Column has gone to the dogs this week

Minden's Sherry Dilley is looking forward to meeting four New York Fire Department firefighters due to visit Carson City on Sept. 15.

The four will be in Reno Sept. 10-14 at the Peppermill for an exhibit of relics from the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack.

Sherry was tapped by Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., to escort the firefighters, all of whom were part of the department on Sept. 11, around Carson City.

"We just want to recognize these firefighters," she said. "They are traveling around trying to hit all the cities so people don't forget. They'll have stories to tell."

Sherry will have lived in Douglas County for 10 years in September, and volunteers for the congressman during the campaign season.

But she stressed this is not about politics.

"These guys need the recognition and we need to let them know we appreciate them," she said. "They don't want people to forget."

In addition to the Capitol, the firefighters will also tour the Governor's Mansion and pretty much whatever else they want to see.

Carson City's Pawz Plus Doggie Daycare & Boarding facility was the site of a special birthday party Aug. 23.

There three brothers and a sister were reunited with their mother after six months for their first birthday.

The family consisted of Canaan dogs, according to Joyce Brewer of Topaz Lake, who is a fairly recent enthusiast for the breed.

Joyce has two Canaan dogs, Noah and Zach, who were quite pleased to see their siblings.

"They seemed to get right in with each other," she said. "I've got some wonderful photos of all five of them smiling, if you can believe it."

Noah and Zach are the first two Canaan dogs Joyce and Don Brewer have owned.

Joyce says the dogs aren't for everyone.

"They are excellent watch dogs," she said. "They were socialized at day care facilities to play with other puppies and people."

Breeder Sally Armstrong is showing Noah and Zach's brother, Bobe. The dog is ranked seventh in the nation among the breed, Joyce said.

The dogs, named after the Land of Canaan in the Bible, were accepted by the American Kennel Club in 1997 and there are roughly 600 dogs in the United States.

Besides Joyce, Don and their two dogs, also attending the soiree were Colleen Webster and her two children, Alisha and Austin of Reno, who own Abby and breeder Armstrong with Echo and Bobe.

It seems to be the week for dog tales. Our own Wally the wiener dog represented Carson City in the Wiener Nationals at the Nevada State Fair last weekend.

Owner F.T. Norton, Appeal police reporter, said Wally came in third of eight dogs in one of the 16 heats held at the races sponsored by Wienerschnitzel.

Wally, a 4-month-old silver dapple, needed a little motivation to get out of the starting gate, according to F.T.

"I had to hold him up because he kept getting out of the gate," she said. "When they said go I dropped him, but I had to give him a push to get him to go."

Once out of the gate, Wally shot across the track. F.T. said she believes that if he had got going right off he could have taken his race.

Appeal sports writer Jeremy Evans is packing up to move to Vancouver, Wash., after three years.

Jeremy came to work for the Appeal in June 2000, taking over for Eric Studenicka.

He is going to work for The Columbian as the new guy on a nine-person sports staff, a pretty big step up from the four-man staff here at the Appeal.

Jeremy has been a great asset to the Appeal's sports staff and we'll miss him.

Kurt Hildebrand is acting city editor of the Nevada Appeal. Reach him at 881-1215 or e-mail him at hildebrand@nevadaappeal.com