The Collie Club of Maine offers two, three hour seminars:

1) Pet First Aid Classes with The American Red Cross of Southern Maine

Times: 9:00-12:00 and 1:00- 4:00 (Participation is limited to the first 12 to sign up)

2) Pet Illnesses with Dr. August J. Valenti

Times: 9:00-12:00 and 1:00- 4:00 (Unlimited participation)

Date:               Sunday, November 8^th 2009

Location:        Cliff House Resort, Ogunquit, Maine

 To register for the seminars described below, download the flier with a registration form here.

1) Pet First Aid Classes and CPR Training with The American Red Cross of Southern Maine:

The goal of pet first aid is to protect pet owners and their pets from further harm, injury, or suffering during emergencies, by teaching prompt, effective actions and care that will safeguard the life of an injured pet.

Course Objectives:

• Explain how, when and where to call for emergency assistance with an injured pet.
• Understand how to find vital signs and behaviors that are “normal” for a pet.
• Identify signals of breathing emergencies, including choking, and demonstrate how to provide care.
• Identify life-threatening bleeding and demonstrate how bleeding can be controlled.
• Identify signals for various injuries and demonstrate how to care for them.
• Identify signals of sudden illness, including poisoning, seizures, and heat and cold emergencies and how to care for them.
• Describe when and how to move an injured pet.
• Describe components of a good “pet friendly” first aid kit.

2) Pet Illnesses with Dr. August J. Valenti:

Dr. Valenti will be speaking about illnesses associated with pet dogs.  This will include tick-borne illnesses (Lyme Disease), leptosporosis, MRSA, Group A Streptococci, animal bites, rabies, parasites, and more. There will be case discussions taken from Dr. Valenti's case files. There will time for audience participation and questions. 

Biography:

Dr. Valenti is a graduate of Cornell University Medical College. He trained in internal medicine at what is now the New York Presbyterian Hospital. He was a Fellow in Infectious Diseases at Yale University. After leaving Yale, he came to Maine where he has practiced internal medicine and infectious diseases. He is a national authority on hospital acquired infections and has authored numerous articles for scientific journals and textbooks on infectious diseases. 
 
For over thirty years he has lectured in Maine and nationally on infectious diseases. He has worked on various commissions, medical society boards, advisory committees, and with the media to increase public understanding of infectious diseases. He is Director of Epidemiology and Infection Prevention at Maine Medical Center and serves as a clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Vermont and the Tufts University Medical School. His research interests include methods for reducing healthcare acquired infections and chairs the Maine Infection Prevention Collaborative. 
 
He is on the board of the Grace Butnam Foundation, a charitable organization that generously supports efforts to rescue and rehabilitate abused horses. Dr. Valenti is currently co-authoring an upcoming book to help patients navigate through the healthcare system. 
 
He and his wife, Debbie, live with four collies, five horses (two of which are rescued horses that they keep for the Humane Society), and two cats on their farm in Poland Spring Maine. 

About the Collie Club of Maine...

The Collie Club of Maine was founded in 1950 for the purpose of honoring the “Breed Standard for the Collie,” furthering the advancement of the Collie as a purebred dog, and encouraging the wise and selective breeding of the Collie. Additional CCME objectives include promoting harmony, fair play and good sportsmanship, and providing education and advice on the care and training of this very special breed.

CCME membership includes approximately 40 members from Maine and neighboring states, ranging from major breeders with national champions to single pet owners and, in some cases, simply collie aficionados. Many members participate in breed showing and/or obedience, rally, agility, and herding trials, as well as therapy, fire/safety and rescue. Others have beloved companions who do not show but have a place as special family members.  

Membership meetings take place once a month, usually on the first Saturday, at various members’ homes. The Club sponsors an annual Specialty Show in March that also includes Obedience and Rally Trials. Other annual events are the Agility Trial in June, a Fall Match, an Educational Seminar, and an Annual Banquet and Awards Dinner. Please browse through our website and, if you have any questions, email the individuals listed in the “Contacts” section.

Our site is updated on a regular basis; we also have helpful links to several other Collie organizations, providing an excellent network to the wonderful world of Collies. Anyone with an interest in and love of Collies is invited and encouraged to join our club. Thank you for visiting with us, and please come back again soon!