Vermin Control: First association of terrier dog owners whose dogs only hunt and kill/capture...
...vermin. In addition to doing it for sport (fun), the association does this to help their communities with vermin control.
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The Black Plague was spread by rats (the fleas that lived on those rats) and killed off a third of Europe in the Dark Ages. Rabies is also spread by mice, rats, raccoons, and badgers. All four spread all kinds of disease wherever they go. All four burrow through walls (including cement block walls, which rats chew through), wiring, and nest inside homes and buildings. Rats can even enter homes by way of your toilet. [Yup. Think about that the next time you sit on the john.] And millions of mice and rats infest grain storage centers eating the grain and spreading disease onto that grain in the process. This association of
terrier dog owners will help fight against all four vermin and public health will benefit in the process. Additionally, this association returns terriers to their original purpose and gives them a special job that they are perfectly designed to do. Terriers make poor service dogs in comparison to, say,
Golden Retrievers. But Golden Retrievers make poor vermin control dogs. This association once more makes terriers more than mere pets, which is why this challenge isn't located in the
Pets category. It gives them a noble purpose and makes them a great asset to society again.]
There are three competition classes within this association: Tiny, Small, and Large. The sizes refer not to the dogs but their quarry.
Tiny Class hunt cockroaches and other undesirable insects. [Tiny Class will likely have the tiniest terriers and could eventually prohibit terriers above a certain size from competing in this class to encourage the breeding of tiny terriers.]
Small Class hunt and kill mice and rats. [This will likely be the most popular class in the association as it uses normal-size terriers and doesn't require a pack.]
Large Class hunt as a pack and kill raccoons and badgers and capture stray cats and dogs. Large Class can only go after raccoons and badgers in cities where they are considered a public health threat. The dog handlers can option to train their dogs to just capture raccoons and badgers and leave the killing of them to the handler. When the terriers capture stray cats and dogs, they are turned over to the local chapter of the
Humane Society. If a terrier kills a stray cat or dog during a match, its handler automatically loses the match. However, if the local chapter of the Humane Society will not accept feral cats and/or dogs, the chapter then has their terriers kill these during the match.
[Just FYI, "no kill" animal shelters are actually cruel to unwanted pets by forcing them to suffer starvation and/or painful deaths. The reason is that while "no kill" animal shelters do not kill the animals they take in, their "no kill" policy forces them to only take in dogs and cats which they think they can find homes for. This means all feral dogs, pretty much all cats (feral or domesticated), and all other pets (parrots, snakes, hamsters, etc.) are turned away. This forces the owners of these unwanted pets to find other ways of getting rid of them. Many literally put their kittens and cats in bags and toss them off bridges into rivers. If they are not lucky enough for the drop to kill them, they then suffer painfully as they drown to death in the dark. Others take their unwanted dog out into the woods and shoot it ... hopefully killing it on the first shot but, if not (due to possibly tears in the owner's eyes), the dog suffers until the owner shoots it again and again until it is shot dead. Or, even worse, these dogs and cats are taken far away from their homes and let loose ... forcing formerly-pampered pets to fend for themselves for the first times in their lives (and starving in the process), becoming the prey of other animals (feral dogs, badgers, raccoons, etc. ... which won't care if the pet is dead before tearing into and eating its flesh), and/or forcing other people to deal with what to do with these unwanted pets when they come across them. Yes, animal shelters which take in all animals do end up killing most of the dogs, almost all of the cats, and all other pets, but at least the shelters kill them humanely. They put them into gas chambers which put them to sleep and which then kill them painlessly in their sleep. Sadly, "no kill" animal shelter advocates don't think through the consequences of their decisions and thus cause more suffering by animals while thinking they are helping save them. Simply another tragic thoughtless example of unintended consequences.]
Members have their dogs compete against each other in "matches" whereby two or more terrier dogs (or packs) are brought to an area and then released and given the command to hunt. Matches can have more than one class (Tiny, Small and Large) compete at the same time as long as there are at least two from each class at the match. The area for a match must be selected by the match's Head Judge and not revealed to anyone (not even Running Judges) beforehand. Competitors only learn of the match location upon being directed (not told its location but the Head Judge riding along with the competitor[s] and told where to go as they travel along) or led to its location by the Head Judge. This is to prevent competitors from cheating by stocking a location with the desired vermin in a certain secure location that only they know about. Afterall, the purpose of the association is to ELIMINATE vermin, not add to their numbers. Any Head Judge who is found stocking vermin at a match location must be banned from the association for life.
To not scare off vermin, all the humans in pursuit of vermin (competitors, running spectators, and Running Judges) must wear infra-red night goggles. They must also wear protective helmets, protective gloves, and, because they'll commonly go through sewers, methane detectors (too high of a concentration of methane in the air and the detector sets off an alarm). None may have any visible bare skin, not even the part of the face not covered by their infra-red night goggles. The handlers and Running Judges must also carry holstered pistols in case their use becomes necessary against violent vermin, regardless if they were the intended target of the match or not.
All dogs are equipped with dog collars that include a GPS tracker, a directional beacon (their handlers having the corresponding directional tracker), and live-feed audio (so their handlers and assigned Running Judge can hear a kill in progress or a dog in distress). Only the dogs can have light sources if their handler wishes them to have such to better see in the dark. The light source coming from the dog's collar and likely being a low light source since dog eyes are designed for low light. The light source can have a light meter and only turn on when the surrounding light gets too dark. All Large Class dogs must be equipped with protective vests against attacks by their quarry.
In each match, each competitor (dog handler) must have a Running Judge assigned to them which follows the competitor as they follow their dog(s). The Head Judge stays at the match's starting point at all times. Scoring of the match is done solely on how many vermin the dogs kill/capture and are brought back to the match's starting point for counting. Dog handlers can carry sturdy bags to collect the killed vermin so dogs do not have to return with vermin to the starting point or even deliver them to their masters. Handlers can have assistants who can either bring fresh empty bags to the handler and return filled bags to the match's starting point for later counting AND/OR collect killed vermin for the handler and bring back filled bags to the starting point. All collected dead vermin must be incinerated in an after-match bonfire to prevent the spread of disease, the smell of rotting corpses, and the feeding of other vermin.
Each match is timed and lasts three hours. Vermin killed/captured after three hours are encouraged but not counted for the match. Matches can be done anytime of the day or night, though this will likely be commonly known as a night-time sport since most vermin only come out when it is dark.
Each association-sanctioned match (and only these can improve a terrier's ranking within the association) must have the following individuals in attendance: 1) A medic, nurse, or doctor at the starting point in case someone gets injured; 2) A veterinarian at the starting point in case one of the dogs gets injured; 3) A local public health officer from the city or county in which the match is in their jurisdiction; 4) A local police officer (city police, county sheriff/deputy, or state police); and, if the Large Class is competing in the match and the local chapter of the Humane Society accepts feral cats and/or dogs, 5) A member of the local chapter of the Humane Society, who must come with an animal transport vehicle. Any of these mandated people can be association members themselves BUT they cannot compete when they are performing their role at a match.
For a terrier to gain the title of "Champion" within the association, it must have competed in at least 100 association-sanctioned matches, be the top-ranking terrier of their chapter, and won at least 10 matches against the top-ranking terriers of at least 10 other chapters. A "Grand Champion" has won at least 100 matches against the top-ranking terriers of at least 100 other chapters. If a chapter's top-ranking terrier has won a match against another chapter's top-ranking terrier, any further match it wins against that terrier doesn't count towards a "Champion" or "Grand Champion" title.
The association must allow spectators to witness matches and even run along with the dog handlers. The audio feeds from the dog collars can be played over speakers at the starting point. If dog handlers and/or Running Judges have cellphones with still and/or video cameras built into them, the starting point should have large TV monitors inside dark tents (their canvases don't light up with an inner light source), van, or motorhome (curtains drawn) for the display of these images to the Head Judge and spectators at the starting point. Spectators that run along with the dog handlers are prohibited from helping the dog handler in any way or form and cannot touch any vermin. Vermin touched by a spectator, either by accident or on purpose, doesn't get counted for the match. Running Judges must have complete authority over running spectators and spectators must obey all orders from a Running Judge. It should be the tradition of the association that all spectators bring as gifts: 1) a large amount of alcoholic beverages for the post-match party (saying the spectator is of legal age to buy alcoholic beverages) and 2) plenty of firewood for the post-match bonfire in which the dead vermin are incinerated. [Spectators bringing booze to the party will make them very likely VERY welcomed by the association members.] The Head Judge is responsible to ensure no one who is drunk drives themselves and others away from the party. If one person from the party gets arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) after leaving the post-match party, the match doesn't count.
[Expect matches to be held in every imaginable location possible to give their members variety. Naturally, always with the permission of (and likely invitation from) the owners if it is private property. In cities, expect matches to be held at abandoned buildings, down in the sewers (after getting permission from the sewer department), storm run-off tunnels, in warehouses, city parks, construction sites, and, in coordination with those that run them, railroads and subway tunnels. In rural areas, expect matches to be commonly held at farms, grain silos, warehouses, garbage dumps, quarries, parks, trailer parks, and junkyards. A good and popular Head Judge will always be changing the type of location to keep things fresh for their members and their dogs as well as spectators.]
The registered terriers of this association cannot be entered into any
conformation show (a.k.a. superficial beauty contests) once registered with the association. If a registered terrier is then entered into a conformation contest, that dog is permanently banned from competing in the association matches ever again. [This is to get these terriers bred for hunting ability and not looks. Purpose over beauty.]
To win this challenge, the association must have active chapters (must hold at least one match each month) in all 50 US states, active chapters in at least 50 countries, and a toll-free telephone number for the public to call to report a vermin infestation. The association must also provide an online breeding database for its members to enable them to seek out high-ranking (within the association) terriers for siring services and for those with male terriers to learn of the ranking of terrier bitches whose owners are requesting siring services for them. Additionally to help prevent a potential negative image for their terriers, all registered terriers of the association in the USA must possess an
AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate before being allowed to compete in a match.
1) First association within the above association of terrier dog owners who do NOT act as dog handlers at matches but employ and pay dog handlers to do so for their dogs. This association should have "Gentlemen & Ladies" in its title. The dog's owner must attend their dog's matches at the starting point but can also option to be a running spectator behind their hired dog handlers. As running spectators, they must follow all rules for running spectators. Association members can employ their children as their dog handlers but they still must pay them for their labor. If it is found out that they are not really paying their children for their labor, they are suspended from this future challenge's association until adequate compensation, as determined by the association's officers, is paid to their children.
2) Same as Future Challenge #1 above but is an association within the FC #1 association whose members employ at least one full-time dog handler for their terriers and NEVER become running spectators. Possibly "Barons & Baronesses" should be part of their association's name to distinguish themselves from the FC #1 association.
3) First pest control company to own at least one terrier that is registered with the original challenge's association, to have run at least one of their terriers in at least 100 association-sanctioned matches, have at least one of its terriers earn the title of "Champion" from the association, and for the "Champion" terrier to have appeared in TV commercials for the company.
4) First inner city chapter where the majority of their members are black, has a membership of at least 100 terrier-running members, and they have run at least 100 association-sanctioned matches within their city.
5) First inner city chapter where the majority of their members are Hispanic, has a membership of at least 100 terrier-running members, and they have run at least 100 association-sanctioned matches within their city.
6) First association-sanctioned match between two inner city chapters from different cities in a third city between those two cities. There must be a chapter in the match city and that chapter must host the two visiting chapters. The match's Head Judge and Running Judges can only be from the hosting chapter.
First chapter of the original challenge's association to be awarded a Good Citizenship award by their:
7) Mayor.
8) County board.
9) County sheriff.
10) Governor.
First entertainment production company to do a:
11) TV documentary about three of the biggest US inner-city association chapters and their inter-city association-approved match (two competing and the third hosting). The one of the profiled association chapters must have the majority of their membership be African-American, the other have a Hispanic-American membership majority, and the third have either a majority white or Asian membership majority OR a racially diverse membership. Their chapters must be from two distant US cities (e.g., New York and Los Angeles), the inter-city match taking place in a city in the middle (e.g., Chicago), and all three chapters (two competing and the one hosting) from the hardest part of their city's ghettos. None of the chapters can be affiliated with a street gang. All the employees and camera crews of the TV documentary production company must all pass lie detector tests that they didn't stock any match or practice match with vermin and, in the end credits, tell which independent lie detection company did the tests with the end credits stating that the lie detection company swears that all employees and crew members passed it.
12) TV reality show about group of traveling association judges who officiate association-sanctioned inter-city matches. The traveling group consisting of all the judges at such matches. The group must be racially mixed (at least one black, white, Hispanic, and Asian), age mixed (at least one 18-25, 26-30, 31-40, and 41-60+ year-olds ... with the oldest judge always being the match's Head Judge), and have at least one female judge. They must travel by motorhomes around the US, Canada, and Mexico officiating inter-city matches. They must be solely supported by the associations chapters paying them to officiate their matches and have done so for at least three years before being profiled by the TV show. The group can make money off of the TV show BUT these funds cannot be used to pay for their operational, traveling, and living expenses. [In other words, they can make a living off of just being inter-city match judges and thus this isn't just a Hollywood creation.] To win this future challenge, the show must be on the air for at least three seasons.
13) A weekly hour-long pay TV reality sports program that features inter-city matches in all their violent, bloody, gory, scary detail. Match locations CANNOT be stocked with vermin by the TV production company or anyone else and their employees and camera crews must pass lie detector tests on this point. The dogs can be equipped with micro video cameras to record their hunts. Camera crews must shoot in infra-red to not scare away the vermin. To win this future challenge, the show must be on the air for at least three seasons.
Discussion:
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