AKC NEWS, ELECTIONS, & KUDOS

January heats up as the AKC Board candidates jockey for votes, Customer Service is, and puppy mills still an issue.

February 2013

Barbara "BJ" Andrews, SAAB Member

Customer Service kudos but still no active legislative initiatives against Animal Rights onslaught.

The American Kennel Club Nominating Committee, chaired by Gretchen Bernardi, named four candidates to fill vacancies in the upcoming Board election March 12, 2013. Running for the AKC Board, Class of 2017, are Lee Arnold, Carl Ashby, Judy Daniels, and Tom Davies.

The Delegates Meeting steamed with calls for change, for innovation and a forward-thinking approach to problems. Comparisons were made between the struggling Kodak company that failed to foresee change as in digital cameras and Apple which was known for visionary leadership.

In this editor’s opinion, AKC has begun to move to meet the future but the journey may be bumpy for purist breeders. I just did my first online litter registration and while it was a time-saver in that I didn’t have to mail paperwork to the stud owner, I had to wade through advertising and promotions, and it was a bit disconcerting to be forced into agreeing to register every puppy in the litter. I did so, trusting the Limited Registration [1] option for which I fought so hard will be studiously honored today. Oh, you didn’t know that there were many instances when pets sold with strict no-breeding agreements were allowed to produce AKC registered litters? Well that’s another story.

The January AKC Chairman’s Report is crammed with good news, which we would expect from marketing/advertising guru Alan Kalter. I was pleased to note that Glenn Lycan heads up the customer service [2] department of 29 people. Many of us remember Glenn as Houston Clark’s most capable assistant. Always smiling, always ready to help anyone, he took his job seriously and reflected the capable good nature for which Houston and Toddi (both now popular judges) were so admired. The point here is that when I called AKC Customer Service about a glitch in the online form, I got someone named Kelly who had me laughing instead of cursing. Well trained, capable, sweet as ice cream, she reminded me once again how much that department has changed. Thanks AKC! Thanks Alan and Glenn.

Carl Ashby said something in the Delegates Meeting that caught my eye “As Chair of the AKC PAC and with your help this year alone we raised a record $91,000 - money we have put to work to protect our right to breed and own dogs.” I don’t know how far that will go to offset the HSUS [3] but every little bit helps.

In conjunction with next year’s AKC/Eukanuba Championship show, the chairman announced the first Breeders Workshop, which will be free to all who attend. He didn’t exactly say what will be covered or of value, just that it will be “by breeders and for breeders” so we look forward to more details. Hopefully it won’t be more of the same excellent information already covered in Pat Hastings books, videos, and workshops. What we really need to hear is how to meet the challenges of a constantly worsening economy, increasing cost and difficulty shipping, and of course, zoning restrictions, and the Animal Rights Terrorists [4] that force breeders into hiding!

AKC takes on a few high profile, local animal rights legislation [5] issues but only pays lip service to the state and national laws that will be the end of all hobby breeders. We need financial support, attorney fees, and legal advice, not breeder workshops! New legislation even threatens the puppy mills that many of our readers feel AKC favors over us “responsible breeders.”

AKC favoring puppy mills? Perish the thought, right? Wrong. We have the proof that “good breeders” were never supposed to see. Read the AKC offers and inducements for puppy mills below [6] or just do a little research on your own. Then get others to join you and write a letter to one of AKC’s most valuable players, AKC Secretary James Crowley. Email Mr. Crowley at JXC@AKC.org or send a real letter to:

James Crowley, Exec. Sect.

American Kennel Club

260 Madison Ave.

New York, NY 10026

Ask AKC to step up to the plate and offer some real, tangible help to legit legislative groups and kennel clubs who work to preserve our right to breed purebred dogs.

[1] Registry Redacted covers Limited Registration & other AKC Registration problems

[2] AKC Customer Service - See AKC Chairman’s Report

[3] HSUS reported $100 million income in 2006 compared to AKC’s $60 million

[4] Animal Rights Terrorists get the whole picture, including FBI & DHS classifications

[5] Federal & State Legislation – searchable AR index from 70s to Present

[6] AKC special offers and cut rate deals to puppy mills

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