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From the TTCA President Betsy Richards

January — February 2019

I don’t know how the rest of you are surviving this “lovely” winter but I know I am getting really tired of the snow and the cold! Spring can’t come soon enough for me☺ As much as my dogs love the snow, I think even they are tired of the cold. The good news is that before we know it we will be heading to Boxboro for our National Specialty! Be sure to check out the TTCA website and the 2019 National Specialty Facebook page for updates. I know I am excited to see what the Jamboree is offering, it appears to be really focused on involving all TT owners, whether just a pet or any other role our beloved companions offer us. There will be a special tribute to those that have rescued TTs on Sunday, so if you know of anyone who has a Rescue, be sure to share this with them. They can find out more on the Specialty Facebook page. The jamboree schedule is now posted.

For all those interested in the TTCA Agility Trial at the National, we have moved the 5-27-19 show to a different location and it will be JUST FOR TIBTANs! It is now being held at American K9 Country, in Amherst, NH. Be sure to check out the TTCA website for more details and a link to their website. For those planning on attending the weekend days with LEAP, this is still an option, registration will be different than our TT Trial so be sure to do the entries separately.

A special thanks goes out to Kim Lenox, and all who helped her, for all of their hard work in getting people to sponsor trophies for this year’s National! Great job Kim! All of the sponsors to date will be published in the upcoming Premium List, but you are still able to support the show by donating to the un-sponsored classes or the General Trophy Fund. These later sponsors will be noted in the actual show Catalog. So if you haven’t yet, be sure to support this year’s team!
Another important part of our National is the upcoming Auction, which supports the 2020 National Specialty in Tampa, FL. Be sure to read the article in this Newsletter. We are doing something different and people can now donate money instead of items. This money will be used to purchase some fantastic TT items, some from the show at Crufts and other great finds! Be sure to catch Rene Stamm’s add in this publication!

Also in this Newsletter you will find the forms needed to sponsor an ad in the Show Catalog. We have not published the Merchandise for the Specialty again but be sure to get you orders in at the TTCA Store for our National Specialty items!

YOUR BOARD AT WORK

At our recent Board teleconference the Board formally approved Karen Tromblee as the new Chairman of the Public Education Committee. Thank you Karen for taking on this role. We know you will excel at this since you have already shown us your talents in heading up the Meet The Breeds at the AKC National Dog Show! She is also spear heading the Breed Ambassador program that is now part of the TTCA. This too comes under the heading of Public Educations and fits wonderfully in her role.

Another activity coming out of our TTCA Board is the survey we are sending out shortly (or maybe it’s already there), using Survey Monkey, which ensures confidentiality in your responses, we will NOT KNOW who said what! The objective is to start with a basic survey to obtain feedback on previous National Specialties. Then after this year’s Specialty we will send another survey asking for more input. The goal is to get from our members what they want to see at our Nationals, then try to incorporate this information to help support future Nationals. Be sure to take this opportunity to share your ideas by completing both the upcoming survey and the one you will receive this summer! Thank you Karen Tromblee, Grant Gibson and Rene Stamm for all of your efforts to get this to happen!

Thanks to our Corresponding Secretary there are 2 important notices in this publication. The first is the Notice of the TTCA Annual Meeting. The second is the official results of the Nominating committee, be sure to review who will be your new Board members as of 3-1-19.

As mentioned in our last Newsletter, the Board approved supporting the AKC Museum of The Dog by purchasing a wall plaque celebrating our Club. Rene Stamm also has an article in this Newsletter providing more on this topic.

OTHER MATTERS

Be sure to send in your requests for your special achievements such as ROMs using the form provided in this issue. ATTENTION Committee Chairmen, please get the enclosed form sent to Janet ASAP, so she doesn’t have to wait forever to prepare this information for our Board meeting on Boxboro on 5-26-19.
The last thing I need to address is the input I have received on the theme for this year’s Top 20. As President I have asked you to share your thoughts, good and not so good. I need to acknowledge those that have contacted myself, or other Board members about the PJs theme that has been posted on Facebook. People need to understand that the objective of this theme is to make the event fun, it was in no way meant to disrespect those that worked so hard to achieve the status of making the Top 20 in our breed. And NO One has to wear PJs☺ It is just a suggestion to liven up the night.

Hope to see you all soon in Boxboro!

November — December 2018

Here we are again, ending another year, how does it go by so fast! I would like to start out by wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a Joyous New Year! Looking back over the past year it I would like to thank all of the Board members for their help and support, it takes a village! Overall it appears to have been a good year. The Newsletter has been digital for 9 months now, which appears to be working just fine. Our National Specialty in St Louis was a great success, thank you again for all who made it possible, especially Lynn Meyer!

Now we are looking forward to returning to Boxboro, May 26th thru 31st, 2019! Travis Brock, our Show Chairman, and his team are working hard to make this another exciting National! This team is really working to welcome all TT people, not just us show people, at their Jamboree Celebrations! They are also engaged in acknowledging not just our awesome Rescue Committee but also the families who have adopted these dogs. Be sure to watch for details from the 2019 National Specialty team! The plans for our 2020 National June 6th- 10th, in Tampa, Florida are well under way under the guiding hands of Fran Kridakorn, our Show Chairman! Be sure to support this event by participating in the 2019 auction! 2021 is still not decided so if anyone has some ideas or would be willing to be the Show Chairman, support teams are being established to make it an easier task!

A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to Paul Soderman for developing the ability to enter the TROPHY SPONSORSHIP at the TTCA Store. Unless you are an IT person, most do not realize the amount of work it took to create this project! Our goal is to make more National Specialty features, where money is involved, available to order from the Store on the TTCA website, so as to simplify the transactions and prevent re-creating the wheel each year for our National Specialties.

Here are a few additional accomplishments/changes/additions:

The TTCA Board has pledged to support The AKC MUSEUM of the DOG. We will provide more on this in the future. With the new Board in place we have been successful in holding meetings every couple of months. The minutes from these meetings are being placed on the website, under the Members Only section, as opposed to printing them in the Newsletter.

Another new and exciting feature of the TTCA is the development of our Breed Ambassador program, thank you Karen Tromblee for making this a reality!

Our Meet the Breeds teams have done a fabulous job at both the AKC National Championship and Westminster, thank you Karen Tromblee and Travis Brock and all who helped and supported them.

We have a NEW Education Committee Chairman, Rene Stamm, thank you Rene for taking on this responsibility!

Sharon Hurd, our Recording Secretary is now in charge of collecting all of our AKC Reports that are the foundation of our Annual Journal.

Great news, Nancy Doyle has done it again! She chaired a weekend agility all breed trial and had a fabulous turnout, bringing in income that is dedicated for our TTCA performance events.

There has been a Judge Change for Futurity at the 2019 National Specialty. We are happy to announce the new judge will be Jami Smith.

FYI, December 1st has come and gone and there were no write- ins for 2019-2020 Board positions, those sent to you by the Nomination Committee will be our new Board members on March 1, 2019. Watch for these results in our next Newsletter. I want to thank them for their trust in me to carry on another year as President.

Have a safe Holiday and Don’t forget to search for TT treasures to donate to the auction this year in Boxboro. Watch the website for more on where to send your items. Also be sure to Sponsor this year’s National Specialty Trophies by going to the TTCA Store!

September — October 2018

As fall closes in we see the dogs more energized as the weather finally gets cooler! Be sure not to provide a flea and tick haven by leaving your fallen leaves piled up for long periods of time!
In this newsletter you will see more info on our upcoming National Specialty in Boxboro, be sure to reserve your hotel room and SPONSOR A TROPHY. I am excited to report that the Board has started to work to put in place a support/mentor program to make running a National Specialty an easier task. We hope to set up committees made up of previous Show and Committee Chairman to act as supports for those who agree to work on an upcoming National Specialty. The goal is to stop recreating the wheel each year and organize what others have learned going forward. Along with this is the goal of rewriting the National Specialty Guidelines, a daunting task!

TTCA GOES ELECTRONIC FOR NATIONAL SPECIALTY
Something very exciting is happening with the TTCA Store. Those of us that have been around have watched the TTCA Store go from selling publications and TT fun items to dropping the TT “stuff” and adding the ability to order our National Merchandise through Pay Pal. Now, thanks to Amy Soderman and her husband Paul, we will soon have a simplified way to handle payments for everything from Annual Dues to what they want to eat for dinner at the Top 20! People in the past worried about paying for things with Pay Pal, some because they didn’t have an account and they did not feel it was safe. For most of us nowadays, much of the transactions we do are handled electronically. With this new system you can handle transaction with the safety of your own credit cards. If anyone has been involved in the financial transactions of the National Specialties, you know just how much work it is to collect and organize the money and things being ordered. The number of checks alone that have to be recorded is in the hundreds and the work involved for the committee chairmen and especially the treasurer, is staggering. With our new system we will have these transactions simplified making the treasurer’s and National Specialty Committee Chairman’s life made easier! Be sure to see my article on “Sponsoring A National Specialty Trophy/ Class “FOR DUMMIES” (like me☺)”, it will guide you through one of the ways changes are being put in place.

ANNUAL TTCA CALENDAR
There were NO RESPONSES to last month’s Newsletter article regarding calendar items. If you are involved in any of the TTCA Committees, please look at last month’s Newsletter and make sure we have included pertinent information. If you have a question about the timing of something that you do not see addressed, please drop me a note at abrich27@aol.com so we can work on it.PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF YOUR PETS
Because of the importance of planning for the care of your pets if you are no longer able to care for them, our Breeders Education Chairman, Rene Stamm, has worked with our Rescue Chairman, Camille Manfredonia, to put together a program covering this at our upcoming National Specialty. Be sure to attend!

NATIONAL SPECIALTY NEWS
The TTCA National Specialty Chairman and Committees are working hard in making our show in Boxboro, MA, on May 26th – 31st, 2019, a great one. You will be seeing a good deal more offered than just the conformation and performance venues this year. A lot is being done to celebrate our love for the breed and to have more social time with show and pet people alike! Keep your eyes open for the show updates on the website, the TTCA Facebook and the 2019 National Specialty Facebook sites.
I hope you are all having a wonderful autumn!

July — August 2018

We are in the middle of summer, and I for one do not want to see it end, regardless of the high temperatures. Most Tibetan Terriers are smart enough to stay inside in a cool spot but some just love to run and play no matter the temperature. In this Newsletter there is important information on how the heat can impact dogs, and how what may be thought of as a nice daily walk, could end up hurting their paws. Be sure to read this and share with your pet friends and puppy owners.

As I have previously mentioned my primary goal as President is to help the TTCA grow by involving more members in its operations. To do this though members need to be made more aware of how things happen in our Club, as determined by our Constitution and Procedural Manual. Over the years some things have evolved, yet many at present aren’t aware of how things operate. An example of this is the recent issues that have arisen around membership and renewal of membership. In June the Board met to address some of the issues and to clarify things that appeared to be somewhat grey or confusing. Please take the time to read these minutes as they are published (in next Newsletter). As we have addressed issues, our responses are guided by what is written in our Constitution and even if emotionally we may want to do something different, we must follow what is written. Changing the Constitution is a monumental task, though possible, it is not something that can be done quickly or easily. Along with all of this we must also be aware of the AKC regulations, since as an AKC Breed Club we must follow their guidelines as well. As issues arise we, as a Board, will do our best to accomplish this and communicate to our membership how things have been addressed.

ANNUAL TTCA CALENDAR

Another way we hope to make people more aware of how the club is “run” is by providing an Annual Calendar, to be available on the website, which will show what needs to happen and when for not only the Board and the TTCA Committees, but also for the general membership. In this Newsletter please be sure to take the time to review what we have so far in the article on this. If you are involved in any of the Committees, make sure we have included pertinent information. If you have a question about the timing of something that you do not see addressed, please drop me a note at abrich27@aol.com so we can work on it.

START TO MAKE A PLAN

Even though we brought this up in our last Newsletter, it needs to be stressed that everyone needs to have a plan in place (and in writing) specifying what and how you want your dogs cared for in case you are no longer capable or possibly even alive. Our experience with last summer’s huge rescue may have been avoided if something like this had been done. By the next Newsletter, we hope to have an article providing some guidance in addressing this. Anyone who would like to provide input or to help in this project please contact me!

NATIONAL SPECIALTY NEWS

On a more positive note the next TTCA National Specialty in Boxboro, MA, on May 26th – 31st, 2019, looks like it will be great! Travis Brock and his Committee members are hard at work putting together a fabulous venue. Please be sure to make you hotel reservations early, sign up to be a Trophy sponsor, and start to find auction items! Be sure to watch for more about things as we get closer to fall. Also good news is we now have a hotel contract signed and the ball is rolling to entice people to travel to Tampa, Florida for the 2020 National, more on this to follow.

Hope you are all having a wonderful summer, hope to see some of you at the shows!

May — June 2018

Well as many of you already know the 2018 National Specialty, in St. Louis was a fantastic success! A HUGE Thank You goes out to all who helped make it happen, especially Lynn Meyer. If anyone had anything to do with the show you know how much time and effort Lynn put into it. The facility was also wonderful and in easy access to the Hotel. CONGRATULATIONS to all of the winners at the show. It was especially great to see a veteran come back into the ring, and then take Best In Show! Way to go Donna Ogden. The Board voted to give the AKC Good Sportsmanship Award to Anita Lamison, for all her tireless work in helping place the dogs from our huge rescue last summer. I then had the pleasure to award two President’s Awards, one to Camille Manfredonia for her on going work with the TTCA Rescue and the other to Amy Soderman, our TTCA Treasurer, who has been exemplary in her work for our club! We apologize the results of the show were not posted on the Onofrio website, in the past our superintendents had always included that in our contract, so in not reading the fine print, no one noticed it was not in Onofrio’s. We have already taken steps to make sure this does not ever happen again.
The TTCA is interested in your feedback on the Purina Center, to see if we might be interested in returning there. Good or Bad, please send Gale Mattison and myself your comments. Our 2019, 2020 and maybe even 2021 National Specialties are all moving forward, which is awesome, but in the recent past we have struggled to get a Chairman and location. We have often thought choosing about 3 regular locations may simplify this process, and want to know if the Purina Center would be a good option. We appreciate input from our members.
Another thing we have in progress is to try to provide more assistance to all the National Specialty Chairman’s and their committees. To do this I will be sending out a communication to all previous National Specialty chairman and each of their committee chairman on what they learned and can share with future members. I will also be asking them to be a “phone resource” for new persons handling that role. Hopefully this will make it easier to get others to take on these positions!
The 2019 National is looking awesome. Travis Brock is the Show Chairman, and appears to have a great team in place for our next TTCA National Specialty, May 26th – 31st, 2019 in Boxborough, MA. Be sure to put it on your calendar! What is especially great is his work at trying to do more activities for our performance and “pet people”! This is one of the aspects of the TTCA that needs to grow and Travis is working to make this happen!

It can now be officially posted, the National Specialty Judge voted in for 2020 is Marjorie Wikerd. Many of you already know Margie, but for those who don’t she is a TT breeder who has been with our beloved breed since 1987, when she got her first TT, who then became her first of many TT AKC Champions. She also judged our National Specialty in 2005 in Lancaster, PA. and was our National Specialty Show Chairman in 2008, in Syracuse, NY. The 2020 Specialty is scheduled to be in Tampa Florida in early June, and it will be tied in with a 5 day show cluster, including multiple performance venues and other fun events! Fran Kridakorn has volunteered to be Show Chairman and has a great team lined up! More details will be announced as we get them.

One thing brought up at our Board Meeting that is a great suggestion is that each of us make a written plan covering what is to happen to our beloved dogs if something should happen to us. After last year’s huge rescue, we all need to be realistic about this. It is important to check what you can and cannot do in a Will in your State. There are ways you can even dedicate money to the TTHWF before you are gone to help after you have gone. We hope to have an article giving us more insight into this in our next Newsletter but in the meantime please start to make a plan!

Hope you are all starting to enjoy your spring/summer! I know in the Northeast we didn’t get much spring, it jumped right into the heat of summer! With this we all need to be vigilant in keeping our dogs protected from Lyme Disease, which has continued to rise throughout the US! Not only does Lyme Disease affect dogs it can also affect people, so be sure to do all you can to keep everyone tick free!

November — December 2017

Since this will be the last 2017 Newsletter I thought it would be appropriate to look back over a few of the past years events. The first thing that comes to mind was the incredible job our TTCA Rescue team, led by Camille Manfredonia, did in handling the placement and care of 31 dogs. These dedicated people worked diligently and at this point 27 are in their new forever homes and 4 are still with Club member and longtime Tibetan lover, Pam Desrosiers, who deserves a special thanks for all she has done! Anita has also been working with Camille in the arduous task of finding these appropriate forever home and also deserves additional recognition. If you haven’t already, be sure to read in our last Newsletter Anita Lamison’s description of what she experienced in working with Rescue. A special thanks also needs to go out to all who donated to the TTHWF for cover the expenses incurred in this rescue! Your help is still needed for this was a huge financial undertaking. Be sure to check your mail for TTHWF Fund raising letter that came out in mid-November! Another change came with the loss of our Newsletter editor, Pat Carroll. A special thanks goes out to her and all of the wonderful work she did! Her creative talents and obvious dedication to the Tibetan Terrier will be missed. A SPECIAL THANKS goes out to Elise Kind, our previous Editor, who has so graciously stepped in to help out until a new permanent Editor can be located. If you or someone you know may be interested please contact any of us on the Board with their name. In this issue you will find the minutes from our Board meetings, both at the National on June 1st and our Teleconference on 10-8-17. Your Board is working to improve our Club and you will see articles on some of these changes in this Newsletter. As discussed at our meetings, the income from membership, which is intended to at least cover the costs of the Newsletters and the Journal, have failed to cover these costs for a couple of years now. Because of this the Board has voted to change these rates but has also voted to increase membership benefits. You will be seeing info on this here in this Newsletter and in future Newsletters. Another idea that is being looked at is using a Yahoo groups either in conjunction with a Newsletter or possibly in place of our current Newsletter format. My personal feeling is I have enough electronic data to read, I don’t really want more, but I am open to exploring ways it could be used. Please let me or any of the Board members know your thoughts on this. Great news, Nancy Doyle has done it again! She chaired a weekend agility all breed trial and had a fabulous turnout, bringing in income that is dedicated for our TTCA agility trial(s). We also need to acknowledge those members and friends we have lost this year: Pat Nelson, Pat Malloy, Jeanie Helton, Karen Matuszak and Chris Friemel. Many have articles about their dedication to Tibetan Terriers in previous Newsletters. The 2017 National Specialty is now well behind us and I am happy to share the Club was totally “in the Black” financially. Now we can look forward to 2018 National! Please be sure to read all about our 2018 National St Louis 4-28-18 to 5-2-17 in this Newsletter and support it by sponsoring the Trophy Fund, attending the show and purchasing some of the great articles they have for sale. As was discussed in my last letter, my goal is to get all members aware of all of the committees that are involved in running the TTCA and to bring to light what each Committee has done or has been involved in. There is an article on our new membership application in this issue, intended to help people understand the difference between “As soc i a te membe r ship” and “Re gul a r Membership”. Next month we will have more on other committees, since each was asked to share their progress for this year so far. As we head into the Holidays be sure to review our last Newsletter article on safety tips around the holidays with TTs. Here’s hoping you all have a safe and healthy Holiday season! Betsy P.S. Can’t forget to mention wish Bob Kreis a belated Happy Birthday! He celebrated his 91st birthday this past September!

September – October 2017

I hope all had a great summer! As it is coming to an end we can now look forward to cooler temps and lots of fun outside with our four legged friends! I have decided that my message to members needs to be more than just a recap of recent events and would now like to note I hope to be providing to our membership what happens in the different components of the TTCA, so hopefully more will get involved.

As I am assuming most of you know the past few months has had our TTCA Rescue Chairman, Camille Manfredonia, along with a phenomenal team, handling one of the largest single TT rescues I know of! Within a day or so Kate Staunch, Jackie Faust, Stacey LaForge, Anita Lamison, and Valerie Barber had 30 dogs removed from a home and safely placed in shelters. Soon joining them was Flossie Barczewski, Brenda
Brown and Rene Stamm, Linda Watson Pam Derosiers, Jim Lenchner and his son Danny, and myself (and I am sure I am forgetting others, sorry). The work they did and have continued to do has been amazing and a HUGE THANK YOU goes out to you all. Then after the ball was rolling the TTCA treasurer Amy Soderman and the TTHWF treasurer Kerry Abbott have worked professionally as a team, handling all of the expenses that have been incurred! To all, your dedication and work has been truly incredible!

But there is so much involved with this type of a rescue that people are not aware of and I feel it is important for all to realize the complexity of what goes into a rescue like this. To help with this I have included the following which, has been adapted from something Anita Lamison wrote about her experience:

“There have been many wonderful placements in the past several weeks for these dogs. We would ask that we acknowledge the endless hours upon hours upon hours volunteers have spent on the various stages of this particular rescue. It started with finding boarding facilities for these dogs and then transporting all of the dogs safely there by multiple volunteers, which was truly an enormous undertaking, especially just before the busy July 4th holiday rush.

Just coordinating veterinary visits for neutering and spaying and treating of other ailments, has taken days and days. For the past two months, Anita alone spent anywhere from four to twelve (even more) hours each and every day on the phone with the vets, the boarding kennels, adopters, potential adopters and screening hundreds of applicants and checking their references. The number of applicants who cannot provide an appropriate home for a Tibetan Terrier is staggering. However, that is not always known until well into a conversation. The average call for a pre-screening can last anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes. It is only after many paths of questioning that a good, caring and loving home can be found.

Many times the home is suitable but we don’t have the sex or age of the dogs they individual is willing to adopt. This is a very fluid rescue. We have spent hours interviewing potential adopters, done all of the screening, talked to them many times about the dogs that would be appropriate for their homes to have many of them back out at the last minute. There will be many, many more applicants screened and individuals changing their minds along the way before we get these little souls placed in their forever homes.

In addition, we are here for continued support for those people who have adopted and are thrilled with their precious TTs that have been entrusted to their care. We want to make sound placements into homes where the dogs will thrive and the owners will not want to return them. This takes hours and hours of time to be certain the right dog is placed in the right situation. The dog’s personalities and needs are carefully considered and they are matched to the best possible home for them. Once approved, photos are sent to the adopter or visits with their other dog are arranged. Publicity and postings for any of the dogs is done carefully and in an appropriate time frame.

At the same time, there are dogs in other parts of the country that homes have been screened and many hours finding homes and finalizing these adoptions has been ongoing at the same time.
This is only my small part of the rescue. It took many people weeks to even identify the dogs and match their records. There are mounds and mounds of papers on the dogs that had to be sorted and filed properly. Multiply my hours and time by the many people who are working endlessly for these dogs to make sure they are properly cared for prior to adoption and supported after adoption. My wish is that we all can strive for the best placements possible for these dogs, as the previous owner would have wanted loving and caring homes for each and every one of them.”

 

If you think you could help in some aspect of this part of the TTCA please contact me and I will try to refer you to the appropriate channels.
I also need to acknowledge at this time all who have donated to the TTHWF. It is your help that provides us with the ability to care for these rescues and find them a forever home, both in this recent large-scale Rescue and for all who came before and will be there in the future.
I now need to note that unfortunately there have been those critical of how some of the aspects of this Rescue has gone and have done so publicly. This is very disheartening considering all that has gone into it, by VOLUNTEERS!
I would ask that those who have concerns on how things are done in the TTCA, not just in Rescue, to contact me directly and stop the public comments on Facebook. Good ideas have been brought up but how they were brought up offended many. I will be happy to discuss things privately and work with the Board where changes and or growth is indicated. None of us is perfect and we are not afraid of change, we just want it to be respectful of all as we move forward.

July — August 2017

HIGH PRAISE FOR NATIONAL TTCA SHOW CHAIRS, CONTRIBUTORS

As President and recent Show Chairman, the first thing I have to acknowledge is a big THANK YOU to all of the Committee Chairman and workers at this year’s TTCA national and regional specialties at the Peek n’ Peak. For those of you who could not make it, if I may say so myself, you missed what I think was an awesome show! Wearing two hats at this year’s national proved to be a daunting experience but thanks to the support of all of the committee and club members, I think every second was worth it! Even the weather was great! A huge congratulations to not only the winners but to all who competed and made it such a fun show. Special acknowledgement needs to go out to Kim Lenox (trophy chairman), Marybeth Frosco (reservations chairman), Patricia Meelich and Pat Fitzpatrick, (hospitality, sales and anywhere else help was needed!), Glenn Connell (obedience and rally), Mary Martin (Agility), Andrea Campbell (TT Companion Celebration), Elaine Lilak (Parade of Champions), Camille Manfredonia (Top 20), Brenda Algar and Lynn Meyer and her team for this year’s auction, Gale Mattison (chief ring steward) and Rob Smith who jumped in to save the day by stewarding at our Sweeps, Futurity, 4 – 6 months Puppy and Breeder’s Class. I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone; if I have, it’s an age thing! Our judges were great and not sure if you realized that we had three club members as judges: Susan Carr, Ashley Reid and Sally Birgl. Due to their crazy schedules, we won’t be able to read their comments until our next newsletter. There was one very upsetting situation with a TT who got lost and had been lost for days, but this too ended with a wonderful outcome with the dog being found.

At the board meeting on May 29, we welcomed two new members: Krista Johnson and Karen Tromblee. Also, Rob Smith moved from Board Director to 1st Vice President. Another thank you goes out to Gale Mattison who left us and is now dedicating his time to being the National Show Advisor for the TTCA. Our goals this year include helping the membership grow, continuing to expand ways to highlight our performance members, improve our ways of tracking and recording membership, reviewing and evaluating costs of major expenses such as the newsletter and a variety of topics which you will be able to read about in our next newsletter when the minutes of the board meeting are published.

A change that will be coming in 2018 is the structure and costs of membership. As of March 1, 2018 membership rates will be increased to account for the actual costs of its publication, but we have tried to increase the value of membership to offset this. More on this will be published in future newsletters.

We are working closely to review costs, expenditures and income, so as to share with members where we stand financially, based on the many facets of the TTCA. One other item to mention is the board approved the AKC title of Therapy Dog Novice (THDN) as a qualifying title in 2017 for the TTCA Versatile Companion Dog (TTCA VCD) award. The Therapy Dog Advanced (THD) title was previously accepted title for the TTCA VCD and will remain a qualifying title at the VCD level.

At the Annual Meeting, I have to admit, I had to wing it with the assistance of a few members, since my “identity” was that of Show Chairman” more than it was of “President.” Actually, I think people enjoyed this because it made for a “quick” meeting. We were able to have Lynn Meyers talk about our exciting TTCA National Specialty next year at Purina Farms, which sounds like it is going to be great! Nancy Hammel also shared the TTCA Awards acknowledgements as our new Awards Chairman. One of the best parts of the evening was having the honor of awarding The AKC Good Sportsmanship Award to Sheryl Getman, who is so deserving! Please see the tribute to her in this newsletter. Another award presented that evening was the “President’s Award.” This was given out to Gale Mattison, who has been working on the board in multiple capacities, especially as TTCA Treasurer for years. He has been there helping me personally for the past few of years.

May – June 2017

TTCA Establishes New Tibetan Terrier Performance Award

As most of you know besides being the new President of the Tibetan Terrier Club of America (TTCA), I am also the 2017 TTCA National Specialty Show Chairman. The reason I am noting this is to start out apologizing in case this message is missing some of the new and important club activities that have occurred in the past couple of months. I have tried to stay on top of things, but as any of you who have been a show chair know, it is a daunting job.

With that behind me, I will start out with the sad news, which many of you have already heard, which is the passing of our fellow member Pat Nelson on April 8. Our last newsletter shared about some of her accomplishments. Though I never had the privilege of meeting her, the impact of her love and dedication to the breed was something I was very familiar with. She was loved by many and will truly be missed by all.

On a happier note, a thank you needs to go out to the committee led by Claire Coppola who has been working so hard on the new “TTCA Versatile Companion Dog Awards.” The area of performance has not received the attention that I and many others feel it deserves. You will find an article in this newsletter describing the new awards and the application form. This has been long in the making and is now available to the many TT owners who already participate in so many of the venues involved. Thanks to dedicated efforts from Claire and her team, we now have it.

If you haven’t seen the changes involved in the new (since 2016) Futurity guidelines, be sure to visit the TTCA website to review them. As many of you know, a glitch in the Futurity guidelines occurred in the first Premium List for the TTCA 40th Annual National Specialty. Fortunately, RAU published the correct guidelines in a revised premium list. The TTCA also sent a notice via email to members who opt in for club announcements. We hope that there will be no further confusion for those interested in participating in the Futurity Stakes at the national this year.

Something new from the AKC will be what they are calling the “Club Member Management Tool.” According to their recent announcement, the AKC will roll “this out to the Parent Clubs first before getting feedback, improving it, and then expanding to include Member Clubs as well. This password-protected tool enables a club’s designated officer to easily confirm or deny the claims by a breeder that they are a member of your breed club.” I am sure we will be hearing more about this as it becomes available but it sound like a good thing.

My last note goes out to 2017 TTCA Mid-Atlantic Regional Specialty Show Chair Lynne Fardell and TTCA member Flossie Barczewski and all those who worked with them to put together the 4th annual TTCA Mid-Atlantic Regional Specialty. THANK YOU! Lynn and Flossie and team did a great job, as always, and deserve recognition for their hard work. I only got to be there on Friday for the supported entry at the Wilmington Kennel Club All-Breed Dog Show, but there was a pretty good turnout and we had a great time. We could not have had weather more different than last year’s, which was cold and wet. This year it was in the upper eighties and sunny!

Well, I have to get back to working with my team on the upcoming 2017 TTCA National Specialty in Clymer, New York. We have an exciting, fun-filled week of events planned. Please be sure to reference the 2017 TTCA National Specialty web page and schedule for the latest information. This is the best place to find out if there have been any changes to what’s happening. I am really looking forward to seeing new and old friends there. Be sure to introduce yourself!

March – April 2017

I would first like to thank the club for entrusting me with the office of President and then express a sincere thank you to our outgoing President, Ron Pankiewicz. Ron, your dedication to the breed is one to aspire to. Please know you are not completely off the hook though, since I will be turning to you and Ken Edmonds for guidance in my new undertaking! I would also like to thank those board members who are stepping down and welcome those newly joining us.

As Ron mentioned in our last newsletter, Gale Mattison left the board after many years of service and now limits his work to serving as our TTCA National Specialty Show Advisor.
Rob Smith didn’t really step down since he is now our new 1st Vice President. Welcome! Newly joining us on the board are Krista Johnson, from Iowa, and Karen Tromblee, from Florida, both of whom have much to offer.

I am not only looking forward to working with this group, I will be relying on their wisdom and experience throughout the upcoming year.

I first became a member in 2002, joining the TTCA Board in 2010 as one of the directors, and then graduated to the position of 1st Vice President in 2012, where I have served until now. I acquired my first TT in 2001 and have loved the breed ever since. I bred my first litter in 2005 and became a TTCA Breeder of Merit in 2013. I have met many of you when showing in conformation and agility and look forward to making new friends throughout the TT world as I strive to serve as best I can. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment, since I am also the 2017 TTCA National Specialty Show Chair, but I will do my best to fulfill my responsibilities and work hard to continue in the direction of those who have served before me.

At this time I am turning to each of you to provide me with your thoughts on how to continue to grow the TTCA and foster our dedication to protecting our breed. Just drop me an email at abrich27@aol.com and I will do my best to listen to each of you.

Personally, I hope to grow our membership, because I know there a many TT lovers out there who are not currently members, in spite of sharing our passion for the breed. One way I hope to attract new members is to ask breeders to invite their new puppy owners to participate in this year’s Tibetan Terrier Companion Celebration, which will take place during this year’s TTCA National Specialty on Tuesday afternoon, May 30. It is meant to be a fun and social event for all. (Please see the flyer on page 14 in this newsletter). We also would like Tibetan Terrier breeders to encourage their new puppy and dog owners to join the TTCA. Another goal, which is already on the docket, is to continue to support to honor performance TTs. Claire Coppola has been working with Mary Martin to develop a new TTCA Versatility Award in the performance arena. We will share more on this new venture as it develops.

More exciting news is about the 2018 TTCA National Specialty at Purina Farms, Gray Summit, Missouri, which is scheduled to run April 30 – May 2, 2018. Its committees are coming together to make a great show! The TTCA National Specialty Futurity Judge for 2018 will be Andrea Reiman. To support the 2018 show, be sure to attend the TTCA Auction Fundraiser on Wednesday May 31, 2017 at this year’s TTCA National Specialty. For 2019, TTCA members have elected Mark Kennedy to be our conformation Judge.

Looking ever-forward, the 2019 TTCA National Specialty is now on the books. It is to be held at the Boxboro Regency Hotel, Boxborough, Massachusetts, May 30-31, 2019 at the same site as the 2015 TTCA National Specialty. Our newsletter will continue to share details as information becomes available.

For those of you lucky enough to have shown at Westminster this year, congratulations! It was a beautiful line up! Also a sincere THANK YOU needs to go out to Travis Brock and all those who helped and supported our presence at the American Kennel Club (AKC) Meet the Breeds in New York City.

On a sadder note the TT world has lost two more dedicated Tibetan Terrier people: Pat Malloy and Chris Friemel, mother of TTCA member Cassandra Basgall. Though Pat was not a club member, she believed in our rescue program and many who knew her have expressed making a donation to Tibetan Terrier Rescue in her memory. Both will be missed by those who knew and cared for them.

Again, I welcome input from all members and hope to see many of you this year at our TTCA National Specialty at the Peek’n Peak Resort, May 29 – June 2, 2017. The show will offer multiple performance venues, including: obedience, rally and agility and testing for AKC Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog International titles; TTCA Futurity classes; a 4-6-month puppy class; a breeders class; a special event for pet owners; a two-part educational program featuring Dr. Cassandra Guarino of Cornell University speaking on “Canine Lyme Disease: Detection, Treatment and Prevention” and “Lyme Disease in Humans,” as well as a Judge’s Study Group; a great fundraiser auction (see page 28 in this issue for details); our national and regional shows, including Sweeps, Juniors and Conformation classes on both Thursday and Friday; our TTCA Annual Meeting and dinner; and the fabulous Top 20 Invitational Evening of Champions.
For a schedule and details about the 2017 TTCA National Specialty, see page 30 of this newsletter or click on the link here 2017 TTCA National Specialty.

If we haven’t met, please be sure to look me up at the specialty and introduce yourself or even to and just say hi if we have!

From the TTCA President Ron Pankiewicz

January – February 2017

AKC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP KUDOS

Hopefully the winter has been kind.  I had the good fortune to go to Orlando in December to take in the 16th annual American Kennel Club AKC National Championship Dog Show. For dog show people, this series of shows/events is one all should try to attend at least once.  For me it was a very full, varied and interesting week.  Besides watching a whole week of ring activities where many outstanding Tibetan Terrier entries were participating, there was so much else to do. I assisted Stacey LaForge on her presentation to prospective Tibetan Terrier conformation judges at the AKC and Dog Judges Association of America (DJAA) Advanced Judges Institute.  Kudos to Stacey on an excellent job. Also a major thank you to Mary Ann Griffin, Karen Tromblee Lynn Meyer, Jim Lenchner, Debbie Griffiths and Janet and Jay Slothower for bringing and presenting their TTs to the hands-on-portion of the seminar.  I watched the AKC National Owner-Handled Series and conformation championship shows and attended both the banquet and award ceremonies for the 2016 AKC Breeder of the Year group honorees. It was very gratifying to see Susan Carr receive the Non-Sporting Breeder of the Year Group Award.

They came, they saw, they met the Tibetans
I spent an afternoon visiting the various AKC Meet the Breeds exhibits. Of course, my favorite exhibit was the Tibetan Terrier booth.  Karen Tromblee and her crew of Mary Ann Griffin, Debbie and Jim Griffiths, Sandi Dotson, Debbie Hamilton, Lisa Heathcox, and Vicki and Bruce Walsh once again did an outstanding job. Take a bow.

This will be my last “President’s Letter.”  I have been on and off and on and off the board since the early 1990s and I expect this is my last tenure.  During this period I have had the help and friendship of so many members. I will not even try to start mentioning names for fear of omitting someone. But thank you all. I have also seen the growth of TTCA to where it is now.  To think that at the time of my first Directorship we did not even have a Tibetan Terrier Health and Welfare Foundation.  We owe a lot to the visionaries who made this possible.

Buy That Man a Beer
This is a wonderful segue to mention one of our members who has done much for our breed without much recognition—not that he sought it. Jac Herschler is bowing out as President of the Tibetan Terrier Health and Welfare Foundation (tthwf) after, I believe, 10 years.  On behalf of TTCA, for all you have done—many, many thanks.  Somebody buy him a beer.

Also bowing out from the TTCA Board after being on-and-off-and-on even longer than I is Gale Mattison.  His contributions are extraordinary. He is owed a beer also, or maybe a case.

To our incoming TTCA President, Betsy Richards and the incoming board: may your tenures be successful and rewarding.
To all those fortunate to have the companionship of a TT: cherish what you have.  And to those who live in areas where there is snow and ice: remember to check for snow balls between the pads, wash off the salt and avoid Yetis with an attitude.
I hope to see many of you at future nationals.

December 2016

IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR

Looking back on 2016, the Tibetan Terrier Club of America (TTCA) saw many successes. From our first outdoor specialty in a many years, to the tireless efforts of the Rescue Committee, to the transition of The TT Times to a new editor, to the continued work of the TIBETAN TERRIER HEALTH AND WELFARE FOUNDATION (TTHWF) led by Jac Herschler to the… well, you see what I mean. Adding it all up, it was a great year. For all those who have contributed in ways both large and small—thank you!

In the October 2016 issue of The TT Times newsletter, I encouraged our members to set up an account with the AmazonSmile Foundation to benefit the TTHWF. I and others received several questions regarding how to ensure that donations benefit the Foundation.

When setting up an account, some of our members have come across the “Tibetan Terrier Association of America” as an option. Please note that the Tibetan Terrier Association of America is not affiliated with the TTCA or TTHWF but rather was set up by an individual.

To benefit the Foundation, please specify the TIBETAN TERRIER HEALTH AND WELFARE FOUNDATION (not the acronym) when setting up your account. The October issue of The TT Times newsletter featured the TTCA Nominating Committee Report, which included the proposed slate of TTCA officers, directors and the delegate for next year as well as the procedure for nominating additional candidates by written petition.

The TTCA received no additional candidate submissions. Therefore, per the TTCA Constitution, the slate of candidates submitted by the Nominating Committee will assume their roles and positions on March 1, 2017. Special congratulations to Betsy Richards as the next TTCA President.

It is with sadness that I report the passing in October of Ms. Nina Wagner. Nina was a long-time friend of the breed and the President and driving force for the Bay Colony Tibetan Terrier Club. Her contributions left a large paw print on the breed and I know those in the TT world who knew her will miss her.

Pretty soon we up north will be busy with our snow shovels and blowers. Please, no snickers from you guys down south! On the plus side, we northerners get to watch our guys frolic, dig tunnels and play “catch me if you can” in the snow. But wherever, and however, you celebrate this time of year, the TTCA board and I hope that your Christmas and holidays are enjoyable and safe for you, your family and your treasured companions!

October 2016

THANK YOU CLUB MEMBER VOLUNTEERS

I wish to thank our TTCA Board and committee members who put off time in the sun this summer to work for the club.

Our TTCA logo and trademark were up for renewal this year. This needs to be done every 10 years. Failure to renew puts it in jeopardy. Rob Smith pursued this and the process will be either completed or close to it by the time you read this.

The TTCA Nominating Committee chaired by Ken Edmonds completed its tasking and has submitted a slate of Officers and Directors for next year. You can find the slate on page 24 of this newsletter.

To Camille Manfredonia and her Tibetan Terrier Rescue workers who have put in so many hours helping to find “forever homes”—these dedicated friends of TTs spend so much time transporting, caring for, fostering and just giving of themselves—they deserve our appreciation, support and assistance.

Your TTHWF Board is already making plans for their Fall fundraiser. Please support. Related to TTHWF funding is an email from Carol Adams asking for a posting of what we have received from AmazonSmile. This is sent to TTHWF on a quarterly basis. Here is the breakdown for the past year:
May 2016 $97.90
Feb 2016 $118.76
Nov 2015 $72.02
Aug 2015 $61.96

I urge all who use Amazon for purchases to setup an account at smile.amazon.com and use it to make your purchases. It costs you nothing extra to use and TTHWF receives help in funding. I believe this is a much underused source for funding. Thank you Carol for the email. There are of course many others: those working on future nationals, newsletters, Meet the Breeds, the TTCA Yearbook and Journal, breeder referral, Facebook, etc.— to name just a few. Your contributions are appreciated.

Finally, Susan and Gary Carr were named by AKC as Non-Sporting Group Breeders of the Year. This is a great honor. You can read more about this prestigious award on page 5 of the newsletter.

The bite of Fall will soon be in the air. It is a great time to enjoy brisk romps in the afternoons while enjoying the foliage. Keep an eye out for woolly bear caterpillars and make sure your guys avoid Halloween chocolate. Be safe.

April/May, 2016

We are in the middle of summer and the majority of our guys are content to spend the hottest part of the day in the house eating watermelon and delighted that the AC is working. I did say most.
One adolescent just wants to go out and chase the ball, play Frisbee, try to get her buddy to run, etc. Temperature and humidity are of no concern to her. I hate being the authoritarian, but sometimes you just have to be the adult.
If you have one of these perpetual game players you know what I mean. Sometimes we have to do the thinking for them. In winter we must keep them warm and away from the harshest elements and in summer keep them cool and well hydrated.
And when they look up at you and seem to say, “Why can’t I run, run, run,” the only reply you can give is “Because I say so.” Not always easy.

Now for business portion of my message. I do have a couple pieces of good news to pass on.
Purina Farms to Host 2018 TTCA National Specialty
The 2018 Tibetan Terrier Club of America (TTCA) National Specialty will take place at Purina Farms near St. Louis, Missouri from 30 April to 2 May 2018 with the well-respected Tibetan Terrier breeder and judge Stacey LaForge as the TTCA National Specialty conformation judge. Chairperson for the 2018 show is Joy Sheffield; Lynn Meyer is heading up the planning group.
Plans are for the SET-UP, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM and TOP 20 INVITATIONAL EVENING OF CHAMPIONS to take place on 30 April; OBEDIENCE, RALLY, AGILITY, SWEEPS, and BREEDER CLASS on 1 May; and REGULAR CLASSES on 2 May. REGIONAL SPECIALTY and SWEEPS will take place in conjunction with the Gateway Nonsporting Dog Club on May 3. On 4-6 May,
Gateway will host All Breed shows. All events will take place at Purina Farms. We’ll have more information on this event in the next issue.

The next piece of good news is about member donations.
TTCA Generates Canine Health R&D Donations
The TTCA participates in the Purina® Parent Club Partnership Program (PPCP). For 2015, 113 TTCA members participated in the Purina Pro Club®; of these, 14 members submitted “weight circles” (Purina Points redemption icons) from January through December 2015.
For our participation, the TTCA earned $208.10. Of this, Purina donated $104.05 to the American Kennel Club  (AKC) Canine Health Foundation to support research grants aimed at a better understanding of genetics and other conditions impacting our dogs’ health; they donated $104.05 to the TTCA to use in funding education, health research and/or Tibetan Terrier rescue efforts. I have sent the paperwork to renew our participation through December 2018.For those of you who are Pro Club members, please keep on sending in the weight circles. It pays off.

Elise Kind Transitioning Out of Her Role as Editor
Now a piece of both good and somewhat sad information. The somewhat sad is that Elise Kind, our long-time, dedicated, hardworking, multi- talented and underappreciated editor of TheTT Times is transitioning out of her role. Under Elise’s tenure the newsletter has flourished to a product that so many other breed clubs envy.
The good news is that Elise will remain for a few issues as editor to mentor Pat Carroll, our new associate editor. Pat is an award-winning communications professional, senior writer/editor with over 20 years in corporate and government arenas.
Having talked with Pat, I know that Elise will be passing on the stewardship of our newsletter to a person both extremely capable and very excited to become the next editor.
TTCA is very fortunate that whenever we have needed the talent for our newsletter, somebody with this hard- to-find skill set has volunteered. I suspect there is something to Tibetan Terriers being “Good Luck Dogs” at play here.
Elise, on behalf of all our members, thank you so very much for all you have done. Your contributions were extraordinary!
And Pat, on behalf of our membership, welcome aboard! We are very “lucky” to have someone of your calibre to continue the tradition of excellence.

April/May, 2016

Well, another National Week has past. Once again I came away impressed by the dedication of our Members and their willingness to give of themselves for the benefit of others. Kudos to Flossie and her crew for staging our first outdoor National in many years. Not having the shows at the Host Hotel and yet arranging for all the auxiliary events to be there was daunting. Even the weather refused to help out as it was wet and cold. Still, from Rob Smith jumping in to Steward and Lynne Fardell being everywhere at the Show site, things got taken care of, and the week was a success.
Congratulations to all who won placements and to all who competed. Well done!! The show itself was dedicated to Gary Carr who passed away earlier this year. Gary and his wife Susan have contributed so much to the sustaining of the Tibetan Terrier in this country. There is more about Gary elsewhere in this Newsletter.
At the Board meeting we welcomed Amy Soderman as our new Treasurer, new Directors Sandy White and Rene Stamm, Paul Douglass who moved up from a Director position to 2nd Vice President and Gale Mattison, our past Treasurer, who accepted a 1 year assignment to fill a Director position vacancy.
Thanks are also in order to two outgoing Board Members; 2nd Vice President Flossie Barczewski and Director David Murray. They will be missed as they brought so much “dog world knowledge “and just good common sense to issues facing the Board.
One of the projects the Board is working is how to expand TTCA membership and add value to all owners of TTs. We realize that our membership is more than just those who show in Conformance and Performance events. Rene Stamm is heading up this effort. Please share with her, or any Board member, ideas you may have. For Performance enthusiasts, there will soon be a New TTCA Performance Versatility Award. Details are being worked out. Stay tuned.
At the Annual Meeting Betsy Richards gave an overview of next year’s National Week, 29 May – 2 June, which will be held Peek’n Peak Resort in Clymer, NY. This is definitely something to plan a vacation around. Besides TTs of course, attractions include world class golf, pool complex, Segway tours, Ziplines and much more. Rates are very reasonable and are on a sliding rate schedule i.e. the longer you stay the less expensive per night. Keep checking the TTCA web site for details/updates.
The awards portion of the night was personally very gratifying for me. I had the privilege of presenting recognition to three lovely ladies. The Alice Murphy Memorial Trophy was retired and given to Jill Hardy, the breeder of this year’s Grand Futurity Winner, Karma’s Staricon Lunar Eclipse. Flossie Barczewski was awarded The AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship Award. This is given to those who have made a difference in the sport of purebred dogs. This is a well deserved tribute to Flossie. And finally, by acclimation, the members present at the meeting approved and awarded Susan Carr Lifetime Membership in TTCA. I was honored to also award her the 2016 President’s Award for the many, many contributions she has made to TTCA and to the Tibetan Terrier. The phrase “could not have happened to a more deserving person” was never truer.
May all have a great summer. Give your guys some shade, plenty of water and let them have a lick or two off your ice cream cone.

December 2015/January 2106

It’s amazing to think that another year is coming to a close. Thanks to your tremendous support and the hard work of many unselfish members, TTCA enjoyed a very result filled year. For those who traveled to the National in Boxborough, you know what a remarkable event it was thanks to Joyce Lak and her hard working group. They put in many hours and much hard work to see that it was truly special. For those of you who chaired and worked on our various committees. Well done! Special Kudos to Camille Manfredonia. Due to her dedication and the help of many unselfish workers, there are many TTs now spending time near Christmas trees in their new forever homes. Truly wonderful! With the help of his Board Jac Herschler has spearheaded another successful year for TTHWF! While we are talking about TTHWF, if possible, please, please, put away a few shillings during this season of celebration and send them to the TTHWF, they will be put to good use. And to all others who work for our Club, on behalf of the entire TTCA Board, thank you.

Now for a little information. In January you will be receiving a ballot for election of Officers and Directors for the Board. The election is a little different this year. Sheryl Getman, nominated by the Nominating Committee, along with Rene Stamm and Sandy White, has decided not to run this time. By membership petition, as allowed by our constitution, Claire Coppola is running for one of the 3 open Director positions. With Sheryl no longer a candidate we now have 3 candidates for 3 positions. Two are from the Nominating Committee slate and one from membership petition. Due to the wording of our Constitution this requires the mailing and return of ballots. To minimize expenses, this ballot will be combined with the ballot for future National Specialty and Futurity Judges. These ballots are to be returned to the Recording Secretary, Sharon Hurd.

In this issue you will also find information on the newly revamped TTCA Futurity. Claire Coppola and her committee have spent much time in its redesign and I believe you will be pleased with the result.

The TTCA Board and I wish you, your family, and your cherished companions a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy and Healthy New Year!! More to come in 2016!