Dogs for Defense training at El Delirio, Santa Fe, August 1942. SAR AC20-11b, Courtesy/School for Advanced ResearchHSFF News:
Historic Santa Fe Foundation presents the July Salon El Zaguán monthly lecture series with Nancy Owen Lewis on The Hounds of El Delirio and Dogs for Defense: New Mexico’s Canine Warriors.
The talk is scheduled for 3 p.m., Thursday, July 12, in the sala of the Historic Santa Fe Foundation offices at 545 Canyon Road, Suite 2, Santa Fe.
There is no charge for admission for members and the non-members entry fee is $5. RSVP is required to 505.983.2567 or info@historicsantafe.org.
Nancy Owen Lewis. Courtesy photoAbout The Lecture
In August 1942, Page, a four-year-old Collie from Albuquerque, completed basic training as a sentry dog in preparation for entering the K-9 Corps during World War II. She was one of eighty-five New Mexico dogs to be screened at El Delirio, the Santa Fe estate of Amelia Elizabeth White, regional director of Dogs for Defense. Miss White, who raised Irish Wolfhounds and Afghans, offered the use of her kennel and dog handler to train pets for the war effort.
From show dogs to war dogs, the changing role of a world-class kennel and the woman who owned it are examined in this illustrated presentation.
About The Speaker
Nancy Owen Lewis has a PhD in anthropology from the University of Massachusetts and is the author of several books, including Chasing the Cure in New Mexico: Tuberculosis and the Quest for Health. As scholar-in-residence at the School for Advanced Research, she conducted extensive research on Dogs for Defense. She currently serves on the board of the Historic Santa Fe Foundation, is vice president of the Historical Society of New Mexico, and is a member of the city Public Safety Committee.
