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WOOFIPEDIA SPAM - BECAUSE THEY CAN

Here’s an email from AKC's “Woofipedia” last year. Okay so it is just spam but the message designed to hook you is patently false.

December 2016

Barbara "BJ" Andrews, Editor-In-Chief, SAAB

Here’s what the AKC email said:

“Can dogs eats grapes? Absolutely not... "Grapes (and raisins) are toxic to dogs, and they should never be allowed to eat them...

“Why, you ask? Well, veterinarians aren't quite sure. But it has been proven that the fruit can cause kidney failure in dogs—a very serious condition that can be fatal. As little as one grape per pound of body weight is enough to cause an issue in some dogs.”

Cagey eh? Woofipedia doesn’t actually say that eating grapes will send your dog to the vet with kidney failure but it got your attention. In the business, we call that spam because the first thing you see upon opening that unsubstantiated warning is a big advertisement for Trifexis.

You may remember that Lawsuits were filed against Trifexis, a heartworm prevention “medicine” which was released after a "safety study" using only 352 dogs, of which only 176 received Trifexis. That is deliberate deception.

USDA reported an average of one complaint per day filed. Over 700 beloved pets on that particular heartworm prevention product died in 2014. The suit failed so presumably the product is safe... Owners must make their own judgement.

Back to the woofipedia message in which AKC offers you information on “which foods are safe to feed your pets”^[1]. The page is colorful and interesting but the list seems based on which foods are safe to CHEW which shows how much the spam-writer knows about dogs. Carnivores swallow in chunks.

Most dog owners prefer science-based information such as ii Why Dogs Eat Grass and a list of the most sprayed and toxic in foods in Fruits & Veggies For Dogs^[2]. That information helps protect you, your family, and your pets.

So do we really need unsolicited “advice” from a staff writer who probably doesn’t even own a dog? We’ve watched the internet go from a free information source in 1998 to just another never-ending commercial. Facebook, Twitter, and sadly, AKC information have become just vehicles to deliver advertisers messages, i.e. spam.  You remember when we paid for commercial-free cable or satellite? Right, then we had to buy a DVR and record our favorite shows so we could fast-forward past the advertising… Today cable tv is just one long commercial and many people are downloading movies and info rather than be subjected to spam by a company we already do business with.

So why worry about spam? What it does other than trick you, disappoint you, and annoy you...

First, it rarely provides the information with which it teased you into clicking. (called "click bait" i.e. where the provider is paid according to the number of clicks generated.) But here is why you should worry - click bait or spam harvests (and sells) your information if you click it.

Even as network news was all a-twitter about U.S. government employee records being hacked, AKC was peddling your privacy[3] instead of maintaining the integrity of the AKC Stud Book. Okay, realistically, we can't expect Woofipedia to tell you about the wide-scale corruption in your breed’s genetic package...

TheDogPress.com has stripped AKC’s stud book problem down to bare bones. We hope you are better informed and will become better protected.  Our staff regrets having o uncover the skeleton of integrity which was once the very foundation of purebred dogs. Times are changing...

Good news or not, HEADlines keeps you in the know about everything that affects you as a dog owner or breeder but did I mention, you have to ASK for a free subscription.^[4]

That’s because HEADlines never slams your inbox. It simply keeps you on top of ShowShots, Club News, and helpful information about dogs. And no NetPlacesNetwork site ever sells or shares your contact and personal information. Never.

The Great American Kennel Club should forget spamming and stick to registering dogs and maintaining a valid Stud Book. At one time, that was the AKC’s only Mission. AKC’s Mission Statement[5] has been repeatedly changed. Observing those changes since 1998 leads one to believe the AKC Mission changed to accommodate a different mission - making money.

Before you ask, here is TheDogPress.com Mission Statement and TheDogPlace.org Mission Statement.  And here is the AKC Mission Statement, from 2005 – 2011. See link #5 below in case there have been AKC Mission Statement changes since this was first written.

Reference and Related Information: [1] Which foods are safe to feed?     [2] Fruits & Veggies For Dogs     [3] AKC Peddling Your Privacy

[4] click to get free HEADlines     [5] AKC Mission Statement

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