[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Hunte Corp
- From: BJBuie@xxxxxxx
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 00:29:37 EST
I am very behind in list mail and am just now catching up to over a week's
worth. I did not know Hunte was being discussed on the list until after I sent
my own e-mail to officers and committee chairs of the GSDCA.
We can all think what we want. I am not going to respond in public to any
e-mails and am not going to send another mass response to the people on my
original distribution list. I will answer individual e-mails if there is
anything
additional to be discussed. One thing I learned from sending the e-mail to
the people that I did is more than I wanted to know about some people based on
their response to me. The only thing I can do is make sure my own furkids live
the best life possible and in the rare occasion when I am involved in
breeding a litter that every potential owner is screened carefully and that I
am
there as a resource for the life of the puppy.
I am also including the "Open Letter" sent by Carmen to one of the officers
in response to my e-mail. Note I have blanked some words which some may find
offensive which were contained in the original e-mails that I RECEIVED.
Everyone can decide for themselves.
Betty Johnson
First e-mail I sent:
1. Good Evening GSDCA Board Members, Officers and Committee Chairs:
I received the following communications and information from a friend who has
another breed and friends in many breeds. No, she does not have Cavaliers,
she is just very aware of my interest in Cavaliers and the well written and
well enforced Breeder's Code of Ethics by both national clubs in that breed.
She
is very involved in rescue and rescues not only her breed but gets involved
with any breed that has a need she can fill to transport, make contacts, etc.
She has spent many hours in the sections of Missouri which are home to the
most notorious puppy mills and the Hunte corporations facilities.
I have not edited the e-mails, other than to remove the name of the friend
who sent the e-mails to me and a reference to other friends which does nothing
to alter the content or value which should be assigned to the concerns
expressed. Some of her word selection may be controversial however, this is a
passion
filled topic and the thoughts presented here are tame compared to what will
be forthcoming from those who spend many hours working with rescue animals and
cry many tears over their lot in life all to enrich a few individuals.
It looks like the Hunte connected puppy mills will be able to advertise
Champion sired German Shepherd puppies and with Mr. Moses on the end of the
lead
probably even Best In Show sired. Yes, I know this is America and as a private
citizen Mr. Hunte is entitled to own and show any dog which strikes his
fancy. However, over the last several months since Mr. Hunte was televised
occupying high status, "must know someone" seating at several highly promoted
prestigious dog shows, the various dog lists have been flooded with discussions
and
concerns over what the apparent coziness with AKC means to purebred dog
breeding. It is painfully obvious where this relationship is going and what
the
effect upon the pet market will be.
Presented by the original writer are good questions about where the GSDCA
Code of Ethics comes into play. For the owner of the dog, for the breeder of
the
dog and for the handler of the dog.
I have heard the official AKC line about building a relationship with Mr.
Hunte to "improve the mill bred dogs," but let's face it, this all smacks of
making money for all the wrong entities for all the wrong reasons. Yes, I know
that if AKC doesn't give "papers" on a dog, some alternative registration
organization will. However, did we think that there would be an implied AKC
seal of
approval for mill bred dogs? Don't we expect more from the "icons of the
breed" as some of the individuals involved here have been described?
Maybe Mr. Hunte's facilities are better than other mill puppy distributors,
but that does not address the life the breeding stock lead or the life of the
puppies before going to Mr. Hunte's sanitized, commercial stainless steel
holding facilities nor what life will be for these dogs when sold into homes
where
the only purchaser criteria amounts to whether the available credit limit on
the plastic payment card is sufficient for the sale to be completed.
Is the Parent Club going to take any official stand? Yes, I know, Mr. Hunte
has the right to own and show a dog, well, until some breed's code of ethics
gets him removed from that organization, but I suspect, that Mr. Hunte will not
be joining any breed Parent Club to avoid any such sanction.
Just one of the developments over the last few months that make me wish that
I had not returned to the show dog world after my 30 years away. No, I'm not
looking backward through rose coloured glasses, and yes, I spent enough years
in Corporate America to understand the drive of the dollar. I swear there was
more fun and less dedication to how many dollars one could pocket in this
hobby.
Betty J. Johnson
Member GSDCA
Signer of the GSDCA Breeder's Code of Ethics
2. The original e-mails I received:
To: BJBuie@xxxxxxx
From:
Subj: dog shows
Date: 3/21/06 11:38:05 AM Central Standard Time
This is where the Hunte dog was shown.
It was the four day TN show weekend before last. They were probably at
Louisville this last weekend but that's not up yet.
The dog was winners two of the four days. Soon all the millers will have
CH--sired...
> Nashville Kennel Club, Inc. (1)
> Franklin TN, Thursday, March 9, 2006
> Tullahoma KC of Tennessee, Inc. (1)
> Franklin TN, Friday, March 10, 2006
> Tullahoma KC of Tennessee, Inc. (2)
> Franklin TN, Saturday, March 11, 2006
> Nashville Kennel Club, Inc. (2)
> Franklin TN, Sunday, March 12, 2006
>
To: BJBuie@xxxxxxx
From:
Subj: L_____ on a roll
Date: 3/21/06 11:48:34 AM Central Standard Time
OHHHHHHHHHH, L_____ is now all on a roll........Thought you might find it
interesting.
So what are GSD people saying? What about _______and all -- what do they
think of both JM -- AND Carmen B...? I bet no one has the guts to tell JM he's
a
_____ and to take their business away from him because of being
such a l___ ____?
The Cavalier Club says--
1. Knowingly falsify pedigree or breeding information.
2. Sell Cavaliers to pet shops either on consignment or outright.
3. Supply or sell Cavaliers for auctions, raffles, flea markets, dealers,
wholesalers, or other such enterprises.
4. Knowingly sell to unethical breeders, or sell to persons whose intention
to resale is known or suspected.
5. Purchase any Cavalier or any litter for resale either to an individual or
a commercial establishment.
What does the GSD Club have in their COE, or does JM even belong? L_____
To: BJBuie@xxxxxxx
From:
Subj: show news
Date: 3/20/06 3:11:02 PM Central Standard Time
Hi Betty:
A friend sent me this and I am currently finding out which show it was.
P________ and _______ thought you would be interested. Hope all is well with
you. L_____
Owner is Andrew Hunte as in HUNTE CORP. Just got a call tonight about this
-- Jimmy Moses handling -- Sheree, his wife, bred it...
GERMAN SHEPHERD DOGS, Puppy Dogs 9 Mos & Under 12 Mos .
1/W/BW
15 KALEEF'S ARNO OF GREENLEAF. DN127565/01. 05/28/2005. BREEDER: Janie Morton
& Sheree Moses. By Willoway's Granite Mountain-Ch Kaleef's Illegally Blonde.
OWNER: Andrew Hunte. AGENT: James A Moses.
3. The Second e-mail I sent to the same people I originally addressed after
responses and discussions with others in the GS breed:
Thanks _____ for the response!
I should have written a disclaimer in my first message which said I don't
know of any dogs currently actually bred by Mr. Hunte and don't know what the
future will hold with Hunte and this particular male in that regard. As far as
I
know has not applied for membership in the GSDCA. What we can be fairly
certain of is that Mr. Hunte holds a much different opinion of the manner in
which
breeding and selling dogs should be conducted than the majority of those
people on the cc list for this message and that he makes a significant amount
of
money buying from puppy mills and selling to wholesale and retail markets. I
don't know for sure if this is his primary income, but when visiting with one
of the Hunte reps at the Fall Chicago Pet Industry Trade Fair, was given that
impression.
There are many in this breed and other breeds who obtain a quality dog and
have said dog campaigned to star status not for the betterment of the breed,
rather purely for the owner's personal glory and ego. I'm not condemning that
practice. Let's face it, dogs don't care if they run around a ring and get a
ribbon, only the owners chose this activity. For the superstar dogs, this
probably is not a bad life as they are frequently the dogs who are the "foot of
the
bed dogs" for the handlers and upon retirement.
One of the red flags for me in this case is that we all know that puppies,
even pet puppies, with parents who have titles and letters before and after
their names bring higher prices for the puppy seller. Traditionally, the
"millers" have not had access to titled breeding animals. I noticed during the
recent
placement of my "Bailey" X "Puma" pet puppies, that as soon as it was
mentioned that "Dallas" was a grandsire, lookers' eyes got bigger and buyer
reservations, especially price, melted. Assuredly, if a puppy is in a pet
shop, for an
already inflated price, and can boast a parent who is easily recognized by
the general public as a dog they have seen on Animal Planet, and the puppy
buyer's plastic credit limit is high enough, the profits will raise for all
involved in the production of that puppy. Personally, that is the last thing I
wish
for those involved in mass production of puppies, Many, if not the majority,
of pet shop puppy purchases are impulse purchases. Don't we think "super star"
parentage might increase those impulse purchases?
It is not the amount one pays for the puppy that bothers me, nor the fact
that someone has enough money to buy from a particular breeder and hire a
particular handler. What bothers me is the disregard for the life of the
breeding
stock who will produce the "crop" and the life of the puppy after it is
purchased.
Yes, as has been pointed out to me in some responses, realistically, we all
know that there are people who are members of the GSDCA who could be classified
as "puppy mills" based on the numbers of litters bred and method of
distribution of those puppies. No, I don't think there are any members who
sell to pet
shops, however, ask yourself these questions. Are there GSDCA members who
breed "too many" litters trying to find that next big winner? Are there
members
of the GSDCA who, because of the number of litters bred and puppies
resulting, do not give those puppies with "less potential" the individual time
and
attention they deserve as living breathing babies? Are there members of the
GSDCA
whose "kennel reduction" methods might be more than "questionable"?
I know I am stepping on some toes here and probably making some enemies. It
is easy for people to give lip service to being concerned about the betterment
and/or protection of the breed, but perhaps not as easy if really being
concerned might mean that one won't be as successful in the show ring because
one
"upset" the wrong person.
I could go on and on, but I won't. Hey, the GS and show world didn't miss me
when I took the last 25+ year break, I not delusional enough to think I'll be
missed during the next break. At the very least, when I look into the eyes
of my own dogs and the pets I place, I don't have to blink and look away
because I valued anything more than their quality of life.
Betty Johnson
That's what there is folks, from my perspective.
BJ
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