Minnesota Mixed Breed Club
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Sir Anselot AKC: CGC
Ansel is a Whippet/Terrier mix adopted from an animal shelter. He has earned his Canine Good Citizen from the AKC, his CD and CDX from AMBOR and is working hard on his agility titles in NADAC. He is fast, athletic and loves to work! He is a often a guest on Minnesota Public Radio and is featured on a product brochure for 3M. Here is the nomination letter that Kari Ekenstedt, DVM, PhD submitted for Ansel for the MVMA Animal Hall of Fame, Companion Category - which he won! I would like to nominate Dr. Kate An Hunter’s dog, Ansel, for the MVMA’s Animal Hall of Fame, Companion category. I have known Ansel since Dr. Hunter adopted him from the Animal Humane Society, over 12 years ago. In that time, Ansel has benefitted not only Dr. Hunter and her husband, Mic, but countless veterinary clients, members of the public, and undergraduate animal science students. Foremost, of course, Ansel is a beloved member of the Hunter family. But his impact has been wider than one family unit from the beginning. Amongst his many accomplishments, he has earned the title “Canine Good Citizen” from the AKC, two levels of Obedience degrees, agility certificates too numerous to count, two levels of Rally, and recently achieved a title in Musical Freestyle. This dog has more letters after his name than I do (even if you included my bachelor’s degree!). Ansel’s latest undertaking is Canine Nosework, which he thoroughly enjoys. Ansel comes to work every day with Dr. Hunter at Carver Lake Veterinary Center, and in this capacity, he has several duties: demonstrating for endless clients the ins and outs of canine teeth brushing, how to administer pills to a dog, and how to administer subcutaneous injections to a dog. He has happily allowed veterinary students and veterinary technician students palpate and examine him to learn anatomy and “what’s normal” and he has also traded the occasional blood sample (to a human needing phlebotomy practice) in exchange for a cookie. Ansel loves to entertain children at the clinic by playing fetch in the hallway; often you can hear those child-giggles (due to all of Ansel’s antics) all the way through the clinic. Ansel has a serious side, too: he has been called on to provide hugs and snuggles to bereaved clients, and he knows just when to be still and just be present. Ansel is as much a fixture at CLVC as the doctors! Ansel’s life has also touched, quite broadly, his community and the general public. He loves the studio! Ansel and Dr. Hunter are regular guests on the Midday Show on Minnesota Public Radio (a call-in question-and-answer show) and he has done live shows at the Minnesota State Fair. Ansel regularly participates in the annual Dog Day event at Macalester College, when dogs of Alums gather to provide students studying for finals with a unique break from the books. Last December (2010) he even made the local newspaper for bundling up and being the ONLY dog in attendance during a blizzard! Snow won’t slow Ansel down! He has also demonstrated x-ray techniques in veterinary medicine to the 3M Company and been a demo dog for the Premier Company at the AVMA convention. Finally, Ansel accompanies Dr. Hunter into many teaching venues, promoting better relationships with dogs. They have covered a wide range of subjects, including bite prevention in local grade schools. Perhaps Ansel’s biggest contribution to education, and I’ll admit I’m biased about this, is his trips to the UWRF campus to teach undergraduate animal science students. Recently, he accompanied Dr. Hunter to one of my Intro to Animal Science laboratories, and helped the students understand many aspects of the domestic dog, such as behaviors, body language, and training. Most impressive, Ansel allowed his chest to be shaved and quietly demonstrated echocardiograms for physiology students in several labs back in 2009. For most of those students, it was the first time they’d seen a heart pumping on ultrasound and it brought those valves and chambers to life (as opposed to the cattle hearts they’d been dissecting earlier). Ansel was thrilled by all the attention (and treats), the students were thrilled with the learning opportunity, and, yes, Ansel’s beautiful brindle coat grew back just fine. Despite Ansel’s humble beginnings and the potential prejudice based on his appearance, he has been an exemplary companion, teacher, and friend. He encompasses every aspect of the enduring link between humans and dogs, from affection and loyalty to laughter and love. |
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