From Weddington to Westminster

photo courtesy of Lisa Croft-Elliott

Weddington greyhound Galathea, with her handler, Taffe McFadden, at The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City on Feb. 9, where she won best in breed. Owner, Melanie Steele of Weddington said Galathea is serious about her job as a show dog.

Local greyhound winningest in history, takes best in breed at No. 1 dog show

by Deborah Parkhill Mullis

A Weddington greyhound, Galathea, won the best-in-breed title Feb 9 at The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City on February 9 - no small honor coming from one of the oldest and most prestigious dog shows in the country. Still, this win is just another notch on 5-year-old only Galathea’s collar. She’s won more dog show titles than any other greyhound in history.

Owner, Melanie Steele explained Italian-born Galathea’s officially known as “MBIS (Multiple Best in Show), MBISS (Multiple Best in Specialty Show), International, Italian, Swedish, Austrian, Finnish, American Champion: Sobers Galathea at GrandCru”. She’s the champion of record in all the countries that come before her name.

A prodigious pup, Galathea advanced quickly, winning best of breed at the world's largest dog show, Crufts Dog Show in England, at a mere 18 months. It can take up to a year for dogs to meet the preliminary requirements for serious competition, explained Steele. “She is the youngest dog to ever win that for the greyhound breed,” she said.

Steele and her husband, Jackson, own GrandCru Kennels in Weddington. They breed Scottish deerhounds and greyhounds, many of which are champions.

Steele was on a business trip to Italy in September of 2007 when she learned about Galathea. The rambunctious then 3-year-old, with five international titles under her collar already, had injured her hind leg chasing a cat in the garden, and a blood clot formed on her spine. She’d been through rehab but hadn’t recovered enough to be shown.

Steele immediately put in a call to her friend Denis Marcellin-Little, associate professor of orthopedics at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, who agreed to work with Galathea. “Within 24 hours she got on a plane with me and came here,” said Steele, the new owner.

It took more than two months of acupuncture, chiropractics, massage, treadmill work and water therapy before Galathea was ready to compete again. But compete she did, winning best in breed at the AKC-Eukanuba National Invitational Dog Show in December of 2007 and placing third in the hound group there. She was 2008’s No. 1 greyhound and No. 4, which led to her Westminster win.

“Nothing is perfect in this world but she is close,” said Steele, noting that Galathea exudes a regal quality and walks like she’s floating on air. “She is serious about her job as a show dog.”

Galathea will compete in a couple more dog shows this spring and then mating and maternity leave are penciled into the pooch’s planner. Once the pups are weaned, she’ll likely go after a few international titles that she hasn’t already won, said Steele. That shouldn’t take the talented greyhound too long and then Steele noted, Galathea will become “my sofa queen”.

Galathea video: http://video.westminsterkennelclub.org/player/?id=1002681

This article was published in Union County Weekly, Volume 4, Number 8 * Feb. 20-26, 2009. 

Pound Puppies Dog Show Pictures

Kim Blutreich holds, Gus, a 12-week-old German Shepherd-Blue Heeler (Australian Cattle Dog) mix available for adoption from the Union County Animal Shelter during the Pound Puppies Dog Show in downtown Monroe on Sunday, May 20th. Gus has two siblings also available for adoption at the shelter.

Shelter volunteer, Barbara Lopez chats with Wixe radio personality and Pound Puppies Dog Show emcee, Britt Pope about Ricky. Like the other puppies in the show, Ricky was part of an unplanned litter that wound up at the Union County Animal Shelter this spring. The necessity of spaying and neutering pets to decrease Union County's pet overpopulation problem was stressed throughout the event. Donations were accepted and tickets to a December quilt raffle were sold to benefit the opening of an on site spay/neuter clinic at the Union County Animal Shelter in the near future.

Amber Cato admires two participants in the Pound Puppies Dog Show: Flash, a young Jack Russell Terrier mix and Simon, a four-year-old purebred Dalmatian. Both were up for adoption from the Union County Animal Shelter on Sunday, May 20, during the Pound Puppies Dog Show.






Michelle Feemster of Go Dog Productions and her rescued shelter dogs entertained the crowd at the Old Court House in downtown Monroe during the Pound Puppies Dog Show on Sunday, May 20th. Wixe Radio and the Union County Sheriff's Office presented the show to help dogs from the Union County Animal Shelter find homes as well as raise public awareness about the pet overpopulation problem in Union County and raise money for an on site spay/neuter clinic the shelter plans to open in the near future.

Deborah is a freelance writer/photographer living in Indian Trail, NC with her husband, two children, two dogs and one cat. (Several of these photographs were also published in Volume 2, Number 21 * May 25-31, 2007 of Union County Weekly) Send your dog-related news to dogreporter@hotmail.com or add your comments about the above article by clicking on the link below.

Pitbull Dogs Impress Judge

(from left) Josh Rivers, Echo, Gideon and Dawn Rivers

by Deborah Parkhill Mullis

Pitbull dogs, Echo and Gideon, owned by Dawn and Josh Rivers of Lancaster, S.C., were the winners of five awards including Best in Show at a benefit dog show held Saturday afternoon at Why Not An American Ark in Monroe.

The dog show was emceed by professional dog trainer, Teresa Faucette of Mint Hill and judged by Dee Smith of Charlotte. About fifteen dogs representing a variety of breeds and breed mixes were entered in the "All Dogs FUN Show". There were eighteen entry classes including everything from Best Kisser and "Waggiest" tail to Least Obedient and Most Talented.

Echo placed first in Fastest Recall, a timed run across the arena to her owner. She also picked up a blue ribbon for Most Talented. Gideon received blue ribbons for Best Kisser and Most Obedient. She also won Best In Show.

"I think Pitbulls get such a bad rap. Everything about that dog was (best) all around. She was extremely well-trained," Smith said about her Best In Show pick.

This was the first dog show for three-year old Echo and four-year-old Gideon. According to Dawn, the dogs have had no special training other than what she has picked up while working in the pet grooming business for 14 years. Dawn is co-owner of The Furry Godmother, a combination pet grooming, pet care and unique gift shop in downtown Waxhaw. The shop celebrated its one year anniversary on April 15th.

Dawn and Josh raised Echo and Gideon from pups. There was absolutely no treat training," said Dawn of their winning dogs. They work solely to please their masters, she explained, noting that the two large dogs live harmoniously with their little guys at home: a Chihuahua, a Rat Terrier and two cats. Pitbulls are a likeable breed if they are raised right, she said.

The "All Dogs FUN Show" was part of the United States Equine Rescue League (USERL) - Central Piedmont Field Day. This is the second year the event which "brings together horses, dogs and the people who love them" was hosted by Jeff and Amy Wylie of Monroe.

Other rescue organizations represented that day included Operation C.A.R.E, Animal Adoption League, NC Schnauzer Rescue and Union County Animal Control. In addition to the dog show, other benefit events included a horse show, fishing derby, horse shoe contest and a silent auction. All proceeds went to the USERL to help care for rescued equines.

Deborah is a freelance writer living in Indian Trail, NC with her husband, two children, two dogs and one cat. This article was published by Union County Weekly,Volume 2, Number 18, * May 4-10, 2007. Send your dog-related news to dogreporter@hotmail.com or add your comments about the above story by clicking on the link below.

All Dogs FUN Show brings new addition

Editorial

My family and I went to the ALL DOGS FUN SHOW at Why Not An American Ark in Monroe on Saturday, April 21, and we met so many wonderful people and their dogs.

In fact, we did not get away without adopting a rescue dog from Operation Care (http://www.operationcare.petfinder.com/) of Rock Hill, SC.

She is a four-month-old Akita/Border Collie mix with one blue eye and one brown eye pictured above. My daughter named her "Okami" which is Japanese for wolf.

Okami seems to be adjusting well (eating, eating, eating and eating, house-training, playing and sleeping just fine. No noise coming from her crate at night). In addition to having her first set of puppy shots, she is already spayed and implanted with microchip. (A real bargain for a donation of $125.00!) Good job Operation Care!

She is a beautiful, intelligent, obedient, sweet girl that is responding to her new name already and has quickly learned to sit and to come to front. We are working on stay, down and the all important OFF!

Equally important is that our other rescue dog, a four-year-old very active Husky-JRT mix, Blanco, is adjusting to her. I was a little worried at first but she soon put him in his place and in a short time Okami seems to have had a profoundly calming affect on Blanco. (A blessing in itself!)

The two are getting along famously and since reading up on Akitas I think we are very lucky our other dog is a male and that she is a mixed breed.

The eight-year-old cat, Oreo, hasn't packed her bags even though we now own two dogs with very strong prey drives. (We didn't plan it that way, Oreo!) We absolutely never leave our cat alone with our dogs. (Even though we think the tough little girl could probably take them.) Oreo doesn't even seem to really mind Okami because she is mild-mannered and obedient thus far. Let's hope Blanco doesn't teach her any bad habits. (I'm sorry Blanco you're a good boy ... just excitable!) I guess I will be retraining him while I train her - Deborah Parkhill Mullis