Current Activities
2008 AKC Task Force Annual Report by Beverly Eichel, Chair
The AKC Task Force was made a standing committee this year with a summary job description to monitor what is going on at AKC that might affect our breed and club—positively or negatively—and make recommendations to respond accordingly. Initially, set up as an ad hoc committee to respond to the surprise Petland contract, there have been other activities during 2008 that were reviewed, including mixed breed registrations and conditional registrations.
Due to NCA’s past experience with the European Continental Type Landseer (ECTL) slipping in as AKC registered Newfoundlands, we have recommended to the NCA Board that they take the AKC up on its new program of making quarterly reports of conditional registrations for particular breeds available to parent clubs.
As to the future of the AKC, this chair is perplexed as to what lies ahead. There are many battles being fought out there on behalf of purebred dogs and fanciers, and the AKC is leading the battle.
We all have concerns over breed specific legislation and mandatory spay/neuter laws, and the animal activists are always present and stirring up controversy. We need to stand shoulder to shoulder together as fanciers on these issues.
Following a long, personal conversation with an officer of the AKC, some of their thinking does make sense, but more importantly the conversation was a “sneak peak” of where we fanciers stand in the grand scheme of the AKC, as a corporation. We are but a “tiny component” based on the comparative percentages of where dogs come from for AKC registration. Of the approximate 800,000 registered each year, a small percentage of those registrations come from those of us active in the fancy, and only a tiny percentage has ever participated in any competitions.
The majority of the AKC’s income is from registrations. If the majority of those registrations are coming from John Q. Public and com-mercial breeders, our opinion as a “tiny component” carries little if any weight as AKC, Inc., views its business plans for the future. Interestingly in that conversation, the Petland cooperation was explained simply. AKC intended to place a kiosk device inside each store so the purchaser could easily register the dog on-line on-site following a consumer’s purchase of a puppy at the pet shop rather than take a blue slip home to mail in. Why not a limited registration?
The response is AKC looks forward to that dog breeding and thus producing more puppies for needed registration monies. The kiosk concept is a reasonable one, but one that has not been brought forth in official minutes. Why don’t we have those kiosks at AKC events? We don’t need them; we already register our dogs.
AKC has become innovative in creating other income ideas, and we all should stay informed. For example, AKC has a new special program with the China Kennel Club that provides DNA testing, registration papers, pedigrees, and identification chips for a much higher registration fee, of course.
The Committee has also visited the possibility of helping to develop a pro-AKC brochure. As well, a passing comment in a noted dog magazine was significant in suggesting that AKC take advantage of celebrities that are involved in dogs as potential spokespersons.
This is a great idea, and we would recommend that AKC pursue, for example, Dr. Bill Cosby, who has been involved in purebred dogs for many years. I’m sure there are numerous other famous names out there. Did you know Eva Longoria co-owns a St. Bernard that was shown at their national specialty?
Meanwhile, this committee will continue to monitor and make recommendations as appropriate.
Committee members: Debbie Dennison, Dr. Jack Hyatt, Pam Rubio, Sandee Lovett, and Mary W. Price
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