Jemmy didn't want to run.  She just wanted to go back to the parking lot to be with my wife.  I think the whole thing overwhelmed her but we'll be back.  We just have to practice with her.  That was a great event and I'm glad we came out!   Can't believe I DNF'd a dog race.  Ken Natalie 

Congratulations on an AWESOME event.  My kids (and Dakota) can’t wait until next year.  I’m hoping someone caught my dog tackling my wife in the home stretch on video.  It’s a moment we’ll laugh about for years.  Thanks for letting my daughter present her donation.  She’s already talking about how she can try to collect more donations for next year.  You did a wonderful job of organizing this event.  I’m sure we’ll be back many times in future years.  Take care.  Jim Galbraith and Family 

Notes from Barb: Here’s a funny story:  I got this note from Myrna Moran, the marshal at the last turn.  We went back and forth on safety because someone got knocked over.  It took me a while to realize it was the same incident described above by Jim Galbraith and the dog just wanted to say “Hi” to Mommy.  From Myra:  “From my limited perspective, it seemed that everything went very well.  I did notice, though, that one of the runners made a good sprint to pass another in the last stretch and it looked like he was going to succeed until his Golden Retriever ran around a pedestrian whom he knocked down, thereby ruining his handler's chance to pass.  I thought that if the cheering section could stand further back, it could prevent that from happening.”.   Myrna and I went back and forth on safety and how we can prevent this from happening when I realized it was Jim Galbraith.  Myra’s response to the revelation was: “What a lovely note, leaves me chuckling at myself.” 

It was a pleasure to have met you!  "Andrew" & I had a delightful time at your fine, most well-planned and organized event!!  We LOVE our shirt/bandana and he's proud of his senior ribbon!  And BOY what a lucky dog to have won the raffle!  What SUPER treats, food etc!  Best wishes always, Barb Ellicott 

You always do such a great job and I just want to say Thank You. This is really a special day for all teams. We are very lucky to have such an event especially because there are so many anti- dog things happening now a days. Sue who ran Charlie was thrilled to run with her. She loved seeing all the dogs running together. She has never owned a dog and she has a soft heart for Charlie so it was great that she had the chance to run with her. Thanks so much, Pat, Charlie & Skye Koziol 

So much fun today! Thanks for sharing Ryan - he's such a trooper.  Lauren Kolesa 

Sorry I could not stay and thank you in person for putting on another great race.  With my Ironman 4 weeks away I had to leave right after I received my award so I could get my 7 hour workout in before dark.  I am a little exhausted right now but I will e-mail you later so you have something for the endorsement page.  Thanks Again Peter Hyland 

Thanks for all the effort you put into making this race a great time for everyone and every dog....even the senior dogs like Beri.   With Beri's condition, I was just happy and thankful that we could still participate.   She walked a little bit and, fortunately, she's small enough that I can just pick her up if she has too much trouble.  My attitude is to make Beri as comfortable as possible and enjoy whatever time we have left together --- and I think today was good quality time.   Greg Mandak 

I'm so glad I dropped by although I got lost in Chatham.  I was coming from the east and I got nervous and didn't stay on 124 long enough and ended up wandering around the Great Swamp.  A Chatham policeman finally helped me.  But by the time I arrived the police had closed the road. I doubt Sparky would have made it, maybe just under the 45 minute close. His arthritis is really bad, I try massaging him but he doesn't like it.  It was good to see you and all of the happy people and dogs.  I'm glad that Robin was able to run with a dog and he seemed to connect with the owner. 

Well Sparky enjoyed finishing off all of the apple cores, someone should give him a medal for clean up.  I had to smell all of his farts as I drove him down to Delaware beaches.  He and my dad are having a bachelor’s two weeks while my mother is in Guatemala. 

You run the best race in the world.  You have the best volunteers. The best competitors and fairly good luck with the weather most years.   Best of luck for future races, see you then, Susan Dawson. 

Thanks again for giving everyone such a beautiful race to participate in.  Mike Prebenda 

We all had a great time at the race -- Slider especially loved his first race.  He was so excited!  Max was exhausted from all the excitement.  Slider will definitely be back and hopefully Max will be back next year, too.  Thanks again.  Carrey Curry

Is David's record still intact?? Richard Panush  (Richard’s son David’s event record with his lab Karma was not threatened.  The record stands from 2002 at 15:49. This year’s winning time was 17:08.)   

I'm still crying now about that photo that you gave me on Saturday.  It means so much to me. Thank you for caring so very much.  (Karen was presented a dog frame with a photo of Tucker and her dog Elsie who passed away in the last year.  The presentation was made for Tucker’s being the only dog to participate in all 13 races.) 

Saturday was a wonderful day.  Tucks feels very lucky to still be participating and for you to honor him in such a meaningful way was very touching.  Rosie loved her first H&H race and can't wait for next year.  

Thank you again for all your hard work to make this event so special.  Talk soon, Karen Fox 

I was speaking with that guy who owns Beri.  They were standing next to us at the start of Paws.  He really is a nice guy.  Very honest about Beri's condition and I think he's realistic about Beri's quality of life.  Beri is really sweet.  Tucks has slowed down considerably. But he loves to be out and about and say hello to everyone.  I was happy to see how well Rosie behaved on Saturday. She was a little freaked out at the beginning, but she mellowed as the day went on.

Yes, I saw the T&T shots. They're nice.  I saw the photo of Bob Tona and Blaze.  So sad that Blaze is gone now.   When I saw the little notepad with Milk Bones in it from him, I cried.  I cried a lot on Saturday....I love the dog bone frame! Karen Fox 

Thank you so much.  We've been to a several people races and this one was so well organized and worth every penny.  Thank you for your hospitality and good work.  Let me know if there is anyway I can help.  Thanks again. Regis Fernandez 

As always thanks so much for such a wonderful event.  I made the right choice letting Kate run. She seemed to enjoy it a lot. Of course I can't say the same for Miles.  My wife said he went absolutely crazy when we did not let him race. But he must have still had a good time since he hid under the bed when my daughter came to take him home later after the race. Kate didn't take her 1st rest until about mile 1 3/4 and again at the last water stop.  All in all is was difficult for her but doable.  This is the first time I ever ran in the back and was quite content as long as Kate was able to complete the race.  She seemed quite happy.   (Bill has always placed in H&H but wanted to give his old girl of over 15 one more chance to have the experience.) Bill Winterbottom 

Thank you!!!!! I had a wonderful time and quite possibly will not be able to enjoy any other race than those I can bring my pup along with me! I had mentioned to Chirp that we were doing a 'fun run' but somehow, she must have realized it was a race, cause she was all about passing whoever she could and would have sprinted her little body to the finish line had I not been holding her back! Thanks again for pairing Lexi up with Robin, she also really enjoyed the event and I was so glad to not have to leave her home! Robin was such a sweetheart and Lexi bonded to him immediately, which is quite unusual for her!  Already looking forward to next year! Heather and Chirp Hoekstra 

Funny thing, I was most likely the one holding them back. Lexi wouldn't go without me, so despite being pulled by Miss Chirp, I was setting the pace! I talked to Robin after the race about running again next year. He seemed up for it, and I think this time I can give him Tsuli, who won’t mind ripping ahead with just Robin.
Who knows, maybe next year, I will be able to run along at Robin's pace!  Haha, wishful thinking! Heather Hoekstra 

My 4 legged companion was very sad to miss the race this weekend, but my wife and I just adopted a 2 legged baby two weeks ago and after staying up through the night...I thought it best to pass, so as not to make it a 5K stumble.  I'll be there for the 10k Giralda farms, but am eager to see the goodies in the bag...Thanks!  John Coyle 

We loved the race! We are looking forward to next year’s event. It is a very motivational race. I felt like I was the weak link in the team. So I am planning on doing much better next year, so that I don't hold Tatan back.  Romel Fernandez 

It was great seeing you on Saturday.  Thanks for the nice t-shirt.  Hopefully the times all came out okay.  The volunteers were all very good about making sure I had the correct information.  One guy refused to go into the chute and that almost fouled things up (as other people came in at about the same instance).  Also, the first group of 3 that came in at the same time gave me problems - I guess I wasn't quite ready for that.  Knew that I did okay afterwards - was on my guard after the first group.  It was fun.  Sorry I skipped out soon after the race - wanted to catch the tail end of my Ryan's soccer game.  Talk with you soon.  –Joel Vaag. (time recorder) 

Beri was not well.  We, too, have a number of fond pets whose time on this earth may be very limited.  Hope Greg can manage to give her a comfortable situation at this point in her life.  Thanks for making this such a success.  Mike Prebenda 

I was a race marshal on Saturday and it was my first experience with this event.  I don’t have any suggestions for improvement right now but I wanted to tell you that what really stood out to me was how appreciative everyone was. I’ve never seen so many runners thanking the race volunteers.  I would volunteer again anyway, but it really makes it worthwhile.  Thanks for the pictures. John Engler 

The confusion at the finish line was the result of too many people talking to Joel and Joel did an amazing job of filtering the gibberish.  Often, the runner's number was very similar to the number of seconds and Joel would have to keep it all straight.  I was getting confused and Joel must have too, but, after the first ten runners, Joel had it under control.  I had fun and look forward to next year!  Dan O’Connell (race time keeper) 

Well your passion for the event is very evident.  I can see that there are hundreds of details that you need worry about, so you must have some great organizational skills.  By the way, I’m a former marathon runner and am also a Ryan Hall fan.  I saw him in person a month ago at the Philly Half Marathon that he won (I finished over a half hour behind him).  I’m definitely pulling for him in NY.  (Jim is referencing Ryan Hall as my Brittany Ryan was named after him.) 

I enjoyed seeing the photos and videos of your dogs on the website.  It’s amazing that your dog Sunchi was doing the agility course at 16.  Thanks again for organizing this event.  I can’t wait to see the photos and videos when they’re posted.  Take care.  Jim Galbraith 

Hi Barb - we enjoyed another year!! Jenny Deery 

The race went very well from my perspective.  It seams like everyone had a great time.  Good job as the race director as always!  Cande Olsen 

The Hounds and Harriers race was wonderful! Harry and I had a great time! This time Harry pulled me most of the way. I did not have to encourage him at all! Thanks for everything! Sue Merberg

Just wanted to congratulate you on another great Hounds and Harriers race.   

Thanks again for finding a dog for me to run with.  I met Heather, Lexi and Chirp (Heather’s dog) at the race.  Lexi and I warmed up with Heather and Chirp and then went to the start line.  We started off and Lexi was intrigued by the whole thing.  However, after about 100 yards, she pulled up and refused to run ahead.  I guessed that she wanted to run with Heather and Chirp, so we waited until they caught up.  Lexi immediately ran over to them and we started up again.  It was cute that she wanted to stay with Heather and Chirp.  We ran the race and finished.  Not my best time, but we had a lot of fun.  Heather invited me to run with Lexi again next year, so it obviously worked out well.  Best regards, Robin Dawson 

Thank you for a fabulously run event!  I HAD SO MUCH FUN over on the first water stop (mile 1).  Danuta is the BEST!  I'm certainly looking forward to 2010.  Thank you again!!!!!!  Best, Denise Carlson 

Another great race this year.  We had a great time and E.D. ran his best time at 9 years old.  He keeps surprising us each year.  We were actually with the leaders until about a half mile to go when E.D. ran out of gas.  I think we could have won if Kevin ran the Chicago marathon the week before the race like he did last year and if you had put in one more water stop as Joe's dog stopped at both water stops which allowed us to catch up. Already looking forward to next year.  Hopefully this race continues for many years.   

E.D. is usually really nervous when we are lining up to start.  I think all the barking makes him nervous, but this year he was not too bad, except a second before you said start he backed up right between my legs.  My wife saw the picture and thought it was pretty funny.  

Anyway I just wanted to say again how amazed we are that every year you seem to run the race so smoothly.  It may not be the biggest race on my schedule every year but it is one of the ones I look forward to doing the most. 

Your goody bags are by far the best.  See you in October 2010. Peter Hyland  

There aren't too many people that can consistently bring this level of detail, commitment and love for anything like you do! Charlie Lewis 

Thank you for all the work you put in for the Hounds and Harriers race. It was my first race and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it (I was recommended to run by Charlie Lewis). Regards. Zachary Moser 

Well once again......THANK YOU!  We had a great time once again.......My boys enjoyed it and I think did quite well for first timers.... They both told stories about things on the course...Matt's sophomore science teacher ran it again, and Matt passed her and beat her by about a minute. I think they'll be back....Matt is quite competitive and I'm sure would like to beat me...Maybe I can hold him off for a couple more years. 

Penny was stressed by the crowd and commotion.....Dakota seemed to like it but remained much calmer than Dillon...Dillon barked like mad at Paws from the Past, pulled like a nut in the race, and once again snarled at dogs near him at the post race.... 

I'm very impressed with Chuck Paul...He consistently kicks my butt by a lot every year. This year his dog was kind of sluggish early on ..He was talking to her...I passed and said hello, but within a half a mile they blew past me.  Mark DePiano  P.S. We love the calendar. 

Thanks for another great story and pics for H&H. What a wonderful event. You should be very proud. Freddi Carlip, Editor Runner’s Gazette 

I can't tell you how sorry I am that I missed race day. I trained all year for that day but then got an upper respiratory infection that seemed to drag on forever... My sinus's needed to be treated as well.  I did get the t-shirt. Thanks a lot.  Shibu Kinatukara 

I saw the updates on your web site and Dakota and I are truly honored that our picture is now posted.  My wife and I also enjoyed seeing the email exchange that you had with Myra Moran regarding our little spill in the home stretch.  I was curious if the incident was captured on the video that you said was taken during the event.  Perhaps it took place too far from the finish line to make in on the tape.  Thanks again for running such a tremendous event. Jim Galbraith

Thank you so much for getting this posted.  The video actually provides a bit of an explanation as to what happened.  My daughter Katie reached out to pet Dakota as she was running by, at which point she veered off course and ran around my wife.  The wipe-out actually wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected (maybe it’s the slow motion).  The family got a great laugh out of this.  The kids will certainly know to stay back next year, or stand after the finish line.  Thanks again for posting this!  Jim Galbraith  Here’s the video of the “incident” (There’s a problem with sound and in slowmotion but here it is, thanks to Jerry Kloby).  Click Here.

Another great year!  Thanks for all that u do for this race.  it is a lot of fun for humans and hounds!!!  Jocelyn Grier