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The American Kennel Club CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

August 2007 - As an organization of dog lovers, we have all been deeply impacted by the news of NFL quarterback Michael Vick's federal indictment for alleged involvement in the illegal and barbaric "sport" of dog fighting. While this story is distressing and brings up intense emotions in all of us, there is a silver lining. It is creating a national dialogue about dog fighting, illegal in all 50 states and a felony in 48, and often at the bottom of the priority list in terms of crimes that authorities investigate and pursue. It's clear that the people engaging in this activity are often immersed in a culture rife with other illegal activities including gambling. More disturbingly, it has been found that anyone lacking enough conscience to torture and maim an animal is a likely candidate to perpetuate violence against humans. Hopefully the Vick case will serve as a beacon and bring more forces to bear on preventing and prosecuting this behavior. Another issue which is being brought to light is breed-specific legislation. As municipalities around the country seek to address the issue of dangerous dogs, they often turn to this type of narrow and misguided legislation which bans the ownership of certain breeds. AKC, along with many other respected animal welfare organizations, has been beating the drum for many years about how this type of legislation is ineffective. The people perpetuating these crimes are not your average law-abiding pet owners. They use dogs as menacing weapons, as entertainment in a blood sport, and as a prop to sustain their "bad boy" image. Breed-specific legislation spreads the dangerous misconception that the dogs are at fault. The reality is that they are the victims, manipulated by "owners" to fulfill malicious purposes. The AKC constituency is undoubtedly the most knowledgeable group of people in this country when it comes to canine breeding, training and behavior. Do not allow the Vick case to slip by without taking advantage of it as an opportunity to make your voice heard in your community. Write a letter to the editors of your newspaper. Meet with local legislators to ensure that this tragedy is not construed as a validation for more breed-specific and other restrictive legislation. Hold an AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day event this September. Volunteer to educate children via school presentations. It is not always possible to get a nation's attention so let's use this opportunity to advocate for the humane treatment of dogs. AKC has issued a statement condemning dog fighting and sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (www.akc.org). AKC will continue to monitor this case and steer the dialogue in a productive direction to the best of our ability. Just this week press reports stated that two more of the co-defendants in this case are considering pleas and that there may be further indictments or a plea on the part of Vick. We will press for more resources to be invested in investigating and prosecuting crimes such as dog fighting so that we can demonstrate as a nation that our society will not tolerate these brutal and merciless acts against animals. With your help I am hopeful we can turn a tragedy into a learning experience for our whole nation. Sincerely,   Ron Menaker Chairman

Highlights from the August 2007

meeting of the AKC Board of Directors

• In response to AKC club input, the Board voted to waive event application fees for any Conformation show or Companion event in which there were thirty or fewer entries at the corresponding event in the previous year. This is to go into effect on January 1, 2008.
   

• Effective January 1, 2008, the Event Service Fee for all events is to be $3.00 for the first entry of each dog. Effective January 1, 2008 there will be an Event Service Fee of $3.00 for each additional entry of the same dog, except for Field Trials and Hunting Tests which will be $1.50 effective January 1, 2008, and $3.00 effective January 1, 2009. All Recording Fees remain at their present levels. The intent of these fees is to defray costs of administering events, which AKC is very heavily subsidizing. For more information about these fees visit: http://www.akc.org/events/
  event_service_fees_faq.cfm
   

• The Kennel Club of Taiwan was added to the list of organizations with pedigrees acceptable for AKC registration.
   

• The Board voted to direct management to aggressively pursue the registration of every AKC registrable dog and to actively welcome any breeder or owner who is willing to abide by all AKC rules, regulations, and policies.
   

• Eleven breeds were added to the list of breeds required to jump three-quarters the height of the dog at the withers, effective January 1, 2008.
   

• The conflict policy for rally judges was brought into line with the policy for Obedience judges.
   

• The fee for filing a complaint under ARTICLE XII, SECTION 1, of the AKC Bylaws was increased to $100 from the present $10, effective September 1, 2007. This fee is refundable if charges are filed and sustained.
   

• A number of amendments were approved to the Pointing Breed Hunting Test Regulations effective January 1, 2008. All of the amendments are included in the minutes of this meeting.
   

• The Board modified the procedures for transferring the FSS Black and Tan Coonhounds into the AKC registry as follows:
       *The AKC stud book will close for FSS Black and Tan Coonhounds on January 1, 2008.
       *The HX prefix for the dogs brought into the registry will also be applied to three generations of their offspring.
       *The FSS dogs brought into the registry with the HX prefix and their offspring will be eligible to compete in AKC shows, effective September 1, 2008.
   

• The Executive Secretary reported that beginning with the September 2007 Delegate meeting, minutes as required by the AKC Bylaws, rather than a transcript of the meeting, will be prepared and published. The rationale behind this change and details of what will be in the Delegate meeting minutes are explained in minutes of this Board meeting. A notice with these details is also being sent to Delegates.

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