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Subscribe to RSSDogs like Kol and Rassa, two energetic fur balls from a Vashon Island, Wash. farm, have never been seen before at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. That’s because in the 135 year history of the competition, Icelandic Sheepdogs have never competed. Kol and Rassa’s owners, Donna McDermott and her partner Terry Warnock are going to change that.
Two Vashon Island, Wash., women and their Icelandic Sheepdogs head from the farm to New York City for the 135th Westminster Dog Show.
McDermott and Warnock are packing up their dogs and leaving their farm on an island a ferry ride away from Seattle and heading for the Big Apple for their first Westminster experience. "We've heard that it's crazy," Warnock says, "there are so many dogs and it's such a big dog show and it's in NYC and there's not really any outside area or places for the dogs to go run."
The women, both retired probation officers, stumbled into dog shows. When Kol was a puppy, McDermott used to take her to work at a juvenile correction center in California. "She was trained by the juvenile hall girls and we accidentally got into showing because we trained her to do tricks," McDermott recalls. "Then they begged me to take her to a show, so I took her to a show and she won a little blue ribbon. So then I took her to another show and then I got the bug."
McDermott and Warnock say they have mixed feelings about the upcoming show. "I've never been to NYC so i'm actually a little nervous about, it," says McDermott. "We've heard there's just people everywhere you go and we'll be right down in Madison Square Garden. We've heard when you go outside you kind of get mobbed and I think it's going to be a really fun adventure and I also think we'll be very happy to get back home."
Msnbc.com will be following Donna McDermott, Terry Warnock and their dogs Kol and Rassa as they arrive in NYC and head to the dog show. We’ll also be filing regular updates from other stuff happening behind the scenes at Westminster right here in Photoblog.
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Vashon is my husbands family home. His grandmother lived there, his mother was born there etc. We are doggie people so we were excited to hear about KOL AND RASSA and of course their mothers!!!! Good luck with the Westminster show!
Nice! Real dogs, real people--I wish them the best of luck in NYC and a happy, safe return to their slice of heaven in WA!
Good luck! Have a great time - the atmosphere in NYC during Westminster is super-charged - SO much fun for those of us who show dogs. Enjoy every minute of it, ladies - your first time there is so exciting!
From reading this story it appears these are two down to earth women who love their dogs and are proud of them. If there were more folks like them, maybe the problems within the purebred community would not exist. Orgnaizations like AKC do not care about the fact that perfectly wonderful furry companions are dying in animal shelters around the world at numbers in the thousands on a daily basis. Breeding of dogs and cats for revenue, genetic and specific characteristics needs to cease and dissist until our animal shelters are empty. The fact that there is a hypo-allergenic dog breed epitomizes this fundamental problem. Too many dogs and cats are dying every hour in shelters for intentional breeding to continue. For every purebred dog that one would want, there is a rescue organization where they can be adopted.
I agree totally! We knew we wanted to adopt, yet were looking for a "hypoallergenic type" dog. We now have a wonderful "labradoodle" to love because someone didn't want him! Good luck ladies at Westminster.
I'm all for rescue, shelters and the great service that they provide. However, without the AKC and purebred dogs, very soon we would have no distinct breeds at all. The world would be a poorer place without the special characteristics and history that each breed brings to us, and the unique work they each were bred to do.
Wonderful dogs and wonderful people. Best of luck to you at Westminster!
My son and his family live on Vashon and have two Icelandic Sheepdogs. Not only are they beautiful, intelligent dogs, but they're also great family dogs. Good luck in the competition, but most of all, have fun. Your dogs are winners, no matter what.
We are SO proud of you guys! You go girls we're rooting for you! We hope you go all the way. See you when you get home...winners no matter what!
http://www.youtube.com/user/YouToobWatcher3#p/f/6/Yhd9FIyIVaE
So ..Where are the pit bulls in this story?
I don't think 'pit bull' is an officially recognized breed
You go girlfriends!!! We love you and your dogs! Best wishes at Westminster!
We wish you the best ladies! Go Rassa and Kol!
I watched the Herding Group compete live on the Westminster Kennel Club dog show just a little bit ago. Rassa is so wonderful and, even though she did not place in the Herding Group, I think she did the breed proud with her first appearance.
What I really like about her and Kol is that they seem to lead ordinary lives on the farm. They appear very happy and spirited. I love that. With some of those other dogs (especially some of the Toy breeds) I wonder what their lives are really like. I mean...look at the Pekingese! It can hardly move with so much fur weighing it down. I'm sorry, but there were times I wanted to reach into the TV and just give some of those dogs a little haircut.