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The American Kennel Club
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
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June 2005
- The AKC is committed to maintaining the freedoms we deserve and
are fortunate to enjoy when it comes to owning, breeding and showing
dogs. We are firmly opposed to any unreasonable infringement on the
rights of hobby breeders who are dedicated to nurturing our beloved
breeds and responsibly enjoying our sport.
With this in mind, the interest generated by the Pet Animal
Welfare Statute (PAWS) of 2005, introduced by U.S. Senator Rick
Santorum (R-PA) on May 27, comes as no surprise. As is often the
case with controversy comes confusion. In past weeks, fanciers have
raised a number of concerns and I would like to take this
opportunity to address them.
At the heart of this bill is the USDA's ability under the
authority of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to regulate
individuals who breed and sell large numbers of dogs. Keep in mind
that the bill applies to those who breed seven or more litters per
year and sell more than 25 dogs per year. Both
conditions must be met before a breeder comes before the USDA, thus,
if you produce less than seven litters, you are not subject to
regulation, even if you sell many more than 25 dogs. Similarly, if
you sell fewer than 25 dogs, you can have in excess of six litters
and not be covered. I believe, if enacted into law, PAWS will not
have a detrimental impact on the fancy's ability to breed dogs for
the show ring or performance events, or to provide dogs as pets to
carefully selected buyers.
All of the bill's provisions are focused squarely on the welfare
of dogs and to a large extent will affect puppies that do not have
responsible, dedicated breeders like ourselves to protect them. We
owe it to the dogs to consider how this legislation can help
safeguard them, not only how it may impact us. We believe the bill
will only apply to less than four percent of our customers who
register litters, the majority of whom are already subject to USDA
regulations.
Some have accused the AKC of reversing its stance, but in reality
nothing could be farther from the truth. While it may appear that
this bill was introduced out of thin air, it is the result of years
of behind-the-scenes legislative work. The majority of the bill
reflects provisions advocated by the AKC since Sen. Santorum's
original proposal, and represents a victory over animal rights
extremists who sought to have their views represented to the
exclusion of others. It is an example of the proactive spirit which
the AKC has embraced in recent years and which I am intent on
pursuing, as I believe our actions in matters such as these are
fundamental to the future health of our organization and to our
dogs.
Like a fine breeding program, your ideal dog will not be whelped
in your first litter. It takes years of dedication, crafting and
combining bloodlines from many sources to create a dog that best
represents the ideal standard. The same is true with legislation.
Working closely with Sen. Santorum and other legislators to impact
the development and content of this bill is the single most
important thing we can do to ensure that our rights are maintained.
To be left out of the discussion entirely would be tantamount to
breeding two stray dogs and hoping for a Best in Show winner. The
saying "you have to be in it to win it" truly applies here.
Just like there is no perfect dog, there is no perfect bill. That
said, I wholeheartedly feel that, as it is now written, this bill is
worthy of our support. And by supporting it from the start we will
be part of the entire legislative process, from drafting to passage
to the writing of the regulatory language. The latter is where our
impact can be most beneficial to the fancy. You can be reassured
that we will be closely watching this bill to ensure that it
progresses in a way that is reasonable for our constituents and
effective in protecting dogs.
We have a unique opportunity to take a proactive stand on this
issue something the fancy has encouraged AKC to do more of. Let's
not be "kennel blind" about the benefits of actively engaging and
cooperating with our lawmakers in Washington for the benefit of the
future of our sport and the welfare of our dogs.
Sincerely,
Ronald H. Menaker
Chairman
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AKC's new relationship
with
Cherrybrook expands online store
It sounds great for everyone except other catalog and
online stores trying to make a living selling the same
products. AKC announced
the debut of its new Online Store at
www.akc.org/shop
It will feature "nearly 11,000 new items including full
lines of grooming and training products, as well as a
complete redesign of the valuable reports &
information section, which offers AKC certified dog
pedigrees, DNA test kits and Canine Good Citizen
materials®." That's a bountiful amount of goods.
AKC claims its store is "already a favorite shopping
destination for dog lovers around the world" which does
make one wonder about shipping rates but one thing is
for sure, Cherrybrook is and has been a great name at
ringside for a long long time. Wayne Ferguson is a
good dog man who started Cherrybrook out of the trunk of
his car and built it into a tradition. We always
admired him, and well remember his magnificent Saint
Bernard shown by Alan Levine. Was it "Dexter"?
whatever, a most impressive Saint!
Wayne is a mover and shaker, from the
Canine Health Foundation, Morris & Essex, to many other
charitable and worthwhile organizations. We
understand Wayne sold Cherrybrook, but we wish AKC and
Cherrybrook well in the new alliance while at the same
time, we empathize with other retailers.
The AKC Online Store has always been
a popular place for the fancy to purchase key
reports and information items such as dogs defeated
statistics, Canine Good Citizen®
materials and progeny reports, said AKC President
and CEO Dennis Sprung. Through our
relationship with Cherrybrook, we will now offer
thousands of products that will not only appeal to
the fancy, but to all pet owners. All dog
lovers can come to our website and find not only the
most pertinent information about the sport of
purebred dogs, but can purchase many of the
necessary products required to be a responsible dog
owner.
MARY
DUKES new AKC Field Rep
Popular handler Mary N. Dukes, of
Riverside, CA, has been appointed to the
position
of AKC Executive Field Representative. She
replaces Peter Gaeta, who recently left the
position to become AKC Director of Judging
Operations. With more than 30 years in the
sport, Dukes will cover all shows throughout the
southeast beginning Aug. 15, 2005. She will be
based out of Charlotte, NC. Everyone knows
her as a most accomplished professional handler
and a master breeder of Whippets, kennel name
"Delacreme" and there's no doubt she will
represent AKC well. Mary
breeder/owner/handled the top-producing sire of
all-time in the Whippet breed. According
to COO John Lyons, Mary Dukes brings a wealth
of experience and talent to the Field
Representative position. Her background in
the Sport and her professional reputation are a
formula for success. We are fortunate to
have her on our team. That is probably an
understatement. She brings great rapport
to the position and no one can say Mary hasn't
"been there, done that." A good move for
AKC and for Mary.
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April/May Comb. 2005
Chairman's Report
and comments on great progress with Canine Good Citizen®
program
as outlined in Mr. Menaker's report.
March 2005
AKC Board -
Chairman's Report, followed by news of Strategic
planning, roadmaps, initiatives and competing registries.
Charlotte McGowan receives deserved Awards.
Director of Companion Events goes to Curt Curtis.
Read and Reference AKC
Mission Statement.
Feb 2005
AKC Board Canine Health Foundation - club and individual
donations has dispersed twelve million
to help fund
canine health studies.
Jan 2005
AKC Board summarizes 2004, great financial year,
another million to CHS, hurricane help, AKC products,
Registration stats for 2004, it's
all right here
Research/Reference previous Board
Business and news in Archives
Your
comments are welcome. |
