Happy Easter everyone, hopefully you were able to keep your dogs out of the chocolate, leaving it for you to enjoy. As we actively enter the summer, our thoughts automatically turn to travel, sunshine, gardening and of course our dogs. There are a number of sites that provide a list of toxic plants you want to be sure to avoid. A few of the items to avoid include but are not limited to: Autumn Crocus, Azalea, Sago Palm Hyacinth/tulip bulbs, Cyclamen, Kalanchoe, Oleander, Daffodil bulbs, Baits and fertilizers. Symptoms of ingestion include but not limited to: vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, heart arrhythmias, shock, weakness and abdominal pain. If you suspect your dog has ingested a toxic substance contact the, “Pet Poison Helpline” immediately at 800-213-6680. For a more complete list of poisonous plants, visit: petpoisonhelpline.com. 

The Lodi Dog Show cluster will be held April 11-14. Although I have written about this event several times, I just want everyone to know that whether you are showing a dog or not, we would love to see you. ISCP-SF will have a supported entry on Friday, April 12, and our Specialty on Saturday, April 13. Our Specialty will be the second show that day. Immediately after judging, we will begin our ‘Yappy Hour’, and General meeting. The Irish Setter Club of Central California will be joining us for our Yappy hour, which will give you time to meet more Irish members or catch up with those that you already know. Please bring a dish to share and your favorite beverage. I will be sending out the Agenda and the last General Meeting notes, which we will be approving at the General Meeting. 

The weekend of June 6-9 will be Woofstock, hosted by the Yosemite Kennel Club at the Solano Fair grounds. Our club will have a supported entry on Saturday, providing cash prizes for BOB, BOS, WD and WB. This will be the last year that Woofstock is a 4 day event. Due to rising costs, starting in 2025, Woofstock will be a two-day event. Again, we hope to see you there. 

July 20, 2024 is the date for our Annual Awards Picnic, at Boone Acres Park in San Ramon. Pat Manrique has already been working hard to make sure all of the awards offered are ready for you to apply for. Every year we have awards that are not awarded. I’m not sure why, maybe you think you do not qualify? Pat is the Queen of our awards. If you have any questions about your dog’s eligibility, please contact her; you just might be a winner. Our Awards are sponsored by Individual members of our club, those awards that do not have sponsors are sponsored by the club. Sponsoring an award in memory of your dog/dogs is a great way to continue their legacy. Please consider sponsoring an award if you have not already done so. In February of this year, our boy, Boo, won the Breed at the Seattle Specialty. The prize was a beautiful Bellleek bowl. Attached to the prize was a card with the name of the sponsor. I looked up the address of the donor and sent them a thank-you card. I received a beautiful hand-written note from the Sponsor telling me that his wife, who has passed, always loved that show and it meant a lot to him to know that the prize went to someone who appreciated it as well. If you get the chance, please let the sponsor of your awards and trophies know you appreciate their generosity. A list of awards will be available on Tails To Be Red. Thank you to Pat Manrique for all of your hard work! 

Our club no longer has a trailer to store items; it has been our members who have generously offered to store items that we still use. Ed Meyer has graciously been the keeper of our sound system. This system has only been used a few times for announcing at Field events and a few conformation shows. The system is a very nice one, it includes 2 speakers with stands, and 2 microphones. We no longer need the system and would like to sell it. If you are able to use your selling magic to sell it, please contact me or Ed. Thank you, Ed, for housing and schlepping for this for us. 

John and I are lucky that we have a large yard for our dogs to run and play in. We are not fans of dog parks, however, there is nothing like letting your dogs run free, off leash, in a large field. Recently, board member, Cindy Stanford, told me about a dog park app, “Sniffspot”. Sniffspot is similar to an air b-n-b. You download the app and there is a list of private owners who are willing to let you rent their yard for your dogs to run. The owners list what type of fencing they have, if there are any farm animals nearby, and how large their area is. I am not endorsing this specific site, but encourage you to check it out, as well as if there are any similar sites for you to let your dogs run without other dogs. If you find other sites, please share. 

In wrapping this up, as always, be sure to hug those red dogs! 

Sincerely, 

Sandy