[ SHOWGSD-L ] No spin, from the PA federation of dog clubs

From: Pinehillgsds@xxxxxxx
To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 09:36:11 EST
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
AKC Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE  RELEASE                                            
Date: March 1,  2006                                                       
Contact: Daisy  Okas
Phone: 212-696-8343

AKC CHAIRMAN SAYS RECENT PENNSYLVANIA KENNEL  SEIZURE ILLUSTRATES NEED FOR 
LEGISLATION

New York, NY -- AKC Board  Chairman Ron Menaker today commented on the 
seizure of several hundred dogs from  a kennel in Chester County, PA,  citing 
it as 
an example of the need for  more comprehensive legislation to protect pets.  

"This very sad  case is an example of why we support the Pet Animal Welfare 
Statute (PAWS),"  said Menaker.  "It is a case where the AKC, through its 
mandatory  inspection program for high volume breeders, took action against a 
breeder who  was found not to be in compliance with our regulations. After the 
AKC  
disciplined him, he dramatically reduced the number of litters he registered  
with us and therefore was no longer subject to AKC inspection.  However,  
although he had been disciplined by the AKC and, according to press reports his 
 
state license had been revoked, he continued to operate a sizeable breeding  
operation 'under the radar'."

According to news reports, 337 dogs found  to be living in squalor were 
seized by the local SPCA. Kennel owner Michael Wolf  was charged with 337 
counts of 
animal cruelty and his partner, Gordon Trottier,  was charged with 65 counts 
of animal cruelty. 

Until 2004, both Wolf and  Trottier registered a sufficient number of litters 
with the AKC to be designated  as "high volume breeders" under the AKC's 
Compliance program.  Through  2004, their dogs and facilities were inspected by 
the AKC in accordance with AKC  policy.  According to the most recent AKC 
inspection report, dated May  2004, Wolf claimed to have only 45 dogs and 8 
puppies, 
which were determined to  be maintained in acceptable conditions. 

However, Wolf was suspended by  the AKC based on the results of routine DNA 
testing.  The tests indicated  incorrect or faulty record keeping.  After a 
six-month suspension and  paying a fine, Wolf was reinstated by the AKC. After 
his suspension, he only  registered a nominal number of litters with the AKC, 
thereby avoiding the  mandatory inspection for high volume breeders.  From 2002 
until his  suspension in 2004, Wolf registered 94 litters with the AKC.  
Following his  reinstatement, he applied to register only three litters with 
the  
AKC.

"This is a pattern we see all too often," continued Menaker.  "Breeders stop 
registering with us in order to avoid inspection after we take  disciplinary 
action against them. Unfortunately, however, many of these people  continue 
breeding and selling dogs, and register them with a for-profit registry  that 
has 
no inspection requirements to monitor care and conditions  standards."

The AKC started mandatory kennel inspection of high volume  breeders 
registering with the AKC in 1991.   Menaker noted that since  this time, 
approximately 
2,000 high volume breeders have stopped registering  with the AKC.  He said 
that today, more than 20 for-profit registries exist  in the United States, 
many of which were created to accommodate the very  breeders who had abandoned 
AKC registration and its inspection standards and  requirements.  

For more than 30 years the federal Animal Welfare  Act (AWA) has required 
persons who breed and sell dogs at wholesale to be  licensed and inspected by 
the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  The  AWA presently exempts breeders 
who sell exclusively at retail.  With the  increase in Internet commerce, many 
high volume breeders have converted to  online retail sales, thereby escaping 
federal regulation.  PAWS would amend  the AWA to make high volume retail 
breeders and persons who import dogs for  resale subject to USDA licensing and 
inspection. It would exempt breeders of  dogs and cats who are in compliance 
with 
the standards of a third party  inspection program certified by the Secretary 
of Agriculture which have  standards that provide at least the equivalent 
protection to those promulgated  by the USDA. The AKC has endorsed PAWS, saying 
it will provide important and  essential protection for pets in commerce.  

For more information on  the AKC's support of PAWS, please visit  
http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/paws_QA.cfm


###

The  American Kennel Club, founded in 1884, is a not-for-profit organization  
dedicated to the advancement of purebred dogs.  The AKC maintains the  
largest registry of purebred dogs in the world, oversees the sport of purebred  
dogs 
in the United States, and along with its nearly 5,000 licensed and member  
clubs, educates the general public about responsible dog ownership. More than  
18,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules  
each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, 
herding,  lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog 
trials.  
Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC  
Companion Animal Recovery and the AKC Museum of the Dog.  For more  
information, 
visit www.akc.org

American Kennel Club, the American Kennel  Club logo and AKC are registered 
trademarks of the American Kennel  Club.






============================================================================
POST is Copyrighted 2006.  All material remains the property of the original 
author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind 
are permitted without prior permission of the original author  AND of the 
Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 

ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY 
MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS 
PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY 
FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE 
PROSECUTED. 

For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx

VISIT OUR WEBSITE - URL temporarily deleted due to AOL issues
============================================================================
Follow-Ups:
- [ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: No spin, from the PA federation of dog clubs
  - From: Ginger Cleary
[ SHOWGSD-L ] No spin, from the PA federation of dog clubs

Other related posts:
