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One of our most valued reporters, Linda Witouski, Legislative and
State Of Mine Editor,
recipient of AKC's Community Achievement Award.
October 26, 2008 New York, NY –
The American Kennel Club® announced recently that Linda D. Witouski
of Myrtle Beach Kennel Club and a resident of Conway, South
Carolina, has been named a recipient of the AKC® Community
Achievement Award for her longtime dedication to educating the
public and lawmakers about canine legislative issues.
Witouski received one of three awards for the third quarter of 2008–
Lyons Township Dog Training Club and Salisbury Maryland Kennel Club
also received recognition.
The AKC Community Achievement Awards support and recognize
outstanding public education and legislation efforts of AKC-affiliated
clubs, AKC-recognized federations and their members. The AKC selects
award recipients who promote purebred dogs and responsible dog
ownership within their communities or who have successfully
introduced, monitored and responded to legislative issues affecting
dog ownership.
Linda D. Witouski is the AKC Delegate from the Myrtle Beach Kennel
Club. In addition to keeping her club apprised on AKC activities and
policy, she is a tireless foe of breed-specific and anti-dog
legislation on the state and local levels. On behalf of her club and
the dog fancy, Witouski writes letters, attends state functions and
lobbies legislators.
As the co-author of the "Monthly National Legislation Report,"
Witouski reaches 200,000 readers nationwide. She is founder of the
South Carolina Animal & Sportsman Voting Coalition and is on the
steering committee of the Camo Coalition, a group of concerned
hunters and wildlife enthusiasts.
When the Southside Middle School seventh-grade class began a project
in opposition to proposed breed-specific legislation, Witouski was
invited by their teacher to educate and advise the kids on their
presentation. This led to an ongoing relationship with the class
and, ultimately, to Southside being the first South Carolina school
to offer an AKC education program for middle school students, an
achievement widely reported in the local media.
"AKC is proud of the hard work Linda has done on behalf of the dog
community. Her efforts to educate lawmakers and the public on canine
legislative issues have earned her much respect from her club and
the dog fancy," said Noreen Baxter, AKC's VP of Communications. "We
congratulate Linda on her award and wish her much success in the
future."
Nominations for the AKC Community Achievement Awards are accepted
year-round. Up to three honorees are named each quarter. They
receive a certificate of appreciation and a $1,000 check payable to
the club or federation's public education and canine legislation
efforts.
AKC - The following American Kennel Club Delegates were
elected to Standing Committees at the September, 2008 Delegate
Meeting, for those committees where an election was necessary:
BYLAWS COMMITTEE
Three Year Terms
Gretchen Bernardi
Pamela Stacey Rosman
Steve Schmidt Burton J. Yamada
CANINE
HEALTH Three Year Terms
Eddie Dziuk James Efron Margaret Pough Constance B. Vanacore
DELEGATE
ADVOCACY & ADVANCEMENT
Three Year Terms
Merlyn A. Green
Dr. Gerry Meisels
Marjorie A. Tuff Two Year Term Jane Rutherford
DOG SHOW RULES
Three Year Terms Ginny Atkinson
Marieann Gladstone
Blackie N. Nygood
FIELD TRIAL AND HUNTING TEST
EVENTS
Three Year Terms David S. Bagaley
Alice E. Berd
James S. Corbett
Robert McKowen
HERDING, EARTHDOG, AND COURSING
Three Year Terms Gerard Baudet
Dr. John S. Fitzpatrick
Judy A. Hart
Robert N. LaBerge
Two Year Term Claudia Frank
OBEDIENCE, TRACKING, AND AGILITY
Three Year Terms Robert Amen
Ruth W. Crumb
James Primmer
PARENT CLUBS
Three year Terms Karen Burgess
Ruth Ann Naun
Karen R. Spey
Thanks to Shirley Lawler for the
committee report.
Regarding the
new Registration Protocol by AKC, and loss of registration income,
Linda D. Witouski, Delegate for Myrtle Beach Kennel Club, and
our astute Legislative Editor says:
"I
just returned from the Delegate meeting and it was dismal news. More
talk of declining registrations - comparing last year's 1.5 million to
this year's 750,000, plus the decline of puppy & sweeps entries, which
could indicate that people are not breeding. Other registries which
offer no type of support or standards of care for new dog owners have
doubled and the uneducated public uses their registry services rather
than AKC.
"Clearly, if
something is not done and the dog showing fancy is made to support this
monetary loss, entry fees and the cost of shows & showing will again
increase, pushing farther away the goal to increase dog show entrants by
creating yet greater declines. The burden, which is already cumbersome
to many, continues to rest on the fancy. To further compound issues,
the debate between the "elitists" and the "logical" regarding commercial
facilities rages on, lending additional credence to the rightists claims
that many dog showing fanciers tend to be ARLE. (AR Lite Elitists)
"AKC, as
well as AKC followers, need to find the "heartstrings" that will give
them the respect they seemingly have lost. I'm convinced that people
don't realize that by not breeding, showing and not registering their
dogs with AKC, they are creating their own somewhat AR movement that
will cause the demise of our sport. Dog sports & shows will cease to
exist because of this movement- another one of those things that falls
in the category of "a movements means create its ends." I can't help
but wonder if the fancy is going in the wrong direction by not working
with & supporting AKC. I realize the intent is to cause "change" but
after this past meeting, I'm sure there is a better way. We all need to
pull together and find it before we all fall victim to the movement that
will cause our demise."
