Virginia Zurflieh, editor

By the time you read this, entries will have been closed for several days, so you will already have decided whether or not to enter the ABC. However, if you plan to wait until the eleventh hour to make your motel/plane reservations (I made mine just a couple of days ago), you will want to be sure to consult the ABC web site at http://clubs.akc.org/abc/abc-home.htm for the latest info on The Abbey, the ABC schedule of events, the airports, and available shuttle service. As a traveler from the East Coast (Florida), my experience with plane reservations was this: It was going to be cheaper to fly into Chicago’s O’Hare Airport from Tampa (also from the Northeast, per a friend of mine), but much more problematic to get from O’Hare to The Abbey on a bus that only runs twice a day. If you choose to rent a car, be prepared to keep it all week, as there’s no place in Fontana to drop it off or pick up another one for the trip back. Ideally, you’ll be able to fly in with a friend and split the cost of a car rental (that’s what my NE friend is doing). On the other hand, it was $70 more expensive for me to fly into Milwaukee (it would have been over $200 more expensive for my NE friend!), but the limo to The Abbey was fairly reasonable ($49 for one person, one way, down to $18, one way, for five or more people). Plane fares are also cheaper to Chicago from Los Angeles ($50 - $100 more expensive to Milwaukee the day I checked), with a choice of non-stop flights to Chicago. Please note: the number for the van service from Milwaukee International – (1-800) 236-5450 – is on the ABC web site, but NOT in the premium list, and reservations are necessary!

This year we are offering to publish a FREE photo of any class winner/placer in the ABC Futurity and Specialty, and of any qualifier in ABC Obedience and Agility. You can send the photo electronically, or Pat will scan and return any photo accompanied by a pre-paid return envelope. Just e-mail me at Vzboxers@aol.com for Pat’s snail mail address. Here’s hoping to see your boxer in the ABC Issue of BU!

In this issue of BU, Pat has published the results of the survey taken by our readers on the American Boxer Standard as revised by our "Mystery Reviser" Bruce Voran. We have also published a subsequent revision by Bruce, based on the results of the survey. Remember, it’s less than two years until we can vote again on amendments to the standard. NOTE: Neither the ABC nor AKC approved or was consulted about the revised versions of the Boxer Standard that appear in BU!!

On April 16, Wendy and Jimmy Bettis’ home and kennel were destroyed by fire. Some of their clients’ dogs were lost, as well as several of their own. My son and his wife lost their beloved boxer (a Norman Knight son) and all their belongings in less than an hour in a house fire many years ago. This is an experience from which one never completely recovers. The following information was taken from an SB-L post sent by Bruce Voran:

For those who want to help Jimmy and Wendy Bettis by contributing to the fund established for them by Michelle Steele, please send a check to The James & Wendy Bettis Fund, c/o Michelle Steele, PFF Bank, 9090 Central Ave., Montclair, CA 91750. If you wish to make a wire transfer, call Michelle Steele at the Bank at 909-399-5637.

A number of you have asked about how to give a memorial to the Boxers and the Boston Terrier who were lost in yesterday's fire. If you wish to do so, you may send a check to The American Boxer Charitable Foundation with the notation "Memorial for Boxers lost on 4/16/02," or the name of the dog(s) if that is known to you. Should you wish to make a donation online to the ABCF, go to the following URL:
https://secure1.affinity.com/SSL/jumpei/abcfonlineorder.html

You will be given a notice that this is a secure transaction.  Click "ok." For membership level choose "Other."  Select the button for "Endowment Fund."  I suggest that where it asks for the name of the club, you put in that space "Memorial for Boxers lost on 4/16/02" or the name of the Boxer. Fill out the rest of the spaces with your credit card information.

A memorial for the Boston Terrier, Ch. Irondale's Taylor Made, may be made to the ABCF, as well. However, those BU readers who are Boston Terrier people may wish to post this notice to another appropriate list and send the proper instructions.

The response since the original message went out has been overwhelming and world wide. Each message of sympathy and condolence and offers of financial help are being collected and will be forwarded to Jimmy and Wendy.