Page 170 - ShowSight - April 2020
P. 170

                LAURA FEARN
Do I work in healthcare? Yes. What type of position? Nurse clinical research coordinator.
Without dog shows to attend, how am I keeping busy? I’m essen- tial at work. My typical day varies from day to day. Conducting clinical trials at the site level. On weekends I’m training my dogs.
If you are on “house arrest,” are you doing anything differently at home? I’m at work.
If you’re an owner-handler, are you doing more training? I train my dogs daily for multiple venues.
If you’re a breeder, are you going ahead with a breeding? I only breed when I want a puppy, so nothing planned at this time.
CHRISTY CALKINS
Do I work in healthcare? Yes. What type of position? I worked as a CNA for 37 years, I am now retired. Doing part-time care giving. I am a care giver to an 86-year-old woman with the middle stages of Dementia. I visit with her, read to her, watch TV with her, feed her. Give her baths. Do light cleaning, dishes, changing her bedding, dusting, and vacuuming. She cannot be left alone.
Without dog shows to attend, how am I keeping busy? My typi- cal day is getting up, letting out the dogs and feeding them. Then I wash up, get dressed, eat my breakfast, take my medication while watching the news. Read my daily devotions, check my emails, messages, and go on Facebook. Phone calling and housework. By noon I let the dogs out again, clean up after them, get any groom- ing done, treat time. Read, watch TV, may take a nap. If I have to do care giving, I am now doing it from 3PM to 7 PM. Home let dogs out again, feed them again. Watch TV, the check emails again. Dogs out again, treat time. Devotions, bed. Weekends are the same, no church service. I watch it online. Dog shows, Sheltie club meet- ings cancelled. Our meeting for March was supposed to be at an all-breed fun match that was cancelled. I was so looking forward to going and watching a grand baby puppy in the ring for his first time. My Specialty club has so much club business, due to COVID-19. Our show was scheduled for May 15, 2020. Besides being the vice president of the club, I am the show chairman, trophy chairman, co-raffle chairman, and a lot of the hospitality work, I am very busy corresponding with judges, club members, show chairman for all- breed club, superintendent, show Secretary for our club, etc.
If you are on “house arrest,” are you doing anything different- ly at home? Wisconsin just put in place STAY-AT-HOME. That means no visiting with friends, no church, no club meetings, no training classes, no dog shows or fun matches. Can go to the store, doctor, and yes, I can continue with my care giving. I am praying more, getting into the Lord’s word more. Trying to stay positive- and encouraging others to do so also. Cleaning more. More club business that all has to be done by email, messaging, and phone calling. My church service is online every Sunday and a devotional is on Facebook every Thursday. Cannot do my exercising, but I am planning on raking leaves when it gets nicer out. Like everyone else, I stocked up on groceries, dog food, and supplies. As soon as the weather permits, I will bath and groom the dogs. It has not changed my mindset, trying to stay positive, and know that my Lord is in control. About the future, I am working hard and looking at all options if it is possible for my Sheltie club to change the date of our show this year, or look forward to putting on a show next year. I also look forward to watching a new litter of grand puppies as they grow. To see if there is a special one in that litter for me to train. I put my future in my Lord Jesus Christ. He IS still in control.
If you’re a breeder, are you going ahead with a breeding? I am a breeder. I plan the breedings, sell the pet puppies, and train the promising puppies. The co-owner shows the promising ones in con-
formation. I don’t have many dogs or do a lot of breeding. The last litter, a litter of one, is being shown. As of right now, I would not be afraid to breed a future litter. As a show chairman, I would not be afraid to put on a dog show with my Sheltie club, if workable and profitable. I think people will be very excited when ready to get back dog shows.
BECKY BUCATA
Do I work in healthcare? Yes. My educational background is clinical microbiology and I worked as a microbiologist for nearly 30 years.
Currently I work in Information Technology for Michigan’s largest healthcare system, Beaumont Health. I’m part of a 27-per- son team that manage the Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) for our eight hospitals and dozens of ambulatory and outpatient sites. My particular responsibility is management of the LIS systems for our microbiology and molecular biology labs.
I’m currently “between showdogs” so I haven’t been showing regularly recently. As a healthcare worker, I’m particularly fortunate to be able to work from home to support the needs of our front-line employees. To say it’s been crazy busy is an understatement. I’ve been working between 12-18 hours a day, seven days a week for the past three weeks or so. Fortunately, my normally 90 minute com- mute to work has been shortened to the five steps between my bed and my desk. What’s a “weekend”?
As a microbiologist, I’m particularly aware of the virulence of this virus and the dangers it poses. Because everyone in our house- hold, myself included, is considered “at risk” we have been strictly observing the “stay home, stay safe” protocols. When the outbreak started to geographically spread in China, despite efforts to contain it, I knew what was likely coming. We stocked up on household essentials and non-perishable food in early January. We are having any needed essentials delivered to the front door, rather than going out to shop. I normally work from home one to two days a week, so this is now just lots more of the same for me. We have, of course, stepped up our hand washing and cleaning practices at home.
My mindset hasn’t really changed, since as a healthcare worker, I’ve been to this rodeo before—AIDS, Hepatitis C, West Nile, SARS, MERS, H1N1 Influenza, Ebola. I’ve worked through all those outbreaks as either a microbiologist, or as Laboratory IT support, so this is relatively the same, just on a much, much bigger scale.
As for plans for the future, well I might have to postpone retire- ment. I’m ten-plus years out from that anyway, so we shall see. Right now, I’m focused on taking things one day at a time, and doing my best to help my fellow employees who are literally risking their lives.
Basically, everything is on hold at this point. I’m solely focused on work, although the Shelties are very happy to have me at home. They love photobombing video conference meetings!
PATRICIA PRINCEHOUSE
How am I keeping busy? I have more than enough work to catch up on—both professional and dog-related. Plus a book to finish. I bought the dogs some special treats and put in a supply of raw bones. It would be better if it weren’t raining non-stop. They keep looking longingly at the car!
This weekend a small handful of friends under 60 might get together to do some lure coursing outdoors at a friend’s training center. We’ve spent much of our time together the past few weeks anyway and were probably all exposed to the virus at shows last weekend, if not before. It will be fun for the dogs and give people a relatively safe space to get out of the house.
168 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2020
COVID-19 Q&A










































































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