AKC NOTIFIED OF POMERANIAN SUBSTITUTION

Adhering To The Highest Journalistic Standards

Breeder-owner-handler Jose Cabrera charged with substituting one Pomeranian bitch for another in order to obtain championship title at MD and VA dog shows.

November 2016

Date: 7/18/2016

To: AKC Officers and Board of Directors

Subject: Charges

Charges

We, the following AKC exhibitors (Christine Goodin, Elizabeth Heckert, Margaret Johnson), accuse Mr. Jose Antonio Cabrera of deliberately cheating exhibitors out of fair play and violating the AKC’s code of sportsmanship by deliberately substituting and exhibiting two different bitches under the same name and AKC number: one at the Lawrenceville Kennel Club (Georgia - Left) and a different one at the two Southern Maryland and one Tidewater Kennel Club (Virginia - Right) shows. This violates the best interest of the AKC as it is a fraudulent representation of one dog as another in order to obtain AKC titles. This offense is known as Substitution and is punishable according to AKC’s rulebook Dealing With Misconduct.

Starfire’s Fiori AKC#TS26588201 was exhibited at the Lawrenceville Kennel Club show in Atlanta, GEORGIA (“Bitch A”) on February 6th and 7th 2016 with armband #10 by Jose A. Cabrera.

Then at the Southern Maryland (July 1st and July 2nd 2016) and Tidewater Kennel Club show on July 3rd 2016 in VIRGINIA a substantially different bitch (“Bitch B”) was exhibited under that same name and AKC number, with armband #28.

Specification 1

It is clear that two different bitches were exhibited because of their distinct color differences, size, type and other physical features, features which are not subject to change over 5 months’ time. Below see a top to bottom comparison of Georgia “Bitch A” (left) and Virginia “Bitch B” (right). They exhibit two different head types, with Bitch B having a much lower ear set and black chin, whereas Bitch A has extremely high set ears and a clear orange chin, and noticeably large, round eyes. Bitch A is also much taller, despite being photographed 5 months prior to “Bitch B”. We have included other supporting photos outlining other physical differences between the two, including that Bitch A’s muzzle is more “down faced” while Bitch B’s is level, and “Bitch B” is clearly reddish sable whereas Bitch A is bright orange. See included Exhibits for more evidence.

Specification 2

The substitution was discovered first due to an inconsistency between the bitch in the ring in Virginia and a picture of that bitch posted on Facebook (see Exhibit A) Further photographs from the Georgia show (Exhibit C) which resemble Exhibit A but NOT the bitch shown in Virginia support that conclusion.

Specification 3

In addition, when asked by one of the complainants at the Virginia show about the apparent differences, Mr. Cabrera exhibited deceitful behavior by removing photos of the bitch from his Facebook page (Exhibit A) and requesting ringside photographers to delete images (Exhibit L and M).

Specification 4

The error cannot be explained as an armband error. There were two bitches entered by Mr. Cabrera in GA and only one bitch shown (Armband #10 Starfire’s Fiori). This bitch was shown by both Mr Cabrea and Mr Arienti and they knew or should have known if it were the wrong bitch especially when he posted her picture of the win and identified her by name (Exhibit P) on Facebook. There was only one bitch entered and shown by Mr Cabrera in VA (armband #28, Starfire’s Fiori) so armband error is not an explanation.

Conclusion

The evidence clearly shows misconduct and that Mr. Cabrera’s acts were prejudicial to the best interests of the American Kennel Club by willfully substituting another bitch in VA who was substantially different than the one shown in GA. AKC exhibitors are held to a high standard and are expected to uphold all rules of AKC and the rules of Good Sportsmanship. Fair play and good sportsmanship are the hallmarks of our dog shows and exhibitors fraudulently substituting one dog for another places the American Kennel Club in the worst possible light. This conduct is clearly prejudicial to the sport of showing purebred dogs and damages the integrity of AKC dog shows and titles.

I urge you to review the attached information and suspend Mr. Cabrera from American Kennel Club privileges for conduct prejudicial to the AKC, the sport of dog shows and the Pomeranian breed.

Enclosed in this document you will find photographs and screenshots supporting these charges.

________________________      ________________________      ________________________

Christine Goodin                         Elizabeth Heckert                         Margaret Johnson

Date __________________         Date _________________           Date _________________

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