AKC Club Notices

Jay, thanks for the ACK Club Notice. Don't know if it was there before or not, but I just read it today. Hopefully all will read it and make note of any names that might be in their area, especially the names of those that have been convicted of cruelty to animals. Even though the person might not be associated with Malteses, if anyone has a friend interested in a certain type of dog, (rather than adopting one from a humane society) hopefully everyone will pass this information along to their friends.

I, and I am sure all other on this board, just do not understand how anyone can be intentionally cruel to an innocent animal. I think it is one of the most heinous things one can do. I will not jeopardize myself by putting down what I would be willing to do to someone such as the people on the list convicted of animal cruelty.

Jay has given us some very good information by providing this list. Let's get it out to all we can in each person's area.
Rebecca

• Let's be very careful here. Very few of the names listed were cited as being involved in animal cruelty. We are talking about peoples' reputations and potentially their livlihoods. No one can condone cruelty in any form, but let's not lump all these folks into the same category. Many of the names seem to be involved in other activities that are not as heinous as animal cruelty.
  Lefty

• I think it was kind of Jay to provide us with this list and every one should take a look at it. These people were wrong!!!! Why would you stick up for them?? These Notices CLEARLY state the nature of their WRONG DOINGS. I for one could care less to protect these kinds of peoples livlihoods and reputations. They should have thought about that before they commited the crime. These people have done wrong. Now its time to pay the price.
  Elsie Greenwood

• I agree with you to a point, not all have been convicted of heinous animal cruelty crimes. However, the AKC does not suspend people for five or ten years and levy fines, in a casual manner. There is usually good reason for doing so, not just a mere slip of a mistake on paperwork. Even if that were the ONLY reason, which it is not usually the case, if someone is selling "goods"[dogs] to the public and backing those "goods" up saying that such and such are true, I as a consumer sure as heck want what I am buying to be as put out to me.

  However, these five and ten year suspensions from AKC activities are usually for more serious problems. I think we owe it to the animal world and to our friends to at least warn them.

  There was a recent horrendous -- not that all animal abuse is not horrendous -- where a guy was suspended from AKC activities in February for records violations. He was then suspended for life in March. His crime, even before the Februrary suspension was the death of ten collies in a Nazi-like death kennel.

  He had four friends, collaborators that knew what was going on, groomed breed and other things for him. No action, from what I know has been taken against the collaborators yet.

  I would want a car dealer that sold me a car with improper or fake papers to be fined and not allowed to sell cars any more. I expect the same kind of treatment for those that sell dogs with improper or fake papers. If they are not going to be careful about their paperwork, though I doubt that is their only mistake, they are going to also probably going to be lackadaisical in other matters and should not be in the business of breeding animals. That's how you get so many dogs ending up at humane societies and being euthanized.

  So, I'm sorry if someone gets put out of business because they couldn't conduct business properly, so be it. When you are dealing in real life, you better be serious about it.
  Rebecca

• The AKC publishes a document called registration rules and regulations which celarly spells out what a breeder must do to be incompliance.

  Briefly, you are required to keep a set of records with specific information on names, sire, dam, registration numbers, how acquired, when, disposition - sold, died, etc. and you must keep similar information on all males that you use at stud -- the bitch bred to, owner, etc. and for bitches - records on whelpings, who you sold puppies to etc. You must also have some sort of identification ON ALL THE DOS/BITCHES on your premises. AKC has a stated policy that they routinely will inspect any breeders that register more than ten litters a year. And according to the AKC they as they have time will adventually get to everyone who breeds more than two litters each year. The other way they will come for a records inspection is when you are "turned in" or you co-own/co-bred with someone else that is inspected.

  I have not had them visit me but do know of some others this has happened to. When they come they will examine your records and randomly check you dogs against their permanent idnetification (ie a tatoo, microchip, etc). They will also note the conditions of you facilities. If they find them unacceptable they can report this to you local animal control authorities.

  The people that have been suspended have either not allowed and inspection or have failed the insepction. I heard of one person in Lhasas that they felt she did not have everyhting documented well but had enough as a basis and with minimal work could be in compliance -- she was given three months (no suspension) to fix her records and then they came back for another visit.

  Some background on this: the inpetious behind much of this was a way to "have some control" ove the puppy mills. The puppy mills have a very stong USDA lobby and there is an issue of fairness that is legally defensible if not applied to all. When this first started --maybe 5 years ago -- it was mainly the puppy mills in the midwest you would see eing suspended. As the time has gone on they have gotten to other big breeders.

  While not necessarily abuse -- the failure to keep proper records can effect the integrity of the stud books (your dogs pedigree) and this is mainly what the AKC is interested in.

  Hope this answers some of the questions about these suspensions.
  Bobbie Linden Bhe-Jei Maltese