children to experience the thrill of getting up close & touching the apollo of all dogs.
As with all of our club events it will be a fun, enjoyable day & we will be picnicking after the exhibition & conducting some games for the kids (both two & four legged!) to enjoy. So do come & join us!
Best of luck in the show ring over the next month to all our E&CR of NSW Great Dane Club members (for those who go in for that sort of thing!). And remember, when you think animal transport, think Jet Pets!!!
Regards,
Grant Lawrence
Club President
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:: FEBRUARY 2007 ::
Welcome to the February edition of the Eastern & Coastal Region of NSW Great Dane Club Presidents Report! Well, January was one of the biggest months in the history of Great Danes in Australia! After a long drawn out process, the Mantle or Boston Great Dane was finally given full show status in this country!!!
The honour (to the best of my knowledge) for being the first to show a Mantle in a Championship Show, was E&CR of NSW Great Dane Club member Leanne Arnold with her striking dog Jed. Leanne was closely followed by another E&CR of NSW Great Dane Club member, Nicola Hooper with her magnificent boy Stripe.
Congratulations Girls!!!! What a moment it was for you both. Rest assured that all of your mates were right there with you. We look forward to seeing these awesome Danes strutting their stuff in the ring & reaping the rewards that will no doubt come thick & fast! The question that still remains - which Mantle will take the honour of becoming the first Australian Champion? Somehow I don’t think that it will take to long for us to find out!
:: Arndane Awesum Duco aka Stripe - owned by Nicola Hooper ::
Our January meeting was an enjoyable, productive event with a good turn out for our combined meeting/Australia Day BBQ! It was a fun filled night with plenty of great food, drink & company! A big welcome to all of our new members - we know that you will find your time with our club an extremely pleasant, worthwhile experience.
On a sadder note, one of our friends of the breed had an outstanding, young show & obedience dog cross the rainbow bridge last week. It was long before his time, but being such a character he will be long remembered. Farewell 'Bad Bert!'.
Finally, happy Valentines Day to all you romantics!!!
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:: JANUARY 2007 ::
Dear members & guests!
Hello & welcome to the first ever President's Report for the Eastern & Coastal Region of NSW Great Dane Club on our new club web site. Since this is the initial web site President's Report, I thought that I would base it on how & why the club came into being.
The Eastern & Coastal Region of NSW Great Dane Club was formed by a dedicated group of genuine people that had a strong desire to get back to the basis of what every dog club should be - for the betterment of the breed.
We wanted to form a club where people are welcome in every sense of the word. This includes enjoyable club meetings people look forward to, an environment where people are comfortable asking questions & putting forward differing opinions - but most of all having every opportunity to enjoy & reap the rewards that can only be given by the best breed in the world, the Great Dane!
Therefore a new club was emerging - born over a typical hot, sunny January weekend at a number of Hillsbourough shows in Newcastle. With the formalities carried out over this time, the club has continued to grow & prosper ever since. We were accommodated by Leanne Arnold who welcomed us into her beautiful home for the three days & didn't we have some fun! The weekend was full of laughs with GREAT company that was only made better by the presence of a dozen magnificent Great Danes - who also had a ball & showed brilliantly! The weekend was topped off by Nicole Hooper's Nitro winning his first Best in Group at the show!!! What a GREAT moment it was Nic...it's one that I'll never forget!
I would like mention that the E&CR of NSW Great Dane Club welcome pet Great Dane owners with open arms. We have a knowledgeable & helpful support network available for any problems or questions that members of the club or public may have. The E&CR of NSW Great Dane Club & web site is not just for breeders & exhibitors - so feel free to contact us!
We have a lot of exciting events planned for the future which include Club Fun Days, our affiliation with Dogs NSW, our first edition of our club newsletter, Specialty Shows & numerous Social Events to look forward to - which includes our 1st birthday party in a few weeks time!
I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you & well done to our Rescue Coordinator & Vice-President, Marie Bowyer-Jennison . Marie does a GREAT job with something that is probably one of the most important & thankless behind the scene tasks in any club...well not here Marie! Your efforts are recognised, appreciated & admired by all of us & the success that you have enjoyed since the clubs inception is astounding!!! Thank you so much from us & your furry clients.
I would also like to thank Shanna Antrim who has donated her own time to get our web site up & running. It takes a lot of effort & persistence to create something as involved as this & every time I open the site there is something new & exciting there. Well done Shanna!
Lastly, I would like the thank everybody who has contributed to this great, new & exciting club in its maiden year. I look forward to bigger & better things in the future with each & every one of you & your Danes.
See you all at the combined Birthday Party/Meeting on the 27th January!
Happy New Year,
Grant Lawrence
Club President
:: My best mate who made it all possible - Sattler! ::
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