>
Columns
Crusades
Breed Police aka:
Paw Enforcement
by Dannielle Malcolm
A
long coated Akita puppy, responsibly sold on Limited Registration, recently fell
into the hands of the less than scrupulous. The new owners, one of which is
already suspended from AKC, then applied to the United Kennel Club for
registration (UKC gives full registration to dogs that only have AKC Limited
Registrations) and immediately began a new breeding program.
All was done quietly, behind the scenes, but money commands and eventually the
resulting pups needed to be sold to fund their activities. They advertised the
litter in out of the way places so as not to appear on the breed community’s
radar.
They
thought they were in the clear.
They were wrong.
Enter now the unsung heroes of the purebred world, the volunteers of the Breed
Police. These indefatigable crusaders are always on stakeout, watching for
unethical behavior that compromises the sport. In addition to the safety and
welfare of the dogs, scam protection of the public and exhibitors is a primary
concern.
Situations such as the above are but the tip of the iceberg. Altering the
appearance of most breeds through scissoring, artificial color, or surgical
means is forbidden by the registries, as is forging of papers and falsification
of pedigrees. These and other unethical actions such as failure to disclose
congenital conditions could seriously impact the future of a breed, especially
when unwanted genes wind up in an unsuspecting breeder’s gene pool.
As in any community task force, the Breed Police have levels of expertise. The
simplest form is a type of Neighborhood Watch. This could be any person who has
seen what appears to be suspicious activity and sends up a red flag. There are
Detectives, who spend hours following leads and uncovering evidence necessary to
bring suspects to justice. There are Undercover Agents who pose as buyers to
locate home addresses or verify the location of specific animals. Each does
their part to help.
The internet has played a large part in the ability to identify and ultimately
‘apprehend’ those who recklessly violate rules and ethics. Kennel websites,
usually posted under obscure names and subdomains, can be found with enough
hours and careful diligence. The unofficial officers take web shots of these or
print them out for future reference before the information can be changed to
cover the author’s actions. Email is another strong tool; having the IP address
of a suspected person and sharing it with others in your community can help weed
out well disguised attempts to buy dogs under false names. In real life law
enforcement, officers are told that criminals often return to the scene of a
crime. When Breed Police know who the suspects are, they can help prevent a
newbie from falling into the same traps suspects may have sprung upon prior
victims. Shows and other special events are a veritable smorgasbord for the
unethical to prey upon the uniformed.
Bad apples damage the integrity of responsible breeders. The negative image and
activities presented by them force law abiding citizen to pay the price in breed
specific legislation, overly restrictive spay and neuter ordinances, and
outrageous fees for exemptions or kennel licensing. These ordinances box those
toeing the line into corners while allowing the worst offenders to continue
unabated.
AKC and similar registries have regulations regarding misconduct, yet little is
done in the way of enforcement. Evidence needed for hearings is rarely compiled
by the registries themselves, but instead mainly provided by - you guessed it -
Breed Police. Their careful attention to detail provides the necessary edge for
organizations to impose sanctions.
Beware,
though, of individuals guilty of Impersonating an Officer. They use the system
to discredit others for their own personal gain. What may begin with the best
intentions can quickly escalate into libel, slander, and outright character
assassination. Honest, first person reporting, and the willingness to stand
behind their information under sworn testimony separates the genuine from the
imposters. Breed Police are motivated by a desire to see the purebred world as a
sport, not a game.
To
Serve And Protect…the future of our dogs, our sports, and ourselves.
Handy links:
__________________________________
If Dogs Had Wings, Flying With Your Companion Animal
Breed Police aka: Paw Enforcement