Abby Kennels Salutes One of Our Own!

One of the things that has become most apparent in the last few days is the importance of taking solace in the soothing aspects of our lives.  For many of us, that means spending time with our dogs.  Another thing that has become apparent is the importance of dogs, not only for family comfort but also for police work.  The constant coverage of the tragic events in Boston showed thousands of police officers, many of whom were handling working dogs amid the chaos and confusion. 

Mary Farren has trained at Abby Kennels for years and is active in the Concord River Dog Training Club based at the Kennel.  She is also the Working Dog Coordinator at German Shepherd Rescue of New England (GSRNE).   GSRNE (www.gsrne.org) is an all volunteer, 501 (c)(3) charitable organization providing  “a safe harbor for German Shepherds that might otherwise by destroyed.”  Quite simply, GSRNE saves dogs’ lives.  The work this organization does is tireless and often thankless.   Mary started volunteering as a way to help the breed that she loves.  Gradually, she took on more and more responsibility and what began as a little volunteer job is now a second career.

As Working Dog Coordinator, Mary evaluates potential working dogs for Police Departments or Search & Rescue Teams.   Mary spots the promise in “throw away” dogs and starts them on the road to becoming valued members of our society.  These dogs eventually make their way to helping with complex police investigations and search missions. 

Mary also serves as the Foster Dog Trainer Coordinator.  In this position, she works with the Foster Coordinator, foster homes and foster dogs on any training or behavioral concerns that come up while a rescued dog is in foster care.  Recently, she took on the added stress of being the GSRNE Intake Coordinator.  Working with a team of evaluators throughout New England, Mary sets up evaluations on dogs being considered for GSRNE.

As a member of the Concord River Dog Training Club, Mary also spends time training her own German Shepherds.  .  Her two year old male Shepherd, Alden, holds several titles, including an IPO BH, an AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC), and an AKC Herding Title.  Mary’s female, Cruelly, recently earned her AKC CGC and is training for her IPO BH title.

Abby Kennels is proud to call Mary Farren one of our own.  Her tireless work for the German Shepherd Rescue community is a shining example of the difference one person can make in the life of a dog.  And her training regime with her own dogs is an inspiration to all of us to get out and train.  Dogs are capable of, and necessary for, many things, both comforting and unnerving.   Hats off to Mary for recognizing this and working so hard to bring out the best in every dog!

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