Florida Lupine NEWs Volume 9, Issue 4 Winter 2007 Published Quarterly FLA 2008 Rendezvous: April 18 - 20 for Members. Free to FLA's 2008 Rendezvous will be held Fri- of the Fish and Wildlife Commission and Veterinarians, day, April 18 through Sunday, April 20, at FWC Law Enforcement component, the Tech- Parramore's Resort and Campgrounds. Those nical Assistant Group (TAG). Three board Shelters, Donors, of you who attended last year know how hospi- members have also attended FWC meetings Sponsors, Rescues, table the staff members at Parramore's were, to get a handle on how the current trends re- and Animal Welfare & how receptive they were to our members and garding captive wildlife (including wolfdogs) their dogs. If you didn't make last year's Ren- may be heading, and the Board will outline Control Agencies. dezvous, which also functions as FLA's annual the information it has available by the time of meeting, you have another opportunity this the Rendezvous. (At least one board member year to visit this beautiful, not to mention ca- will try to attend any FWC meetings which FLA Directors nine welcoming, venue. We are more than for- may be held being prior to the Rendezvous.) tunate to find a facility that will still allow Al Mitchell, President Among the rules which FWC is drafting large canines in the cabins and on the premises. or is considering are "Neighbor Notification," Mayo Wetterberg Located on the St. John's River, near Astor, "dangerous" captive wildlife, and new mini- Andrea Bannon Parramore's provides all we could ask for and mum acreage and fencing requirements for Jill Parker then some. (More information about Par- Class I (and possibly other classes) animals. Joan Ford ramore's, such as contact information and alter- The status of wolfdogs has yet to be deter- Kim Miles native accommodations, is on page 4.) mined, but right now things might be heading in the direction of a ban, although it certainly is not time to panic until all the smoke clears. Inside This Issue: And, of course, we will be holding the annual Dog Show, which we all know is a FLA Rendezvous 2008 1 high point of every the rendezvous, electing officers for 2008-2009, meeting and greeting each other and the canines present, and enjoy- From the Desks of 3 ing the wonderful array of dishes, desserts, and Mayo’s cooking at the Saturday night About Parramore’s 4 potluck. The schedule for the Rendezvous hasn't been firmed up yet, but it won't deviate a lot Monty Sloan’s Photography 5 from last year's, but we do have to ensure that The Board Members of FLA are hoping we have plenty of time for Monty's presenta- Is There Anybody Out 6 There? that all FLA members, from near and far, will tions, the dog show, the auction, and the elec- help make the 2008 the best Rendezvous ever. tions, and the very important legislative issues Synopsis of Dec. 8 FWC 7 Not only will Monty Sloan, Wolf Park's emi- mentioned above. Meeting in Key Largo nent photographer, be discussing his experi- ences with wolfdogs and various phenotyping 8 And Then a Wolf Came and behavioural issues (see page 5 for another set of Monty's amazing pictures), but also the Spooky Story 9 Board has a number of critical issues to discuss with the membership, not the least of which is The Guessing Game 10 the possible banning of wolfdogs in Florida, and related topics that could impact all FLA members in one way or another. The Eyes Have It 11 Our annual meeting will attempt to clarify the latest developments, in as much detail as FLA Subscription Form 11 possible, we’ve been tracking on the websites FLORIDA LUPINE NEWS VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4 Letters, advertisements, and articles do not necessarily Florida Lupine Association reflect the views of FLA. We welcome all comments, A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization advertisements, and articles but require that they are signed EIN: 59-3586075 and include a phone number and address (which will remain Dedicated to Being Florida’s unpublished if the author states in writing). FLA and the Responsible Voice for Wolfdogs Editor reserve the right to edit any material submitted for publication in the Florida Lupine News. Letters, Advertisements & FLA Acknowledgements Pictures are to be sent to Special thanks to those who provided Joan Ford, Editor donations and/or contributed 7217 SW 85 Terrace to FLA this quarter: Gainesville, FL 32608 Phone: (352) 376 - 2083 • Captain Jim McGee for his article “And Then a Wolf E-Mail: [email protected] Came” All submissions will become property of • All who submitted photos for “The Guessing Game” Florida Lupine unless accompanied by a SASE. and for “The Eyes Have It” • Deeanna Croasmun for her “Spooky Story” • Kim for her article and for her synopsis of the December FWC Meeting in Key Largo and, as always, Contributions, Dues, & Questions for her continuing support and help with formatting the Newsletter about FLA are to be sent to • Monty Sloan for permission to use his photography Florida Lupine Association, Inc. P. O. Box 1765 • Phil Watson for his pictures of Monty Sloan in the DeFuniak Springs, FL 32435 Fall 2007 FLA Newsletter E-Mail: [email protected] If sending snail mail, All original art, photos, drawings, articles and other material please allow 2-3 weeks for a reply. within this Newsletter are Copyright© and are the property of FLA, Inc., except where otherwise indicated and credited. ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION Florida Lupine Association ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION 2007-2008 2007-2008 Pricing Information: Directors & Officers 1/8 Page: $5.00 1/4 Page: $10.00 1/2 Page: $20.00 Full Page: $50.00 Al Mitchell, President *Photos: $5.00 Processing Fee for each photo Mayo Wetterberg, Treasurer No Breeder Advertisements Allowed; Kennel Names & Kennels May be Advertised Jill Parker, Secretary (All submissions will become property of Florida Lupine unless accompanied by a SASE) Joan Ford, Editor Deadlines for Submission: Andrea Bannon Spring NL: March 31 Fall NL: Sept. 30 Summer NL: June 30 Winter NL: Dec. 31 Kim Miles VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4 FLORIDA LUPINE NEWS From the Desk of the President From the Desk of the Secretary By Al Mitchell By Jill Parker 2008 is a pivotal year for the Florida Lupine Asso- ciation. There are opportunities and challenges ahead that all FLA members should be aware of and partici- pate in. You'll have the chance to do so at this year's Rendezvous. If you've never been to a Rendezvous or if it's been a while since you've attended, this is the year to come for two very good reasons. The first reason is Monty Sloan. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear Monty Sloan speak and see his unforgettable Power Point presentation. His wolf photos are phenomenal and his experiences at Wolf Park will interest all who love the wolf and wolfdog. It's not often we get the opportu- nity to hear someone of his caliber speak to us so don't miss this chance! From the Desk of the Treasurer The second reason to come to the 2008 Rendez- vous is a very serious one. Changing laws regarding By Mayo Wetterberg wolfdogs affect all of us. If you are not up to date on the latest news from recent Florida Wildlife Commission First, I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying meetings regarding wolves and wolfdogs, then you need the cooler Winter season. I’m sure your animals are as to be at this year's Rendezvous.. Mayo, Kim, and Joan frisky as the Fuzzos that reside with me in the Panhan- have attended some of the FWC public hearings and dle. Every time I see them REALLY play, I am reminded well-represented us as an organization to the commit- how magnificent they are. There is something special tees. Information gathered at these hearings will be about seeing a wolfdog gracefully leap to the top of a shared at the 2008 Rendezvous and there will be time four-foo-high shelter as if it was a slight step up, requir- for discussion about what impact these changing laws ing no extra effort. There is something special about be- will have on all wd owners.! A special thank you to ing surrounded by romping wolfdogs, each looking for Mayo, Kim, and Joan for all their efforts on our behalf attention, something that can not be duplicated with any !The time, expense, and sacrifices they had to make to other companion animal. Only those of us that have ex- attend these meetings are very much appreciated! perienced that relationship can ever be able to fully un- Now is the time to make plans to attend Rendez- derstand the depth of the bond, and feel the reward from vous 2008! As always, daytrippers are a vital part of the it. Rendezvous. Come for the Saturday activities and stay As wonderful as this relationship is, it also comes a for the day .Just don't miss out on the chance to attend! serious responsibility. I know none of you would ever You'll be glad you did! intentionally allow a wolfdog unsupervised play with a toddler, but this did happen several years ago in the Panhandle near me — with tragic results. The animal reverse. was a "pet of the week" at the local shelter, and now My challenge to all of you is it look around and be- there is a county ban on wolfdogs.