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AKC® Community Achievement Award

 

One of our most valued reporters, Linda Witouski, Legislative and State Of Mine Editor, recipient of AKC's Community Achievement Award.

 

October 26, 2008 New York, NY – The American Kennel Club® announced recently that Linda D. Witouski of Myrtle Beach Kennel Club and a resident of Conway, South Carolina, has been named a recipient of the AKC® Community Achievement Award for her longtime dedication to educating the public and lawmakers about canine legislative issues.

 

Witouski received one of three awards for the third quarter of 2008– Lyons Township Dog Training Club and Salisbury Maryland Kennel Club also received recognition.

 

The AKC Community Achievement Awards support and recognize outstanding public education and legislation efforts of AKC-affiliated clubs, AKC-recognized federations and their members. The AKC selects award recipients who promote purebred dogs and responsible dog ownership within their communities or who have successfully introduced, monitored and responded to legislative issues affecting dog ownership.

 

Linda D. Witouski is the AKC Delegate from the Myrtle Beach Kennel Club. In addition to keeping her club apprised on AKC activities and policy, she is a tireless foe of breed-specific and anti-dog legislation on the state and local levels. On behalf of her club and the dog fancy, Witouski writes letters, attends state functions and lobbies legislators.

 

As the co-author of the "Monthly National Legislation Report," Witouski reaches 200,000 readers nationwide. She is founder of the South Carolina Animal & Sportsman Voting Coalition and is on the steering committee of the Camo Coalition, a group of concerned hunters and wildlife enthusiasts.

When the Southside Middle School seventh-grade class began a project in opposition to proposed breed-specific legislation, Witouski was invited by their teacher to educate and advise the kids on their presentation. This led to an ongoing relationship with the class and, ultimately, to Southside being the first South Carolina school to offer an AKC education program for middle school students, an achievement widely reported in the local media.

 

"AKC is proud of the hard work Linda has done on behalf of the dog community. Her efforts to educate lawmakers and the public on canine legislative issues have earned her much respect from her club and the dog fancy," said Noreen Baxter, AKC's VP of Communications. "We congratulate Linda on her award and wish her much success in the future."

 

Nominations for the AKC Community Achievement Awards are accepted year-round. Up to three honorees are named each quarter. They receive a certificate of appreciation and a $1,000 check payable to the club or federation's public education and canine legislation efforts.


AKC -The following American Kennel Club Delegates were elected to Standing Committees at the September, 2008 Delegate Meeting, for those committees where an election was necessary:

 

BYLAWS COMMITTEE

Three Year Terms

Gretchen Bernardi

Pamela Stacey Rosman

Steve Schmidt

Burton J. Yamada

 

CANINE HEALTH

Three Year Terms

Eddie Dziuk
James Efron
Margaret Pough
Constance B. Vanacore

DELEGATE ADVOCACY & ADVANCEMENT
Three Year Terms
Merlyn A. Green
Dr. Gerry Meisels
Marjorie A. Tuff
Two Year Term
Jane Rutherford

DOG SHOW RULES
Three Year Terms
Ginny Atkinson
Marieann Gladstone
Blackie N. Nygood
 
FIELD TRIAL AND HUNTING TEST EVENTS
Three Year Terms
David S. Bagaley
Alice E. Berd
James S. Corbett
Robert McKowen
 
HERDING, EARTHDOG, AND COURSING
Three Year Terms
Gerard Baudet
Dr. John S. Fitzpatrick
Judy A. Hart
Robert N. LaBerge
 
Two Year Term
Claudia Frank
 
OBEDIENCE, TRACKING, AND AGILITY
Three Year Terms
Robert Amen
Ruth W. Crumb
James Primmer
 
PARENT CLUBS
Three year Terms
Karen Burgess
Ruth Ann Naun
Karen R. Spey

Thanks to Shirley Lawler for the committee report.

Regarding the new Registration Protocol by AKC, and loss of registration income, Linda D. Witouski, Delegate for Myrtle Beach Kennel Club, and our astute Legislative Editor says:

 

"I just returned from the Delegate meeting and it was dismal news. More talk of declining registrations - comparing last year's 1.5 million to this year's 750,000, plus the decline of puppy & sweeps entries, which could indicate that people are not breeding.  Other registries which offer no type of support or standards of care for new dog owners have doubled and the uneducated public uses their registry services rather than AKC.

 

"Clearly, if something is not done and the dog showing fancy is made to support this monetary loss, entry fees and the cost of shows & showing will again increase, pushing farther away the goal to increase dog show entrants by creating yet greater declines.  The burden, which is already cumbersome to many, continues to rest on the fancy.  To further compound issues, the debate between the "elitists" and the "logical" regarding commercial facilities rages on, lending additional credence to the rightists claims that many dog showing fanciers tend to be ARLE. (AR Lite Elitists)

 

"AKC, as well as AKC followers, need to find the "heartstrings" that will give them the respect they seemingly have lost.  I'm convinced that people don't realize that by not breeding, showing and not registering their dogs with AKC, they are creating their own somewhat AR movement that will cause the demise of our sport.  Dog sports & shows will cease to exist because of this movement- another one of those things that falls in the category of "a movements means create its ends."  I can't help but wonder if the fancy is going in the wrong direction by not working with & supporting AKC.  I realize the intent is to cause "change" but after this past meeting, I'm sure there is a better way.  We all need to pull together and find it before we all fall victim to the movement that will cause our demise."

SSI

 

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