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AKC's frozen semen, ROM, and show rankings programs, good news
or takeover of private enterprise? The proposed $25 per dog. per year
exhibition tax is anything but good news!
Not all the news
is released in the AKC Board Meeting Minutes or in the
Chairman's Report. For
background, see prophetic Oct. 2008 editorial,
AKC Economics and Wall Street.
This is just a brief summary of discussed, approved, or shelved business
reported by AKC.
©
TheDogPress |
Jan. 2009
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American Kennel Club Field Reps:
For 2008, there were 1415 all breed shows, and the
Executive Field Reps (EFR) covered 1372 or 97% of them. That is a huge
improvement since the turn of this century because prior to that, finding an AKC
Rep was only possible when YOU had done something wrong.
Show Rankings:
The AKC Board is still thinking about setting up its own conformation
ranking system. Some think that would be great, especially since so many dog
food sponsors no longer support a ratings system. Others worry that it would
diminish established Awards developed by the breed clubs. A multi-group judge
pointed out that AKC already profits from selling show results to the dog
magazines and he went on to say having AKC take over the ratings “would be like letting the Government Accounting Office run our banking system.”
Champion Progeny:
Speaking of which, it is the Breed Clubs that have always
kept track of top sires and dams. The AKC can not tell you how many champions a
dog has produced. How strange that AKC has never cared about the genetic aspect
of breeding and showing dogs. It could have been in the best position to help
breeders perpetuate the genetic qualities of outstanding sires and dams. Here we thought that
was what dog shows were all about!
Frozen Semen Program:
Instead, AKC announced it is considering a frozen semen
program. AKC President Dennis Sprung, addressing the Delegates Meeting,
explained that a semen program would “generate significant revenue for AKC.”
It is a free market out there so the maybe the companies that pioneered frozen
and chilled semen semen could begin registering dogs to make up for the lost
business. Actually, they might consider partnering up with the dog show
superintendents because it is possible AKC will revisit offering that service. So what else is new?
AKC Exhibition Tax:
AKC plans
to help pay for the frozen semen start-up by imposing something called an
Annual Activity Fee. Call it what you will but most will call it what
it is, a TAX! Its no small amount either. AKC is talking
about an initial (you know what that means) tax of $25.00 for each dog, each
year you exhibit the dog. But not to worry, the couple million bucks from the Exhibition Tax
will be used to help fund other worthwhile programs. There. That should make
every exhibitor feel much better. Unless the new income to the not-for-profit AKC is over estimated because
surely the tax is will impact already declining entries. Then there's the
"Whoa!!!" effect on the first-time exhibitor or the novice who is wavering about continuing
such an expensive “hobby.”
AKC imposed a 700% increase on the Event Recording
Fee in 2008 (see
AKC Economics) but when it tried to float an unlimited Recording fee "tax"
increase in June 2008, the Delegates finally said "no way." So is the "Annual Activity Fee", aka Exhibition Tax just
a work-around?
ROM System:
For the naysayer, I speak with authority. In the Sixties I began
publishing the Rottweiler Handbooks, laboriously compiling records from the tiny
print in the AKC Gazette. The Akita was recognized in 1972 so in 1973, I
published the first Akita Handbook, counted points for Breed and Group ratings,
included complete show results cross-indexed to Judges and Breeders. The
Handbooks were the first “Register Of Merit System” and were of course,
based on champion progeny. Two years later I expanded the ROM in order to
create the ROMX, ROMP, and the ultimate ROMXP title. My copyrighted Register
Of Merit system and titles were later “adopted” by the Akita Club Of
America, then formalized when I granted legal permission to use it. The same
system and terms are now used by other breed clubs, for which many breeders are
grateful for the ROM system is a useful breeder reference which AKC simply
ignored.
Registrations:
The point is this; that was long before computers but AKC was the
first to become computerized. The excuse that it would be too big a task to go
back and enter progeny data just doesn’t hold water. Some twenty years ago I
was given a tour of The Kennel Club’s (England) registration department. They
were converting from index cards to computer records but even then, I’ll wager
they could have come up with how many champion progeny any TKC registered dog
had produced.
Sure, TKC registers fewer
dogs than AKC but The Kennel Club employs only a fraction of the staff. The
handful of registration department staff was busily at work in the small room we
visited. There was a big tote board on the wall that displayed the numbers and
processing time elapsed. Litter registration turnaround was only 3 to 5 days in
England at a time when it took 6 to 8 weeks to get a litter packet back from AKC.
Theft
of Club Funds:
The Board discussed the theft of club funds by club members. This is either on
the increase or reflects an increase in reported incidents. AKC has offered
repeated recommendations but many clubs still don’t have their financial records
audited or their officers bonded. Most theft cases call for civil or criminal
action so AKC has stayed out of it but management will re-think this and report
back to the Board.
Pekingese Club:
The Board
received and considered material from the Pekingese Club of America (PCA), and a
request to reinstate the club’s show-giving privileges. The Peke Club took steps
to address concerns previously raised by the AKC Board such as the PCA Board
having canceled its February 2009 annual meeting. The problem is said to be that
the PCA Bylaws call for the annual meeting to be in conjunction with the
February show, but the show approval was withheld by AKC because the club
couldn’t resolve internal discord. Talk about a rock and a hard place! New York
State law requires holding an annual meeting if called for in the Bylaws, so the
AKC Board believes that it should be held. AKC says its disapproval of the PCA’s
traditional big February show was “not intended to, and should not have affected
the holding of any club meeting.” Obviously there wouldn’t have been much of a
meeting if held because many members make the trip for the Pekingese Club’s
super Specialty show prior to Westminster. The AKC Board will discuss this
further at its February Meeting but hopefully the PCA will take AKC’s advice and
not jeopardize its NY Charter.
American
Toy Fox Terrier Club:
The Board was advised that
the club did not follow its bylaws completely with respect to the ballot in its
recent election. There was a motion by Mrs. Schaefer, seconded by Mr. Goodman,
and it was VOTED (unanimously) to send a letter of reprimand to the club for
failure to comply with three bylaw provisions relative to the election process.
The club President and Officers say they knew nothing of the reprimand and as of
1/23 have not received the letter. (note, months later, club still denies
a reprimand)
If this is true, does it
mean that AKC can officially reprimand a club without giving that club notice
that a complaint has been filed and allowing the Club to address the charges?
Commentary by Barbara (BJ) Andrews
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