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AKC PEDDLING PRIVACY

 

AKC became the world’s largest dog registry by selling the value of purebred dogs, not by data mining and selling your private information. So what changed?

 

July 15,  2013

Barbara "BJ" Andrews, Editor-In-Chief

 

Having emailed the American Kennel Club with a question, not long after, I received emailed registration certificates which included quite a lot of my private information. It is after all, the age of technology but it gave me pause for thought.

 

AKC selling your private information to this man?Earlier this year, nine data mining companies were called to testify before Congress.  A couple of newspapers ran feature stories on the massive computerized invasion of privacy and then the mega information companies clamped a lid on their secrets.

 

The data-sellers count on your ignorance and unwitting cooperation. Many busy people use their office computer and email address. This gives your employer, fellow employees, IRS and other government agencies access to all of your personal information. Who cares? You have nothing to hide, right?

 

Wait a minute. Today's computers are gold mines for data-mining companies and government employees.  Remember whistleblower Snowden?  That should be a wakeup call to all of us.  Corporate computers and even your little personal computer, contain tons of saleable information such as all your friend’s email addresses, your medical records, financial history… Yeah, think about that. And it’s all for sale.

 

Data mining has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry. Many companies (like pharmaceuticals) buy medical info from marketing snoops in order to target potential customers. It’s cheaper and more productive than bombarding the airwaves with commercials.

 

No big deal? Many dog breeders and owners would see it that way. Others, who are well-informed seriously resent AKC selling what we thought was private.  After registering a litter online, I received a barrage of solicitations from local veterinarians ranging from a complimentary visit (not a bad idea for both parties) to other inducements and offers from non-AKC entities.

 

But for purebred dog breeders, it gets worse.

 

Last year I received an email from AKC urging me to re-name Half-A-Harley O’BJ, a wonderful little pet male I had sold but kept his papers. My guess is that AKC was just running through their database and automatically generating emails on potential customer. Here’s the pitch.

 

We know that your dog is very important to you and so is the name of your dog. The American Kennel Club now offers you the chance to change your dog's name even after it has been transferred into your name. Please note: you must meet the Dog Name Change requirements listed on the back of the form to be eligible for this service.

 

“You can download a copy of the Dog Name Change Authorization form here http://www.akc.org/pdfs/ADCG01.pdf. Simply complete the form and submit it to us with the required fee. Forms can be faxed to (919) 816-4261 or submitted by mail to:

 

Think about what it does to pedigree research and how it violates stated or written contractual agreements between buyer and seller!  How many pet owners removed YOUR kennel name?  Or decided to re-register the dog with their own made-up "kennel name"?

 

Did you withhold papers? Doesn’t matter. This is perhaps the worse betrayal of all. Changing a dog’s registered name corrupts pedigrees but that’s okay, for a price, AKC’s pedigree service will sort it all out, including registering non-registered dogs! {1}

 

When it comes to income and peddling your privacy, the American Kennel Club has become an insatiable beast!

 

Of course AKC needs money to operate but our readers send the same mantra in dozens of posts every week: “give us back the AKC that we once knew!” TheDogPress subscribers speak for a dwindling number of breeders but here are some comments selected by our Media department manager.  Denise felt these reader complaints summed up how AKC’s customer base feels and why its on a downhill slide.

 

“I'm getting solicitations from dog food companies.  Do you know how they got my email?"

“AKC is pandering to puppy mills! Show breeders built AKC and we can take it down.”

"We are supposed to be the customer here, what is going on at AKC?”

"Why am I getting all this spam from AKC?"

“Give us back INTEGRITY!"

 

AKC? Are you listening? Do you care? Did users of your service somehow unwittingly give up the right to privacy?  Or do only “commercial breeders” count in the coffers? Is the "new" AKC literally selling us out?  Where is the agreement to sell our privacy to the new AKC?  It this disregard for the show breeders who built the AKC meant to drive us out of the market, clearing the way for puppy mill produce? Is there another secret deal on the table between AKC and Hunte Corp {2}  Are you are selling our private information to cover your exorbitant salaries???

 

Ref {1} AKC Registers Unregistered Dogs

Ref {2} AKC and Hunte Puppy Mill Collusion

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