Rarely do we feature animals on our cover, but when we do, we try to be inclusive. So when we planned a story on camps for dogs, we began to notice all the other canine-friendly items from recent weeks — a Lambertville dog calendar, pet photo cards from Stone’s Throw, and, most unlikely, a course for a certificate in dog walking, at Middlesex County College.
A certificate is needed to walk dogs? Yes, you can earn a comprehensive one from a national organization or a three-session certificate from Middlesex County College. Classes at MCC were due to start this Thursday, November 8. But when we called MCC to get information on the course, we discovered that although 17 students had signed up for the class, the instructor is on maternity leave, and no substitute could be found.
Hmm, we said. It would be a shame to cancel the course. And we have just spent the week talking to other professional pet nannies. Maybe one of them could be a substitute teacher.
Happy ending: Sheri Hayes and Randy DeFazio of Camp BowWow stepped forward to teach, starting Thursday, November 8 (see cover story, page 42, and Survival Guide story, 8).
