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New York, NY – June 2002: The AKC has undertaken an exciting public art and fund-raising initiative called DOGNY to honor the heroic canine search and rescue teams who sprang to action on September 11^th. I’m proud to say that after months of hard work, we are finally closing in on an official public launch date.  Just last week, we received approval and enthusiastic endorsement from the City of New York to place sculptures in public places around Manhattan. We will be officially announcing the DOGNY program in collaboration with the Bloomberg administration via a press conference within the coming weeks. (Ed: a top-notch idea, great publicity for purebred dogs, AKC, dog owners, the sport, the heroism of the S&R teams, etc.  A "can't miss" project we should all support.)

The program was conceived by Vice-President of Corporate Relations, Dennis B. Sprung and is enthusiastically supported by the AKC Board of Directors and the entire staff of The American Kennel Club. Below are some of the details that the public will hear when DOGNY is announced:

·        Governor George Pataki, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta have agreed to serve as Honorary Chairmen of DOGNY.

·        DOGNY will benefit the AKC Companion Animal Recovery Support and Relief Fund.

·        This fund was originally created to aid the canine search and rescue units that participated in the September 11^th disaster. Now, the fund remains active to raise money that will be used to provide resources, support, funds, and other assistance to: (Ed: just one caveat - public accounting.  AKC can not afford scandal on this.  Example is the corruption and failure to disperse funds donated by trusting citizens.  Red Cross Leaders fired, public outraged, other fund-gathering efforts severely hampered.)

·        Dogs and handlers participating in rescue and recovery associated with natural or civil disasters.

·        The veterinary units providing support to the canine rescue teams in disaster activity.

·        Not-for-profit animal shelters and similar not-for-profit organizations providing care for animals orphaned or displaced as a result of natural or civil disasters.

·        The exhibition will consist of individually painted, life-size German Shepherd Dog sculptures, each one sponsored by a patron and painted by an independent artist in his or her own particular style. 

·        The statues will begin appearing in city-designated public spaces as well as private venues throughout Manhattan in mid-August. Following their exhibition, they will be sold at auction, raising additional funds.

·        To date, a total of 58 sculptures have been purchased by a combination of generous individuals and corporations, these include Hartz Mountain Corporation, The Iams Company, Federal Express, Canine Chronicle, Bank One, The German Shepherd Dog Club of America, The Springfield Kennel Club, Bayer Corporation, Loews Hotels, The Animal Medical Center and The Lillian Vernon Foundation.

·        Hartz is manufacturing a DOGNY toy and a dollar from each sale will be donated to the fund.

·        August 24 will be DOGNY Day at Yankee Stadium. Fans age 14 and under will receive DOGNY toys.

·        On September 9, the evening prior to the Delegates meeting, The Marlborough Gallery will be hosting a reception for DOGNY in its Chelsea gallery, located in the heart of Manhattan’s artistic community.  DOGNY sculptures will be on display, along with specially selected pieces of dog-themed artwork from the Marlborough Gallery’s collection.  (AKC will provide the transportation to the event for Delegates; further details will be sent at a later date.)

DOGNY honors a group of dogs and people whose important work often goes unrecognized. Most search and rescue teams are funded by city and state governments or by law-enforcement, but often they require additional financial assistance from both the public and private sectors. Fanciers are aware of the contribution these search and rescue teams make, and of the tremendous capacity that dogs have to help humans. However, we must educate the general public about the crucial role these dogs and their handlers play in times of crisis. Greater understanding of the challenges they face and awareness of the contributions they make can only lead to more support and appreciation for these talented teams.

DOGNY will go a long way to help ensure that resources are always available for our nation's search and rescue dog organizations and I’m looking forward to seeing the program brought to the public in the coming weeks. I hope that you all feel as proud as I do to be part of the organization that is making this important project come to life.

Ron Menaker Chairman  

 AKC RELEASES SECOND EDITION OF  “DOG CARE & TRAINING” BOOK

June 17th The American Kennel Club (AKC) today announced the release of The American Kennel Club Dog Care & Training, Second Edition. Initially printed in 1991, the all-purpose book is designed to serve as a comprehensive resource for general dog care and training for both fanciers and new dog owners. The first edition of the book sold more than 100,000 copies.

Written and revised by Dr. Mary Burch, Director of the Canine Good Citizen Program and Dennis B. Sprung, VP of Corporate Relations, The American Kennel Club Dog Care & Training offers new and updated information on a wide of variety topics.

The book sells for $16.99 and is now available in local bookstores and pet stores across the country. Consumers can also purchase the book on the AKC website or by calling the AKC customer service number at 919/233-9767.

Highlights from the June 2002 Delegate Meeting

 San Antonio, TX – The Gloucester County Kennel Club was elected as a Member of The American Kennel Club.

A rule was adopted which will make it mandatory for the breed standard to be published in the catalog for every independent National Specialty Show.  The requirement is effective October 16, 2002.   (Ed: long overdue wouldn't you say?  Not for the judge's benefit but for that of those who come to learn about the breed.)

The Delegate Standing Rules were amended to expand the role of the Field Trial Committee to include Hunting Tests and to create a new Standing Committee for Herding, Lure Coursing, and Earthdog Events.

The Orlando Museum of Art will host an exhibition of selected artwork from The AKC and The AKC Museum of the Dog collections for six weeks around the Classic.  It was announced that the site of the 2003 AKC/Eukanuba American Dog Classic is Long Beach, CA, held in conjunction with the Long Beach Kennel Club Show. The AKC National Agility and Obedience Invitational will also be held with the Classic.

The AKC President announced the development of an IMAX film about dogs and the magic of the human/canine relationship, which should be completed in two years.  There were also reports on AKC’s ongoing image campaign. (Ed: huge budget, over 2 mil.  Overdue!)

MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND AKC  ANNOUNCE  THE DOGNY PUBLIC ART PROGRAM TO BENEFIT CANINE SEARCH AND RESCUE HEROES

Life-Sized Search and Rescue Dogs  to Appear on New York Streets

 NEW YORK, NY – June 2002 Surrounded by live and fiberglass canine heroes,  Mayor Michael Bloomberg and The AKC Chairman of the Board, Ronald Menaker, announced today The American Kennel Club’s DOGNY public art program to place up to 300 life-size dog statues on the streets and public spaces of New York City this summer, with all proceeds going to support America’s Search and Rescue Dog organizations.

            Artists will paint and decorate statues of Search and Rescue Dogs, to go on display in streets, parks and plazas throughout New York City beginning in August.   The dogs will remain on display through November, marking the one-year anniversary of September 11th, before being sold at auction.  All net proceeds to go to volunteer and professional Search and Rescue organizations throughout the United States through The American Kennel Club (AKC) Companion Animal Recovery Corporation Canine Support and Relief Fund, an established 501 (C)(3) charity.

“DOGNY is not only a honorarium for those teams, but a fundraising effort to provide essential funds to make sure that Search and Rescue canine teams in New York and throughout the United States will be able to continue their valuable work,” said Ronald Menaker, AKC Chairman of the Board.

            “The events of September 11 brought to the public’s attention the valuable work that Search and Rescue teams perform on a regular basis,” said AKC Vice President Dennis B. Sprung, the creator of DOGNY.  “It is our hope that the DOGNY project will serve as a tribute to the tireless efforts of these canine teams and raise funds needed to help them continue their efforts.”

            Three hundred dog and handler teams from as far away as Washington, California, Texas, Utah and Puerto Rico participated in the search and rescue missions associated with the events of September 11th.  A majority of these organizations are volunteer-based and rely on donations to fund their training, equipment and deployment needs.  The AKC provided assistance to many of these organizations and established DOGNY to honor volunteer and professional Search and Rescue Dog teams throughout the United States.

            "Our work in Canine Search and Rescue is more important than ever, " said Lt. Dan Donadio of the NYPD Canine Unit.  “That is why we appreciate all the help and support we receive from great organizations like The American Kennel Club.  Other SAR dogs will benefit from the AKC's DOGNY as well."

            Through a collaborative effort with Secaucus based The Hartz Mountain Corporation, a specially licensed Hartz® “Help a Hero” DOGNY™ Dog Toy was created.  Starting this August, the toy will be sold wherever you shop for pet supplies throughout the US.  Hartz will donate a portion of the proceeds to the AKC Companion Canine Support and Relief Fund.  Founded over 75 years ago, Hartz is committed to enhancing the Human-Animal Bond by providing quality pet products with innovative and technological solutions developed with proven science and love for companion animals.

            As a result of this collaboration, The New York Yankees have designated August 24, 2002, “DOGNY Day” at their home game versus the Texas Rangers.  At this game, a specially designed Yankees version of the Hartz® DOGNY™ Dog Toy will be distributed to the first 25,000 children age 14 and younger who enter the stadium.

The Iams Company, maker of Iams and Eukanuba Dog and Cat Foods,  is sponsoring over twenty sculptures as part of America’s tribute to Search and Rescue Dogs. The designs will illustrate the many benefits dogs can bring to our lives.

“Our people were at the World Trade Center in the aftermath of September 11,” said Lara Strazdin, manager of external relations at Iams. “We saw how much the search and rescue dogs did for the recovery efforts, and we know how much their dedication meant to the friends and family of the victims. It is our pleasure to support DOGNY and be able to give back to these magnificent animals and their handlers what they give to our country.”

For DOGNY sponsorship opportunities, please contact The American Kennel Club toll-free at 1-866-DOGNY-911 or visit the official website at www.DOGNY.org.

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