Marcel Marceau: Your Kingdom
Showered with attention by little fans or are they after my jewelries?!Food for thought:
Deaf JRTs are welcome to participate in GTG, Racing, Agility and Obedience but Conformation through JRTCA. Conformation is for "perfect" dogs. In their perspective, deafness is a fault therefore deaf JRTs are disqualified from entering Conformation. Hope that'll change in the future.
It is also sad that the policy of JRTCA's rescue known as Russell Rescue, Inc. (RRI) is not to take in a deaf JRT from any shelters before placing them in foster homes like they do with many hearing JRTs due to liability. Hello, what liability!?!? Many, many people will say deaf dogs are the most sweetest one'll ever get to know. I can't believe it is happening in this day and age. Talk about ignorance. However, if we compare them with Dalmatian Club of America (DCA) and Boston Terrier Club of America (BTCA) among few others that we may not be aware of, JRTCA isn't too bad as they do not have a position stating to everyone who has a deaf dog of their breed to be euthanized. More about some of these cruel breed specific Clubs of America or America Kennel Clubs in future blog.
Congratulations to Marcel. The JRTCA trials are alot of fun. My JRT is 13 and retired from the trials, but she loved every minute.
ReplyDeleteNancy:
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading this blog! I have been meaning to take my JRTs to the National Trial. I can imagine they'll enjoy themselves greatly. In the past, a group of people with deaf JRTs would meet at the National but it wasn't for this year. Next year, perhaps!
For the record, JRTCA does not encourage deaf or blind dogs, but they do not discourage them, either. When I got Annie, I called them to ask about how to work with a deafie. They referred me to Alison (Marcel's Mom) who spent lots of time over the phone and email giving me a lot of information. We have become sisters. The Club did not have to do that. To this day, when Annie shows up at a trial, she is warmly welcomed by numerous officers and people at the locales. They have announced when Annie is competing that she is deaf. She is warmly welcomed. And through the club and Russell Rescue I have another wonderful hearing boy named Patrick. Again, Alison was the foster Mom who took in this physically and psychologically damaged boy and made him (almost) whole again.
ReplyDeleteRight now Marcel is experiencing health problems so we have to all hope for the best and a longer life for him.
Olivia
OB1:
ReplyDeleteIt is soothing to know about them keeping an open mind and be receptive in some areas when it comes to deaf dogs unlike some other breed specific organizations.
May our prayers be with Alison and Marcel.