Calhoun’s Cannon Calhoun’s Cannon
Worthless Registration Papers
I just read the AKC's letter and Q & A regarding the new! improved! "Qualified" dog registration category and am still dumbfounded. For years, the AKC has maintained its tax-free status in large part on claiming that it is maintaining the "integrity" of the registry. Nevermind that former AKC investigator Bob Nejdl said on ABC World Tonight that 50% of the registry is no good -- yet the AKC kept mailing out "papers" on pups whose parents had been disqualified by their own investigators years before, i.e.; selling worthless pieces of paper to unsuspecting customers via the U.S. Mail.
Now, here they are selling honestly worthless pieces of paper that finally say, "This piece of paper means we don't have a clue whether your dog is purebred or not and we won't know unless you do a DNA test but you can use this paper to get your dog into AKC-backed dog shows if the judge thinks your dog looks purebred that will be $___, thank you."
Now, the real question: Why not make ALL registration papers "Qualified" until DNA tests are confirmed and "real" papers are issued? That way the dog owner would finally know the truth: The paper he just bought from the AKC is worthless as a document pertaining to the "integrity of the registry," or as to the "purebredness" of his pooch, but it is a handy method of identification at dog shows. Nothing more.
Or would that be too honest for the AKC to consider?
Someone wrote TheDogPlace and noted the lack of integrity of the AKC's stud registry could cause terrible problems for breeders who've "spent a lifetime constructing a breeding program based on fraudulent genetics." Too true. And that is the tragedy in all of this.
However, the breeders and the breed clubs and the breed club members are entirely to blame. If a thief wants to walk into my unlocked front door and steal my TV, I can't complain too loudly if I have put a big sign out front saying, House Open, Come Right In, Steal What You Want.
The Breed clubs opened the front door and with the vote of their breed club members (presumably breeders), sold the chickens to the fox! The breed club's stud registry knew or should have known what the fox has been up to, yet the clubs said and did nothing. And now they don't have an ethical leg to stand on and if their carefully built breed lines go all phooey because of AKC's fraud.
Even now, when there is a simple way to solve this problem (dual registries, conditional registration for ALL dogs not DNA tested) but the silence is deafening.
You can't cheat an honest man. So, what does that say about "The Fancy?"
Ann Calhoun
em:
churadogs@aol.com Los Osos, CA
Editor’s Note: We asked for some background on Ms. Calhoun as she is obviously well informed and connected in the Fancy. Here is the abbreviated bio she provided:
I've been writing an opinion column for the Los Osos, CA, "Bay News" for about 14 years and have recently become part of a local news/opinion Blogsite --http://www.calhounscannon.blogspot.com I first got interested in the AKC scams with the early ABC 20/20 piece. I did extensive investigation and letter writing, convinced then that the problem was simply a handful of corrupt people. I wrote several columns on the whole issue before it dawned on me that the corruption was systemic and total. It was a real eye opener.
My interest in seeing AKC cleaned up is simple: There is NO REASON for all the lies and the fraud. No reason at all. The AKC can actually make lots of nice money the old fashioned way: Honestly. The fact that this fraud is still going on is an insult to our intelligence and a monument to our collective apathy and inherent dishonesty. On the other hand, it IS pretty funny seeing so many people so desperately willing to be fleeced, again and again and again, while being totally unable to connect even the most rudimentary of dots. That is the stuff of farce. Even the dumbest dog wouldn't be that stupid.
As for dogs, I have 8 Basenjis of my own breeding, a rescue whippet, a rescue lurcher, a racing greyhound rescued as a puppy, and, with luck, I will be getting a Sloughi puppy.