Despite being Al's "A" dog (his first time in competition), Fanny was ranked in 2002 and 2003 in the Top 10 of obedience danes & went High in Trial at the New England Specialty where her father Willie (Sue Davis Shaw's famed CH Amherst-Davisdane Roadrunner CD CGC) and other close family have done the same in various years. Born to the 1998 litter that includes her multi-titled Harlequin sister Picabo, (dam to CHs & more), and their well-know brother, the Hall of Fame, Versatility Award winning BISS-CH/+performance-titled Harlequin Pirate, Fanny was clearly a talent in her own right. Her littermates, her mother & other relatives carry on the family tradition; that living thread is a consolation.

DaDane's tribute to Fanny

And as one of those special memories, I have to tell the story of how Fanny got her name (call name and kennel name). Fanny was one of 5 Harlequins in the litter, and the lightest marked of all. Her markings reminded me of Fantasia, hence the moniker "Fanny." And then these really nice folks from New England called me looking for "the perfect pet" and so I met the Arsenaults (thank you FANNY!), and I sent Fanny to them. Well, she was sent on Mardi Gras, and she got "lost in the mail" in a snowstorm & ended up spending the night in Cleveland OH rather than arriving in CT. She did not show up until the next morning, but did show up hale & hearty....happy as a clam actually as she'd slept the night away snuggled up in the bed with the kennel owner from Cleveland who housed her overnight and personally put her on the plane to New England. Hence the name "Forever Mardi Gras"; she was always a party girl..............jpY

Fanny was lost to osteosarcoma in June of 2006. We mourn her loss, and yet honor the memories she gave us, and the legacy she left behind. Under "LESSONS LEARNED" we have all (hopefully!) learned this past decade NOT to NEUTER DANES EARLY! Below are some links and comments to consider (there are multitudes of technical references, the below is for pet owners/dog breeders).

If you would like to contribute to Fanny's memorial, send donations to the DAF (Donor Advised Fund) of the CHF (Canine Health Foundation) for the grants supporting research into bone cancer in dogs (jnfo directly below). Please note we need Danes to participate in this study. This links our breed research directly.


CONTACT: Erika Werne
Director, Canine Research & Education

To contribute to the research, people can call the toll free number below with credit card info and mention the grant number, or they can send in a check to P.O. Box 37941, Raleigh, NC 27627-7941, and put the grant number in either the memo section of the check or in the cover letter. Be sure to mention it's for Fanny & Great Danes.

REFERENCE GRANTS: #757A&B
AKC Canine Health Foundation
phone: 1-888.682.9696

Christine Zink DVM on the dangers of early neutering.........

The Question Of Neutering and at what age?

Neutered dogs have twice the risk of osteosarcoma as those intact...

Spay / neuter before 1 year of age also increases the lifetime risk of deadly osteosarcoma by a factor of 3.1 in female dogs to 3.8 in male dogs ( 2 ) . ...

A twofold excess risk (of osteosarcoma) was observed among neutered dogs.

Douglas R. Yearout, D.V.M., "It has become acceptable to [neuter young] without questioning what role sex hormones play in the necessary development of a pet’s body, health and lifetime physiology. We just haven’t been sterilizing infant dogs and cats long enough to realize that it’s a bad idea. A 10-year history of early sterilization of ferrets indicates that it has created a serious health problem. The farms that breed and sell ferrets to pet stores perform sterilization on baby kits less than 8 weeks old. In that time, I’ve seen the lifespan of ferrets go down by several years. Ferrets routinely living to be 9 or 10 years old now die at 4 or 5 years, with a huge increase in malignant adrenal gland and pancreatic cancer. We and our companion animals were born with glands that produce hormones that allow us to develop, adapt and function on a daily basis. If the glands are removed before we sufficiently grow up, then the body will enable other glands to take up the slack, allowing and maintaining balance (homeostasis). But those other glands were never supposed to do all the work, and so they become overactive, and can become cancerous, as is the case with ferrets. It’s just a matter of time before it’s discovered that this is also true of dogs and cats, hat sterilization in infancy is not in the best interests of their health. [L]et me add that the benefits of spaying and neutering outweigh the negatives. There are many things sterilized pets don’t encounter, which directly protects their life and limb. Intact male dogs and cats fight more, roam more, and get killed by cars. There is the spread of fatal viral diseases with bites, breeding and expensive unnecessary visits to the doctor to treat the injuries. Females are also not spared, and suffer many of the same maladies, as well as the problems surrounding the effects of the pregnancy and the health of the offspring. And, contrary to what some people think, they do not make better pets if they have a litter.

But, there are additional negative health effects that impact their life if we do the surgery on infants. To back my claim, I have a growing list of studies (mainly involving dogs) to prove that it’s a good idea to wait a few months before performing spay or neuter surgery. Normal bone growth is affected by very early surgeries, which leads to body size changes. An increased incidence of joint disease occurs, such as injury and rupture of the cruciate knee ligament (ACL). There is an increase in the incidence of bone cancer (osteosarcoma) in large breeds of dogs such as rottweilers. The incidence of prostatic cancer in older male dogs is higher. Urinary incontinence (leaking on the rug while asleep) is vastly increased for female dogs who are spayed in infancy. A significantly higher incidence of hip dysplasia (hip socket degeneration) is seen. There is a higher incidence of cognitive impairment (senility) in male dogs neutered early. For these reasons, I have concerns that very early sterilization is not a good thing. Some may say that the other factors mentioned before are a good enough reason to ignore these proven risks. I feel that each situation should be evaluated individually. Responsible pet owners........who understand the problems of pet overpopulation and can be trusted to keep their pets under their control (preventing breeding), should be allowed to wait until 14 months of age in dogs, and at least 6 months of age in cats and ferrets, to have this procedure performed."

More LINKS:

Answering Your Questions About Osteosarcoma (bone cancer)

WHY CANCER HAPPENS AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO PREVENT IT & TREAT IT

GENES, DOGS & CANCER.

CLICK HERE to contact Judi & Al Arsenault.