2016 National Dog Show
Skye Terrier “Charlie”
2015 Best in Show Winner
National Dog Show
Did you get to check out the 2016 National Dog Show today? Each year following the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC, the National Dog Show airs and the country’s top dogs take to the ring to show off their stuff. Hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, the show marked its 15th anniversary in 2016, cementing itself as an official can’t-miss Thanksgiving tradition. In the words of John O’Hurley, the program’s host, the National Dog Show has “become an extraordinary family tradition on the greatest family day of the year.”
Last year’s Grand Champion was none other than “Good Time” Charlie, the Skye Terrier who trotted his way into the hearts of the judges. It’s not easy winning the treasured Best in Show award at the end of a long day of grooming, preliminaries, and group rounds. The judges of the competition are looking at the dog that best exemplifies what is known as the breed standard based on bone structure, shape, movement, temperament, and condition.
Article credit:
http://www.instyle.com/news/national-dog-show-gia-greyhound-best-in-show
Small Dog, Big Hero: The Story of Smoky, WWII Veteran
Small dog, BIG heart
We here at YapTalk, know very well that big things can come is tiny packages. Even so, when you think about war heroes, I seriously doubt that any one in their wildest imagination would expect a 4 pound Yorkie to have been one of our nation’s heroes. We’d like to share with you, the story of a little Yapper that served our country valiantly during WWII.
As we honor the brave, men, women and canines who have served and continue to serve in the United States Armed Forces. Yes, you read that correctly…many of our brothers and sisters in arms are also of the canine persuasion and there have been a few who are small breed dogs.
A few of years ago, I had the great pleasure of connecting with the folks of the Cedar Hill Texas Pet Memorial Project , through this organization I learned about a little Teacup Terrier named Smoky who is credited with being the tiniest four-footed soldier to serve in WWII.
“Smoky, a 4-pound female Yorkshire terrier, was found in the jungle of New Guinea and purchased by American soldier Bill Wynne. During WWII, Smoky earned honors for bravery after she warned Wynne of incoming fire on a transport ship.”
-BarkPost post, 05/22/2015: From Yorkies to Pitties: 20 of the Bravest Military Dogs in History]. During the war
Fortunately, Smoky did not lose her life in service. Bill and Smoky’s story did not end after the war. For the next 10 years after WWII, the two friends continued to tour the United States in the entertainment field where Smoky demonstrated her remarkable skills, which included walking a tightrope while blindfolded.
On Veterans Day, November 11, 2005, a bronze life-size sculpture of Smoky sitting in a GI helmet, atop a two-ton blue granite base, was unveiled. It is placed above the very spot that Smoky was laid at her final resting place. This monument is dedicated to “Smoky, the Yorkie Doodle Dandy, and the Dogs of All Wars”
Happy Veterans Day to all of the canines and humans who have and continue to serve our country. YapTalk salutes you!
For more details on the remarkable story of Smoky and the man who loved her, pick up a copy of Yorkie Doodle Dandy from Amazon.com.
Presidential Candidates and Dog Legislation
Hillary and Donald – How do they stack up on pet legislation?
Tonight’s election will set us in the direction of making decisions on some very important issues in this country. This election is arguably one of the most important elections in this US history. We’ve heard the candidates speak on a range of subjects and their stances on these issues such as: healthcare legislation, abortion, terrorism, the economy and even future Supreme Court nominations, etc… However, one issue that has not been very transparent or to our knowledge even discussed, is that of animal legislation. Recently, I wrote about the recent passing of legislation that would allow pet owners to establish living trusts for their pets. Currently, it is now easier in all 50 states to consider include your little Yapper in your family’s estate planning. However there are other nationwide animal related legislation that we are curious to know where the current Presidential Candidates-Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton stands.
Here is a brief summary of their track records:
Her:
According to an article from BarkPost earlier this year, when Secretary Hilary Clinton was a US Senator, she had an excellent rating with the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HLF), even getting 100+ one year. Her average for her 4 years in the Senate is a 92. She voted for a positive outcome for animals almost every time. Since she left the Senate, she has had little opportunity to influence animal legislation. Her campaign website does address issue of protecting animals and wildlife.
Him:
According to the same BarkPost article, Donald Trump who has never held public office, has no record of any stances for animals or against animals. Both of his sons are trophy hunters; however, he is on the record as saying he doesn’t understand their activities and doesn’t support hunting. On the other hand, he tweeted some disparaging comments on the Ringling Brothers Circus decision to retire their elephants early: “Ringling Brothers is phasing out their elephants. I, for one, will never go again. They probably used the animal rights stuff to reduce costs.” As of this posting, we were not able to locate any information about his stance on animal issues on his campaign website.
In the hours leading up to the election, if you have not already voted, we urge to you to do more research on the candidates and their records of supporting animal rights or legislation. If you have already voted, then we hope that this post gives you some brief insight into animal rights issues from the candidates’ perspectives.
T.K. — YapTalk
Source:
How The Presidential Candidates Stack Up When It Comes To Animal Issues
Pets Over People
According to a recent Washington Post article, young Americans in their 30’s commonly known as ‘millennials’ are choosing to share their lives pets rather than other humans. The article says that this generation is less likely to be homeowners, car owners or parents than their predecessors, but they do lead in one category: Pets.
The pet market is a $63 billion dollar industry that has increasingly grown since 1996. Pets are becoming replacements for children. Reportedly, three-fourths of millennials have dogs while a whopping 51% are cat owners. This generation of people are approaching pet parenting as seriously as generations in the past have approached preparing for and raising children. They buy all the books and do all of the same research that first time human parents would. Millennials are not the only people spending big money on their pets. In 2015, Americans as a whole shelled out $11 million on pet pampering products and services such as regular grooming, toys, pet costumes, bedding, strollers…etc.
This also opens a larger market for the smaller breed dogs due to the fact that most millennials are urban or apartment dwellers and prefer animals who take up less space and consume less food. The millennials are delaying parenthood and demanding flexible work arrangements — all of which, researchers say, has translated to higher rates of pet ownership.
What are your thoughts on this new trend? Do you think it’s better for American society or worse? We’d love to hear your opinion on this subject.
The younger generation are reportedly choosing their pets over children. What do you think of this trend?
Article Credit: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2016/09/13/millennials-are-picking-pets-over-people/
What Happens to Your Dog if You Die?
Consider your pet in your estate planning.
Ever wonder what would happen to your little ‘Yapper’ if you died prematurely or unexpectedly? With the recent passing of the Minnesota legislation (H.F. 1372), pet owners in all 50 states can now create living trusts to pay for the care and maintenance of pets that survive them. As with regular trusts, pet trusts provide a legally sanctioned arrangement where any money or property set aside in the trust of for a pet will be 100% dedicated to that animal’s care. One might recall a few years back when the infamous billionaire, real estate tycoon Leona Helmsley, left a $12 million dollar trust to her little Maltese, Trouble.
What is a Trust?
A living trust is a legal document created by you (the grantor) during your lifetime. Just like a will, a living trust spells out exactly what your desires are with regard to your assets, your dependents, and your heirs. The big difference between a will and trust is that a will becomes effective only after you die and your will has been entered into probate. A living trust bypasses the costly and time-consuming process of probate, enabling your successor trustee (who fills basically the same role as an executor of a will) to carry out your instructions as documented in your living trust at your death, and also if you’re unable to manage your financial, healthcare, and legal affairs due to incapacity. After the pet dies, the remaining funds are distributed to among other heirs or as directed by the trust or the courts.
Conditions of the Trust
The pet must have been alive during the grantor’s life-time for the pet to benefit. Also, the trust must be enforced by a person specified in the trust for the terms or by a court appointee.
Many Americans and other countries around the world are now considering their pets as part of the family. Personally for me, as a single woman who has no human successors; the benefits of creating a trust for my little Terrier, Bella are numerous! The main benefit however is that it provides me with peace of mind of what would happen to Bella if I were to become incapacitated or died unexpectedly.
I know this is something that we don’t like to think about but when considering your estate planning don’t forget about your little furry friends. Don’t leave their welfare up to chance in case tragedy should occur.