[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 120 (Thursday, September 22, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S10370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SAMOYEDS STRUT STUFF IN OWENSBORO

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, it was President Harry Truman who 
observed, half a century ago, that ``if you want a friend in 
Washington, get a dog.'' That is perhaps a little harsh. Nevertheless, 
I note that many of my colleagues in the Congress are dog fanciers, and 
the Senate is a strikingly dog-friendly workplace. So it is fitting 
that we pay tribute to a renowned people-friendly breed of dog: the 
Samoyed. Legendary for their beauty, friendly spirit and heroic and 
historic treks to the North and South Poles, Samoyeds pulled the 
adventurers of yesteryear to new frontiers.
  Several hundred Samoyeds and their humans will be pulling into 
Owensboro, KY, in October for the Samoyed Club of America's ``Simply 
Southern'' National Specialty. While I am pleased that these noble dogs 
and their guardians will be visiting the Commonwealth, it is, sadly, 
because of Hurricane Katrina's devastation in Biloxi, MS, where the 
event was originally scheduled to be held. So the SCA Specialty this 
year is a hurricane evacuee, but in addition to contributing over 
$10,000 from show proceeds to animal rescue in the devastated region, 
the organizers look forward to going back to a rebuilt and newly 
vibrant gulf coast in the future.
  Samoyed dogs were named for the semi nomadic tribe which developed 
the breed. Living along the shores of the Arctic Ocean, north of Russia 
and Siberia, they were one of the earliest tribes of Central Asia. They 
depended upon their dogs to herd reindeer, protect against wolves, hunt 
bears, and even keep the children warm as they slept. Their endurance 
and intelligence made the Samoyed dogs prized members of early European 
expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. Borchgrevink, Amundsen, and 
Shackleton in the Antarctic, and Nansen and Abruzzi in the Arctic, 
counted on Samoyeds to explore the extreme and then uncharted ends of 
the Earth. The American explorers Fiala and Baldwin also used Samoyed 
sled teams. Most of the Samoyeds in England and the United States today 
are related to sled dogs from those expeditions.
  Among them was Rex of White Way, who was renown as the lead dog on 
the U.S. Mail sled team that used to run the 64-mile mail delivery 
route from Ashton, ID, to West Yellowstone, over the 7000-foot Targhee 
Pass. Rex was a superb canine athlete and hero. He even learned to 
parachute on rescue missions that retrieved survivors of airplane 
crashes and a snowbound train in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Although 
Samoyeds are a medium-sized dog ranging in weight from 35-65 pounds, 
they are very strong. Rex of White Way broke the world weight-pull 
record in 1953 by pulling 1,870 pounds.
  Samoyeds have been described as ``by nature . . . not a quarrelsome 
dog though he will stand his ground for what he feels are his rights. 
Each Samoyed is an individual, even from one litter. One will be very 
attentive and obedient while another may be more headstrong and less 
demanding of affection as long as he knows the house is his castle when 
he wants it and he owns you.''
  One may detect in that description some symmetry with Senators.
  The description goes on: He has a keen sense of knowing when you are 
happy, sad, who really loves him, just tolerates him, dislikes him and 
he will return his love accordingly. He is a `talky' dog and with 
encouragement will voice his pleasures and his dislikes. Some enjoy 
jokes and ham it up when laughed at while others resent it. He will 
speak with his paw or nose.
  Samoyeds today are still pulling sleds. They are also skijoring, 
pulling scooters, herding, excelling in agility and obedience trials 
and otherwise exemplify the ``Working'' class of dogs. As therapy dogs, 
they bring joy and comfort to people in nursing homes and hospitals. 
Indeed, at least one Samoyed therapy dog that I know of, Gidget 
(Salish's Potomac Fervour), recently visited Hurricane Katrina evacuees 
from Gulfport, MS, who are currently residing at the Armed Forces 
Retirement Home here in Washington. She teams up with another Samoyed, 
Samantha, in regular visits with children at Inova Fairfax Hospital in 
northern Virginia. So these are not just beautiful dogs, they are hard-
working dogs, doing great work for many people around the country.
  On October 24, hundreds of Samoyeds, with their humans in tow, 
literally as they are prone to pull, will arrive in Owensboro. For some 
it will have been a harrowing journey since Hurricane Katrina roared 
ashore. Sheila and Walter Herrmann, cochairs of the event and residents 
of Covington, LA, described their hurricane experience: Walter and I 
were hunkered down for the storm watching tree after tree fall and a 
tornado touch down and make a disaster of our kennels (the dogs, our 
own as well as the boarders were safely crated in the safest portion of 
our house) talking about the national is what helped us get through it.
  Others involved in beating the odds and making this event happen 
include: Pam Barbe, Karen Brooks, Diane Dotson, Peggy Green, and Laurie 
Stone. I would also like to thank Jim and Celinda Cheskawich for all 
their good work.
  Mr. President, Kentucky and I extend a warm welcome to the Samoyed 
Club of America's 2005 ``Simply Southern'' National Specialty.

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