WESTVILLE A new four-legged officer has been selected to join the local police force as part of its new canine program.
After passing preliminary testing to see if he'd be suited for the training, the department selected a 21-month-old male German Shepherd, named Haku, to be their newest officer.
Ptl. Brian Ewe, the officer who will be partnered with Haku, said he's "absolutely" excited to start this new assignment.
"This is the second thing I wanted to do in my career," Ewe said. "I wanted to do SWAT, and I've been doing that for a few years now, and now I get to do this."
Ewe, a self-described "animal person," said he applied for the position when it was announced that the department would be forming a canine unit. He was chosen for the job after submitting a resume and cover letter and performing interviews with ranking officers.
"I've always been an animal person, so I've always wanted an animal or dog," Ewe said. "I've always had them growing up."
Ewe's wife, Janel, and three-month-old son, Carter, will have little to no contact with the dog during the first four months Haku is in school, but Ewe said Janel is "very excited" that the dog will be living with them.
"I've got good support at home," he said.
Ewe will attend orientation at the police academy Jan. 7 and begin the 16-week patrol school with Haku Jan. 12. The two will also attend the 12-week narcotics school in September.
Although he's excited, Ewe said he doesn't know what to expect when the two begin their training aside from being able "to learn and be able to get him on the street and work."
"I've never done anything like this before," Ewe said. "(Haku) passed the initial testing, but when he gets to the academy, that's a different story. Dogs can wash out. So we're hoping for the best.
"Either way, I'm excited," he added.
Link to article:
http://www.nj.com/gloucester/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1230973815285300.xml&coll=8
WESTVILLE The police department will soon have a four-legged officer on its force, thanks to the fundraising efforts of local community groups.
The Westville Friends of Public Safety, in conjunction with the Boardwalk Kennel Club, has been raising money for the purchase of a German Shepherd, which will cost up to $6,000, according to Susan Shomo.
There is also talk of purchasing a second dog, a Labrador Retriever, that will be trained as a narcotics dog and will also perform demonstrations and visit schools.
"Boardwalk Kennel club is absolutely paying for the dogs," said Shomo, chair of the Friends of Public Safety and president of the kennel club. "Friends of Public Safety is raising the money to take care of the dogs, their insurance. So we're just out there raising money to take care of these dogs for the first year, whatever they need."
Shomo said she approached the borough with the idea earlier this year. It was an idea that she and former Mayor Michael Galbraith had discussed before he fell seriously ill last year.
"With the economy the way it is, it's well-needed in these towns," Shomo said. "It's overdue. And now since they have two towns to police, it's really needed here in this town."
Chief Frederick Lederer III said the department doesn't yet know if the dog will be male or female, so names haven't been picked out.
"Everybody's really excited about the dog coming on board with us," Lederer said. "It's something we'll be able to offer not only to National Park and Westville, but we'll also be on-call for areas of Gloucester County and Camden County. It's nice for us to be part of the overall scheme of being able to assist other agencies."
The German Shepherd puppy will begin attending the police dog academy in January along with Ptl. Brian Ewe, the officer chosen to partner with the dog and will hit the streets in the spring, Lederer said.
Lederer said the borough has already received an outpouring of support from other towns that already have canine units. For example, Greenwich Township donated a special insert for the police car that will serve as a kennel for the dog....
Link to article: http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-11/122526601388180.xml&coll=8
Little Egg Harbor boy competes in AKC National Championship today
For most boys, getting a dog means remembering to feed him, keeping him from chewing the furniture and remembering to dry him off when he comes in from the rain before he splatters mud all over mom's carpet.
Jonathan Pennella's biggest dog dilemma: grooming.
The 11-year-old Little Egg Harbor Township boy's world is centered around line brushing, hair straightening and tying bows on his 18-month old Tibetan terrier, Roxy (aka Championship Tashi's Roxy). And that's when he's not walking her in circles and teaching her to achieve the perfect pose to show off her canine physique.
But such is the burden for one who owns a show dog.
Pennella will find out today if his work was worth it as he and Roxy compete for the junior title in the American Kennel Club/Eukanuba National Championship in Long Beach, California. The show is the largest prize-money dog show in the world, with cash prizes totalling more than $225,000 Dogs from across the country as well as abroad will be competing in the two-day, invitation-only show, which will air on Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel on Jan. 31.
Competing in such a prestigious show wasn't quite what Pennella had planned nearly two years ago when he approached his parents about getting a dog. To help sweeten the deal, Pennella wrote up a contract that his mother still keeps in a scrapbook along with a rainbow of assorted show ribbons and photos.
"I promise I will take care of the puppy," the contract's childish scrawl reads. "But if I go on vacation, you need to take care of it."
This heartfelt statement was followed by an earnest list of promises to feed, walk and take care of said puppy.
"It went straight to his father's heart," Jonathan's mother, Claudia, said.
Rather than going to a pet shop or humane society, the Pennellas decided to purchase a dog from a cousin who had recently bred a litter of Tibetan terrier puppies. That one decision marked the Pennella's first leap into the dog-show business.
"When we went to pick (Roxy) up, we met my cousin at a dog show in North Jersey," Claudia Pennella said. "She took (Jonathan) around and showed him some things, and asked if he'd ever be interested in doing dog shows."
Since deciding to enter the competitive world of dog shows, Jonathan Pennella and Roxy have pursued their goal single-mindedly. The pair attend weekly handling classes led by trainer and Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show veteran Jennifer Modica in Cape May. Outside of formal training classes, Pennella guides Roxy through walking patterns in his living room, backyard and at the track at Atlantic Christian School in Egg Harbor Township.
At least twice a month the Pennellas travel to venues in New York, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, where Jonathan competes against owners from across the region, some of whom have several years of experiences over the young handler.
"A lot kids you see in the shows, their parents own kennels or do grooming. They're there because mom and dad are in the business," Claudia Pennella said. "It's a lot of competition."
Still, the hard work has paid off. Pennella joined the AKC National Junior Organization, open to handlers age 9 to 18, in December of 2007. By March, he and Roxy had won three shows with competition and advanced to the junior open class, where they could compete for points to attend major AKC shows.
The invitation to the National Championship arrived in November. Pennella is one of only four junior handlers in New Jersey to have the five AKC wins needed to qualify, as well as the required 3.0 grade point average.
To have a chance at winning best of breed this weekend, Pennella must be able to lead Roxy through various patterns as determined by the judges, and then get her to pose so the judge can examine her build and coat for imperfections.
Running the handling patterns can be tricky, but the most nerve-wracking part for Pennella is waiting, and sweating, while the judges make their decisions.
"I try to think of what I did, and what I didn't do," Pennella said. "If I know I did something better than the other handlers did, that gives me confidence."
Outside the ring, Roxy is the Yeller to Pennella's Travis. The duo are inseparable, and can often be found playing around in the backyard or sitting side-by-side watching television.
Over the past year Pennella has fallen in love with showing dogs, even if that dog wasn't his own. Handlers who admired the way Pennella maneuvered Roxy in the ring began asking him to show their dogs when they had a scheduling conflict.
Pennella has rubbed elbows with many celebrities of the dog show world, including Greg Strong, the handler who trained former President Bill Clinton's dog Buddy.
Seeing these dog celebrities has given Pennella a clearer vision of what he wants to be. Win or lose today, Pennella said he looks forward to watching the National Championship Best of Show competition Sunday and planning his and Roxy's next big dog show adventure.
After all, they only need 10 wins before October to qualify for the Westminster Dog Show in 2010.
Link to article:
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/113/v-print/story/344867.html
From Press staff reports
Jonathan Pennella, 11, and his Tibetan terrier, Roxy (aka Championship Tashi's Roxy), made it past the first round of the American Kennel Club/ Eukanuba dog show Friday, taking first place in the open junior competition.
But the Little Egg Harbor Township team did not make it past the next round Saturday among 156 junior showmanship contestants, Jonathan's mother, Claudia, said by telephone Sunday night from the event, held in Long Beach, Calif.
"It was a good experience. Saturday was an invitation-only, and it was his first time out this year," Claudia said. "He was in the ring with a whole lot of hammers and a whole lot of dogs."
Jonathan and Roxy plan to compete at the Boardwalk Kennel Club show in Wildwood next month.
Cape May County Herald - Saturday February 2nd, 2008 By Lauren Suit
Direct Link to Video: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid900829086/bctid1404942828
WILDWOOD — Wildwood has gone to the dogs, the four legged and furry variety.
Dogs of all shapes and sizes made their way, with their owner’s and handlers in tow, to the annual Boardwalk Kennel Club Feb. 2-3.
The weekend's event marked the 52nd year the Boardwalk Kennel Club, has hosted the show and its fifth year in Wildwood.
Boardwalk Kennel Club Vice President Jennifer Modica told the Herald that approximately 1300 dogs participated in this year’s event. Each show costs about $40,000 to stage, which is covered by entrance fees.
Inside the convention center, rows of grooming tables and kennels were used to keep the dogs looking their best before their appearances in one of the four show rings.
Outside, some dogs got the opportunity to play on the island’s beaches, while other more pampered pooches relaxed in RVs in the parking lot.
Link to article:
http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/article/21015-pamper-pooches-strut-stuff-boardwalk-kennel-club
Jennifer Modica, of Cape May Court House, has spent countless hours training her black Russian terrier, Sasha, to be a show dog. 'She loves being groomed. They know that's their time when they get all the attention,'Modica said.
After participating Saturday in the all-breed dog show at the Wildwoods Convention Center, Jennifer Modica and Sasha are heading to New York for the famed 130th Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show.
Dogs of all breeds have their day at Boardwalk Kennel Club show
This dog's life looks pretty good. Plenty of attention, treats, travel time and all the grooming she can handle.
“If I die, I want to come back as my dog,” joked Jennifer Modica as her black Russian terrier, Sasha, waited to be combed.
Sasha, more formally known as Ch Ebonies Pride Blkbery Brandy, was in town this weekend for the Boardwalk Kennel Club's annual all-breed dog show at the Wildwoods Convention Center.
Barks and yips punctuated the air as dogs of all kinds — about 2,600 dogs over the two days — and their human companions packed the center.
At one end, the dogs assembled by breed to show the judges their finest attributes. At the other end, owners and handlers took care of the last-minute grooming and other preparations needed to compete.
Sasha, 3, who started her show career at six months, made her way into the ring Saturday, and Sunday she rested.
Modica took a chance on Sasha when the dog was just 10 weeks old.
It's hard to know which dogs will grow to become champions, a designation Sasha has earned and one that is reflected by the “Ch” in front of her proper name. However, the signs were good with Sasha.
“Sasha's mother is a champion and she was looked at as a show dog. She does come from a great background,” Modica said.
The breeder also knew what Modica was looking for.
“Temperament. They have to interact with a lot of dogs when they come to a show. If a dog doesn't like the atmosphere of being at a show, they won't tolerate it,” Modica said.
The size and bone mass of the dog is also important to meet the standard for black Russian terriers.
According to the American Kennel Club Web site, the black dogs, known also by the abbreviation BRT, are robust, large and powerful and were developed in Russia to be used as guard dogs for protection. The standard calls for a large frame and heavy bone.
Modica picked Sasha with the aid of the breeder, and the dog soon made her way from New York to the Cape May Court House home she shares with Modica, her husband, Vincent, and the family's four other dogs.
A stellar background, however, didn't guarantee Sasha would be a show dog.
Countless hours of training Sasha made the wavy-coated, 100-pound dog the well-behaved animal she is today.
“My dogs are my dogs. They are champions in my eyes, but she has a lovely personality. She's a great dog and she's done well,” Modica said.
Today, Sasha is ranked No. 5 in her breed in the country and next week she and other members of the Modica dog family, which includes pugs and mastiffs, are heading to Madison Square Garden in New York for the famed 130th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
This year marks the second time black Russian terriers will compete at Westminster. The breed, though it can trace its roots back to the 1950s, was first recognized as part of the American Kennel Club's working group in 2004.
“Westminster is our dream. It's everybody's dream,” Modica said. “I guess it's like Miss America. You try to do your very best and make sure they're sparkling.”
Before traveling to the Boardwalk this weekend, Modica spent about four hours washing, drying and grooming Sasha.
On Sunday, she stood on the grooming table as Modica combed her somewhat coarse coat, undoing any knots in Sasha's dense covering of black, wavy hair.
“She loves being groomed. They know that's their time when they get all the attention,” Modica said.
The hair that flops over Sasha's eyes, known as the fall, is one of the breed's most distinguishing traits. It covers the eyes much the way sunglasses do and came about to protect the dogs' eyes during harsh Russian winters.
Training is also a part of daily life.
“They are like children. You don't tell a child how to do something and say that's our lesson for today. It's part of everyday life,” Modica said.
Nearby, Misha, another black Russian terrier, whined just a little bit, signaling she'd like to come out and get a little attention, too.
“The intelligence of the breed is phenomenal. They're a thinking breed. They think for themselves,” Modica said.
But training doesn't consist of mere commands.
Show dogs, Modica said, must be prepared for situations the average pet rarely encounters — elevators, escalators, large crowds, confusion, traffic and so on.
They also have to know their handlers, the people who show the dogs at competition.
“It has to run like a well-oiled machine. The dog is in sync with you and if you feel nervous they feel it,” Modica said.
And like other dogs they know when something good is about to happen.
Modica packs a bag before the shows, gathering food, water, bowls, brushes, towels and other essentials.
“When they see that bag, they know we're going out,” Modica said.
The bag is just one of the many items needed to run the operation that Modica estimates costs $10,000 per year, which includes transportation costs, food, show fees, equipment and more for Sasha.
Modica usually shows her own dogs, avoiding the added cost of a handler, but the hobby's expenses, she said, can be he equivalent of “putting a child through college.”
The expense, she added is worth it.
“They're our children,” Modica said.
And when the show is over, Sasha is just like other dogs who are very much part of their human families.
“Even though they are show dogs, they aren't kennel dogs. They lay beside us or stretch out on the bed. They're part of the family,” Modica said.