WHO IS ABLE?
Meet the Librarians
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Maureen Waldron - PA
Maureen travels up and down the East Coast to compete in AKC and USDAA trials with her Keeshond “Meg” and her Sheltie “Mickle”. She was a friend to Jane Callaghy, who lost her life in a drowsy driving accident. To help her fellow agility competitors stay awake on the road she became a one of the founding Librarians. She is currently LTRA’s ABLE Coordinator.
Leigh Chomic - Linden, MI
Leigh has been into agility for 13 years and acts has a trial secretary She runs her shelties primarily at USDAA and AKC trials. Leigh has been a Librarian for about 2 years and enjoys introducing people to audiobooks as an aid in driving distances.
Becky Barr - WI
I live in NE WI and take my audio books mainly to AKC and USDAA trials in WI, MN, IL, IN, MI mostly. I currently show 2 Tervuren, Versai - 11 1/2 yrs old and semi-retired, and I am just starting out with his son, Rainier. I been toting books around for about 5 years, and have a several good people who bring me books to add to the library, I also haunt the library and rummage sales.
Penny Larson - CA
I live in Northern California. I compete in AKC and USDAA with two sable and white sheltie boys, Ryan (age 10 1/2) and Nick (age 6). We also do tracking, obedience and rally. I've been in the sport since the mid '90s, and I decided to be a librarian when the person who was doing it cut down on her trialing. It's fun to see the wide variety of materials that comes in to the boxes, and I've got an unending source of 'books' to listen to myself.
Mary Kay Keenan - SC
I have shown Keeshonden in Obedience since the mid 1980s, but "tried" Agility for the first time in 2000. AKC Agility is the only game that I play. I am currently running 3 Kees: MACH3 Circus who has been to the AKC Invitational twice; Gotcha MX MXJ; and baby Pistol who is just starting. In 2005, I attended an Agility trial near the Kees National Specialty in Columbus, Ohio. Faced with an 8 hour drive home, I borrowed a tape from the LRA Library. I was so impressed with the concept that I shortly thereafter volunteered to be a librarian. It is especially gratifying when Trial Secretaries tell me how thrilled they are to be able to advertise that their trial will have the Library present.
Janet Ingersol - CANADA
Janet lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba and competes with her English Springer Spaniels in NADAC, USDAA and AAC. She's been into agility for 21 years. Janet was invited by a librarian in MN to start a library of her own and she did that about 2 years ago. They exchange audiobooks frequently. Janet co-owns an agility training center and has a library set up there as well as the one she takes on the road.
Ardis Lukens - PA
Ardis resides in Conshohocken with a variety of dogs, most of whom are rescues. She is one of our founding librarians and is always willing to help the newbies get started. Ardis competes in USDAA and you’ll often be able to find her fund raising with her famous “Stinky Dog Brownies”
Shelby Cook - KY
I live in Lancaster, KY and I compete in Herding, Agility, Obedience and Rally and I own 4 shelties and a border collie. I’ve been competing with dogs for about 7 years now and I think I’ve been a librarian for about 3 years. I decided to become a librarian after seeing another librarian at an event and thought it was such a great idea. What I find most rewarding is knowing that I’m sharing something with people that may help save their lives.
Bud and Marsha Houston - OH
We run Houston's Country Dream in very rural Waterford, OH. We compete in TDAA, USDAA, C-Wags, and NADAC. We own Shelties, Aussies and one rather scruffy looking Border Collie.
I've been in dog agility about 22 years now. We support Live to Run again because we believe that all fans of the game should remain safe. We've maintained a LRA library for something over five years. We're old friends of Jane Callaghy and miss her terribly. I love the LRA library... I get to keep up on my reading even on the many long weekends when I have to be on the road playing at my favorite sport.
Janet Rogers - PA
I’ve been competing for about 10 years in agility and obedience. Currently I have 2 border collies, 1 sheltie & 1 rough collie. My favorite dog sport is agility and I complete in TDAA, UKC, AKC, USDAA and NADAC. My dogs and I also enjoy Rally and flyball. I was the originator of the library for our club as well as the librarian. TNT Canines has had the library for about 7 years. After hearing about Jane & Tom’s tragic accident, I decided that this was a great service we needed offer to our exhibitors. I also competed in the NADAC Live to Run fundraiser in Aston, PA.
Laura Miller - GA
I compete mostly in USDAA, but also NADAC, TDAA, ASCA and occasionally AKC. I am also a USDAA and ASCA judge.
I currently have 4 Jack Russell Terriers and a foster Jack (mix?) , but have put agility titles on 6 dogs, 5 JRT's and one Border Collie.
I have been a LRA librarian for several years. We actually had a small library of audio books at our training center and once I was on round 2 or 3 of listening to each of them while traveling to trials, I decided I would just load them up in my motor home and make them an "official" LRA library. I put the word out for donations and the books poured in. I now have hundreds of books on audio tape and 50+ on CD. I no longer have room to travel with all of them at once, so I rotate the stock and weed out duplicates to give to other librarians in my region.
Elaine Coupe - TN
I live in Oakland, TN (just outside of Memphis) with husband, Bob and 4 totally unruly agility dogs: ADCH Bounce, a BC, ADCH Trip!, another BC, Kate, a BC youngster that is a total handful, and Brassy Beagle who also does agility. We compete mostly in USDAA. Our club, 4 P.A.W.S., decided to start a library because Lynn Sigman donated the proceeds from an ad to Live to Run Again, which inspired me to go to the website and find out how easy it was to get started. So I quit wondering why there wasn't one in "our area" and decided to start one, with the club's backing and support
Susan Ruzek - CANADA
I live in Strathmore Alberta Canada and currently compete in NADAC and some AAC in the past.
I’ve been a Live To Run Again Librarian since 2003. I was “volunteered” to try it.
Been competing since 1998.
Easy to spot – I run the yellow labs.
Play agility in Alberta, some Sask, MT, Idaho.
Diane Aramian - VA
I trial mostly in USDAA but do also some AKC trials. I run a blue merle border collie named Magic, but also own a rough coat JRT Panda who started me in this sport. I have been doing agility for about 8 years, but have been trialing for four years. I never thought I would have liked listening to books in the car because I thought they would be to distracting. Driving home from some trials quite tired I found myself pulling over for rest periods. I was at a trial once and saw the LTR collection and tried one. I started my first one with a good book and found that it was quite helpful. I also work nights and get off at midnight. I started to listen to them every night going home and it made the drive much nicer. Because of this I started collecting both tapes and cd's and emailed Maureen to find out how I could join the team.
Suzan Roberts - VA
I live in central Virginia and I compete in USDAA with my little mix breed, wild child, Jenni Belle. I am currently training my new addition to the family, a puppymill dog that my family an I rescued, Marty. I started as a librarian about two years ago when my instructor, Lynn Sigman, asked if I would be interested in being a part of the Live to Run Again program. She explained what it was all about and I said sure. I take my library to trials that are close to home, when I have the space in my car to haul them
Chris Mosley - MN
I trial in all the organizations from AKC to Teacup with two Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Maggie and Winn. I work for Penguin Group USA and am proud that my company has provided donations to LTRA for the past four years to the NADAC Champion-ships, as well as giving me the opportunity to stock my ABLE bin with some great listening. I’ve encouraged others to start chapters in other states and Canada and can be seen at most trials here in Minnesota. I know of at least one life locally that was saved by a book on CD!
Jacky Judd - PA
Jacky runs her Corgi and her daughter’s Sheltie in a variety of venues. Jacky is on the board of directors for LTRA and was instrumental in getting a link on the Y2K9s website.
Tracey Kroll -MO
I have been competing in agility since 1999 and currently reside in the Kansas City, MO area. My first agility dog was a German Shepherd. I currently compete with a Shetland Sheepdog and rescue Australian Shepherd. We compete primarily in NADAC, with some AKC and USDAA mixed in. I have been a librarian since moving to the Midwest in 2003.
One of the trials I entered with my GSD was in rural Pennsylvania, which was an ambitious one day drive from the NYC area. I entered only one day, and of course, showed up on the wrong one. I couldn't stay over because I had other dogs at home so I drove back and then did the repeat drive the next day (notice I never considered skipping the trial <g>). On Sunday night while returning home, the Live to Run Again book I had chosen was invaluable in helping me stay awake and arrive home safely. When my husband was transferred to Kansas City, I learned there was no library in the area and knew I wanted to provide one. I often get comments from other exhibitors who tell me the value of the program, just like it helped me so much many years ago.
Janice Anthes NM
It all started 30 years ago when my husband said if you want a dog you need to take it to school. So I and a Sheltie named Misty trotted off to school and discovered the joy of training. Since then I've trained 6 dogs to the obedience UD level, including 2 Shelties and 5 Flat-Coated Retrievers. During a lapse in having a dog to show, I discovered the joy of obedience judging. Then, a few years ago, despite thinking I was too old and too awkward, I tried agility. I am now running my 3rd agility dog, a Flat-coated Retriever, Sparks. Currently, I train and teach obedience, rally and agility classes for the Sandia Dog Obedience Club in Albuquerque, NM and judge all levels of AKC obedience and Rally. Currently, Sparks, "Ch. Jazz'd Let the Sparks fly CDX, AX, AXJ XF, RA, is keeping me busy competing in Agility, Obedience and Conformation. Sparks was recently joined by a Sheltie puppy, Rowdy who is living up to his name. I love Audio books and they have made the long drives to New Mexico shows go by quickly with me awake.
Shelley Permann - CA
I live in Southern California and compete with a cardigan corgi in AKC and USDAA. I also have a young border collie. In 2004, I started this "agility addiction" to help my cardi get more comfortable in group settings. It sure worked! Have been the librarian for a couple of years now. I use donations, exchange offerings, and Tuesday Morning as the source for the audiobook library here. It's fascinating what everyone brings in!
Sara Webb - PA
I started trialing my first Pembroke Welsh Corgi in agility in 2003, and quickly became hooked on working with my dog. I currently compete in Rally, agility and flyball with my two Pems, as well as dabble in herding and freestyle. I serve on the Board of the Dog Training Club of Chester County in Exton, PA, and have revamped and run our dog club library. I have a M.Ed. in Library Science, and work as a librarian at a local private girls’ school. I am an advocate for books in every form, and am proud to be part of such a worthy group!
Barbara Donahue- PA
After twenty years of owning miniature schnauzers, my favorite dog related saying is “Real Women Train Terriers”. But it’s only in the past five years that I learned the joys associated with canine performance/companion sports. While neither my dogs nor I are outstanding athletes, we enjoy competing in AKC, CPE and TDAA agility and NAFA flyball. We have a blast with training for fun and trying our hand at freestyle, earthdog, tracking, and lure coursing. I’m on the board of the Dog Training Club of Chester County (Exton, PA) and with all the agility, flyball, obedience, rally and workshop events we host, it seemed a natural fit for the club to offer a LRA library for the enjoyment and safety of our wonderful members and exhibitors.
Karen Vance - FL
I live in Tampa, Fl with Biloxi (Y F 9 yr) RE AX, AXJ NF and Hyena OA,OAJ (C F 8 yr). We stick with AKC I made it to a UD which a very vicious dog many years ago with started my studies in behavioral modification.
About 3 yrs ago I was introduced to the library since I had to drive a long lonely route across the state and I get sleepy when I drive especially in the dark. I'd never seen a LTRA library on the west coast of FL & since I thought it was a great idea and had no where to return the tapes, I decided to volunteer.
