[Showgsd-l Freelists] Re: incident at Elgin KC (wolfhound/schipperke)
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- Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 23:23:03 -0500
AKC gets tough after attack at dog show"
By Richard Wronski, Chicago Tribune staff reporter
November 5, 2004
Prompted by a large Irish wolfhound's fatal attack on a tiny
schipperke at a Kane County dog show, the American Kennel Club has
adopted a new rule allowing dogs considered hazardous to be disqualified
from competition.
In addition to banning the wolfhound from dog shows, its owner
has been suspended from shows for six months and fined $1,000 for
"failure to properly control a dog," according to the AKC.
The actions were the result of an attack that experts and officials
called an unprecedented occurrence in the world of dog breeders and
fanciers.
"It's a unique situation," said Daisy Okas, spokeswoman for the
New York City-based organization. She said no one at the AKC could
remember a similar incident at any event, of which there are hundreds
a year across the country.
"I think it's been a reality check for dog people and club members,"
said Allan Reznik, editor-in-chief of Dog World and Dog Fancy magazines.
Dogs at such spectacles have been carefully bred and trained
from birth to be well-behaved in public, Reznik said. "I would say by
and large the dogs are better behaved than a lot of the human spectators,"
he said.
The incident took place Aug. 22 at the Elgin Kennel Club's show
at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles. A wolfhound owned by
a couple from St. Louis attacked a foot-tall schipperke named Kody.
Wolfhounds are the tallest breed of dog and generally tip the
scales at more than 100 pounds. Despite their size, wolfhounds are
considered a fairly docile breed, experts say. Schipperkes, descended
from dogs that stood guard and chased vermin on Flemish barges,
weigh 12 to 18 pounds.
Gripped by the wolfhound's jaws, Kody sustained such severe internal
injuries that a veterinarian had to euthanize him, according
to Kody's owner, Barbara Koeppen of New Berlin, Wis. Koeppen
could not be reached for comment Thursday.
On Oct. 11, the AKC's board adopted the new regulation, which
is to apply to all future AKC events.
The rule states: "Any dog, that in the opinion of the Event Committee,
attacks a person or a dog at an AKC event, resulting in an injury,
and is believed by that Event Committee to present a hazard to persons
or other dogs, shall be disqualified."
The attack prompted a stir in the dog show world. Many enthusiasts
and observers were angered that the wolfhound and a littermate also
involved in the attack were allowed to continue to compete at the two-day
event, even winning ribbons.
But Elgin Kennel Club officials said they were unaware of the
extent of the schipperke's injuries immediately after the attack.
"The day it happened, there was really nothing in the rules that
said you have to get this dog off the grounds. Now there is," said Peggy
Haas, the Elgin club's show chairwoman.
The fine and suspension were recommended by the Elgin Kennel
Club and sustained by the AKC, Haas said.
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