Daily News for the Showing Fancy

We Are Being Betrayed by AKC

Analysis and Alternatives by Julie Borst Reed

Seems the AKC is going to be assisting Petland in training their employees to register the puppies as part of the sale of the little guys. Apparently the new step is that the registration fee for AKC is to be a part of the price of the pup. It is an added step to assure more $ to AKC through more registrations and Petland has the bonus of employee training and the ever-closer affiliation with the big stamp of the AKC seal of approval for their dogs discussed during the (often times impulse) sale.

I wonder if employees of the stores will be wearing AKC badges or pins? No doubt an AKC banner will be in the store windows soon enough throughout the malls and the halls of Petlands across the country. AKC "merchandise" sold here - that includes the puppies. Can you just imagine thinking such a thing fifteen years ago?

If AKC is so in need of revenue, why don't they just make it a prerequisite of litter registration that the dogs all be individually registered at that time or close to that time like many of us already do and have done for decades? Today, we can register individuals on line and not have to wait weeks for paperwork to shuffle back / forth past receiving the litter registration in the mail after applying for it on line. Possibly they could skip mailing that expensive packet and let us do everything on line if we choose? I believe that is to be a new option. Those breeders that say they don't want to spend THAT money are contributing to whatever the accountants at AKC let go wrong. Well, it seems that something has gone terribly wrong and that now they seem to need revenue so desperately. They put too much dependency on the puppy mill money and those millers fled to NEW registries when AKC tried, with a conscience, to enforce the popular sire/dam DNA testing and more involved inspections. <sigh> Just get out of the gutter AKC!

AKC is ever-so-increasingly becoming a large volume breeder's registry again for their survival and not the registry for the betterment of pure-bred dogs as those that formed the charter intended. AKC is expanding it's role for the betterment of pure-bred milled dogs - not a bad thing, but not what many dedicated fanciers see as the true role of the AKC. In any case, many people are expressing great concern over the association of AKC in the Petland pet stores as an assistant employee trainer. We know the badges and banners are just around the corner.

I have had the chance to mull over, to think about, the ridiculous amount of stretching thin this dog pedigree REGISTRY has done to itself and how people are to believe the defense and reasoning of over-spending and over-reaching, mistakes in judgment and paths taken and how they are to understand additionally, that "that's the way we have always done it" and how the dedicated fancy is to go on, in appreciation of benefiting from morally wrong money raising tactics so they can better enjoy their dog sports in the USA under that same AKC banner. If that is not what has been written along with so many other fallacies (like a judge with more than one registry assignment is hurting the AKC! - the AKC states it can't even afford to put one shows*), than I will need to read the information again and again until I too am brain-washed into believing the "stories" now from AKC.

Many kennel clubs across the world do not tolerate puppy mills registering dogs with them, nor do they need or solicit their monies. <Many also belong to the FCI, which for some reason the AKC has set itself apart from.> Take the Canadian Kennel Club (the real CKC) to our north. Yes, it is part of the Canadian Dept of Agriculture (I am a member for the last couple of years, due directly to the AKC's tightly closed stud book rules which further makes no sense in their stance on promoting truly healthy dogs).

The Canadian Kennel Club does not permit any of their CKC registered dogs/puppies to be sold through retail outlets such as pet stores. Bravo!*

All Canadian Kennel Club puppies must be permanently identified (that has been a prerequisite there for decades) AND registered by their breeders. More Praise!

Why has the AKC failed to accept these types of measures long ago? Requiring breeders to register their dogs before sale/placement would increase revenue . . . oh, but it would chase even more puppy millers away - boo hoo.

There is no reason on this planet that the AKC has to continue to groom and placate the puppy mills - oh yes, forgot, $$$$ and poor decisions with that money is the one reason. Revenue should be sought elsewhere and quickly. Listen to the elected delegates from the AKC clubs. The AKC, brought down to a smaller version of itself as well as more money spent by those actually participating in the events (much higher entry fees have been needed for a long time - again, Canadian shows for an example - they nearly pay their own way. I understand there may not even be supplementation from the Dept of Agriculture there for minor things, but I am to understand explicitly, not for the dogs shows). Have you ever read the CKC magazine? It is very well done and is called "Dogs In Canada." It doesn't get smaller every year like the Gazette, it gets better. Many of us wish for the AKC to shed the millers and get back to being better without them too.

Did you know that it is illegal to sell puppies from pet stores in many European countries today? People of those countries have no trouble finding pets. Why would it be difficult for US citizens, if other countries' citizens obtain pets without retail puppy mill outlets? What is the difference? Perhaps it takes a bit more effort to obtain a puppy in those countries; many would agree that is not bad to have to take one's time and put in a bit of effort to obtain a companion animal. I was very saddened but not shocked to learn about this recent partnership with Petland and AKC, don't forget Hunte and AKC . . . all in bed together and I think many exhibitors are tired of helping to make that bed.

Then one must ask, as this main kennel club of the USA says it can't function without puppy mill money and the member clubs say don't function with puppy mill money . . . what will the professional handlers of the USA do when the AKC no longer holds shows? UKC does not permit them and better not ever!

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