AKC discussion.... - Page 2 - YorkieTalk.com Forums

jp4m2 · 09-02-2009, 02:10 PM

This whole AKC situation is new to me. I understand that AKC can only do so much because there are certain laws in place, the USDA tends to group dog breeders in the same category as cows and pigs. But what I find disturbing is AKC actions and their apparent lack of concern as to how the litters are produced and raised. Their concern for big profits seem to be at the expense of the animals.

...These quotes are from The Philadelphia Inquirer's investigative report.....I provided the link above...All of these former investigators tell us where AKC's priorities are....

The former inspectors claim that the AKC registry has been tarnished. They told the Inquirer that the registry is "no longer reliable" because the organization has, in recent years, accepted so many dogs without proper papers and proven lineage into the registry. In addition, they informed the Inquirer that in many cases, "the AKC knows the registrations are suspect but approves them anyway for a fee. The AKC has never undertaken a thorough study of its stud book." (There are actually two AKC books: the registry which lists the names of all purebred dogs registered with the AKC and the stud book which lists all dogs that have been bred.)

Robert Nejdl who became the AKC's first investigator in 1973 and retired in 1994 told the Inquirer the following: When people buy an AKC dog, they expect it to be of high quality and they expect the papers to truly match the dog. But that's not often true. It's just so much window dressing. The American Kennel Club is in the registration business and not the de-registration business. It's the cash cow."

Robert E. Hufford, an eight year employee and a former manager of field agents, stated that the AKC is nothing more than a "moneymaking operation." According to Hufford, "'the AKC is shipping out registration papers daily they knew should have been canceled out. The bottom line is the AKC, they don't give a damn [about conditions] as long as the checks don't bounce.'"

Rona Farley, an inspector from 1991 to 1995, estimated in a court affidavit that 90 percent of the breeders she inspected did not meet AKC record-keeping requirements. She informed the Inquirer that very few noncomplying breeders were, to her knowledge, ever disciplined, sanctioned or suspended. In fact, when breeders failed to comply with AKC rules, the AKC told her to help these breeders re-create records.

Sharon D. Reed, a five year investigator, said that the AKC never wanted dog registrations canceled, even those that were fraudulent. When AKC told her that they didn't want to harm consumers by canceling registrations, she informed them that they were only augmenting the harm. Reed told the Inquirer that "'AKC registration is worthless."

Mike Reilly, an inspector from 1985 to 1994, told the Inquirer that the AKC "'didn't want to know anything that would upset the applecart. They wanted everything to run smoothly, get the registration money, don't make waves. The bottom line is the money.'"

Martie W. King, an investigator for four years, said that the AKC did not want to cancel registrations because if they removed too many dogs, the AKC might have to refund money."

FTC Warning: The American Kennel Club Cannot Be Trusted

Previous findings of its inspectors, senior staff, administrators, board members, and court transcripts indicate that registration papers should not have been issued in 50%-90% of the cases actually investigated. In a 1995 court submission, the AKC stated it had erroneously registered 600,000 dogs and made approximately $5 million dollars by selling the certification papers to unsuspecting consumers.
Because of its practices, puppy mills continue to breed dogs which (if they survive the abhorrent conditions of their birth) may suffer from chronic diseases for the duration of their short miserable lives. AKC supports such breeders and has renamed them "High Volume Breeders" in a new public relations effort to increase registration income. There is no progeny testing, no follow-up on puppies sent out by the breeders, and thus no controls on breeding genetically defective animals.

From CanineChronicle:
Although the committee was named “high volume breeders committee,” members pointed out that it had visited everything BUT high volume breeders.
The committee recommended in-creasing I&I staff and budget to allow inspection of all high volume breeders annually; expanding pet store inspections; creating a rapid response to emergency and high profile situations; establishing closer cooperation and working relationships with regulatory agencies; creating a speakers bureau for appropriate venues; and developing an emergency plan for high volume kennels
.... close reading of the Gazette will show that AKC is very rarely suspending breeders for inadequate standards of care, having decided to help them improve their kennel conditions instead. Such a plan would be commendable if those kennels were then inspected in 30 days or even 60 days to see if those improvements had been made. But this is generally not the case.

Then there is their total the lack of concern concerning pedigree fraud and stud book errors that the AKC has refused to correct even when presented with documentation that it had occurred. This is from The Dog Press, in which the article only presented three cases but they claim there are many more cases just like them....the article is to long to copy so I provided the link....

Pedigree Fraud Pt. 1 - AKC Stud Book Corruption, Bulldog, Kuvasz, Samoyed, Mastiff. TheDogPlace Exclusive

And then there is the newly formed committee called "High Volume Breeders", made up by the AKC which is a clever way to associate with puppymills. This is the AKC"s way of getting around the issue of teaming up with puppymills and still be able to register all the massive amounts of litters they' will produce under the guise of "helping" them by guiding them in the right direction to clean up their practices.

AKC SUPPORTS PUPPY MILLS AFTER VISITING HUNTE CORP. WORLD'S LARGEST PUPPY BROKER, by Gayle Roberson, for The Dog Press

These actions have nothing to do with following USDA laws these actions are ways to increase profits. The AKC appears to have made calculated, deliberate decisions that have nothing to do with ensuring the health and well being of the dogs and everything to do with money. What a shame......

jp4m2 · 09-02-2009, 02:18 PM

Cindy, I did accidentally come across the site The Dog Press and thought their articles where informative. I see it will let a person read some articles but then I have to join to get access to others... I might join so I can get more info...

I agree that they seem to have a very high income coming in.... I don't believe the loss of income is from the stock market. I have seen several articles stating that AKC is losing a lot of income because pet owners are not sending in their registration papers and the millers and byb are going to registries that are easier to file with......That would explain their desperation of wanting to associate with the Hunte Corp and Petland.....

livingdustmops · 09-02-2009, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp4m2

Cindy, I did accidentally come across the site The Dog Press and thought their articles where informative. I see it will let a person read some articles but then I have to join to get access to others... I might join so I can get more info...

I agree that they seem to have a very high income coming in.... I don't believe the loss of income is from the stock market. I have seen several articles stating that AKC is losing a lot of income because pet owners are not sending in their registration papers and the millers and byb are going to registries that are easier to file with......That would explain their desperation of wanting to associate with the Hunte Corp and Petland.....

I feel Dog Press can be very educational from what is really going on in the dog world. It is not always pretty but I don't think the breeding/show world is very pretty either.

Because AKC is non-profit we should be able to see the complete year-end report and see the real story. Can't cheat on this or the governement will shut them down. Actually I do believe a big portion of their loss of income was the stock market as I have read almost all of their Board Meeting notices since 1999. I haven't found it yet but it should be public notice. I don't know what their income really was from pet owners and a lot of BYB probably never registered with them in the first place since they had lousy pedigree's.

Actually AKC finally backed off some of the volume business they were going after which is why they finally decided to get into agility with mutts. They decided they wanted some of the revenue on this.

There is a great deal of information out there if people really want to know the truth.

livingdustmops · 09-02-2009, 03:44 PM

Here is the 2008 Annual Report

http://images.akc.org/pdf/2008_annual_report.pdf

jp4m2 · 09-04-2009, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by livingdustmops

I feel Dog Press can be very educational from what is really going on in the dog world. It is not always pretty but I don't think the breeding/show world is very pretty either.

Because AKC is non-profit we should be able to see the complete year-end report and see the real story. Can't cheat on this or the governement will shut them down. Actually I do believe a big portion of their loss of income was the stock market as I have read almost all of their Board Meeting notices since 1999. I haven't found it yet but it should be public notice. I don't know what their income really was from pet owners and a lot of BYB probably never registered with them in the first place since they had lousy pedigree's.

Actually AKC finally backed off some of the volume business they were going after which is why they finally decided to get into agility with mutts. They decided they wanted some of the revenue on this.

There is a great deal of information out there if people really want to know the truth.

I agree that the stock market would have had an effect on their profits, considering the stocks have dropped considerable for all the other investors . The reason I stated that I thought they have seen a decline in profits may have a lot to do with the decline in people registering with them is because of this quote from an investigative article....

"Unable to distinguish itself as the premier registry that we know it is, the AKC found its registrations in serious decline. We have all been bombarded with this news, but suffice it to say that in six years – from 1999 through 2006 – AKC registrations dropped by 249,428 dogs and 113,066 litters. Those figures are even more significant for our discussion than a simple formula of number of dogs registered times registration fees, since most of the commercially-bred puppies are sold with at least one supplemental transfer fee. During the initial, dramatic drop in these registrations, an officer of the AKC stood before the delegate body and said that although we had lost a significant chunk of the commercial breeders, we really “don’t need the puppy mill dogs.” But someone clearly thought we did."

The reasons for it are probably multiple......

Dixies Mom · 09-04-2009, 02:31 PM

I have been dealing with a breeder that actually gave me the right paperwork on a dog but physically handed me, in person the WRONG dog. I along with this other breeder, had been in contact with the AKC on this matter. Much to my dismay the only thing AKC would do is get me the paperwork for the dog this woman gave me. I ask how they can legally allow this woman to register a dog I contracted from this breeder and purchased. They told me there was nothing they could do they are in the business of registering dogs. Even though I was able to present the with more than enough proof they could not prevent this woman from getting the paperwork on the dog I purchased. It's a registry.

livingdustmops · 09-04-2009, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp4m2

I agree that the stock market would have had an effect on their profits, considering the stocks have dropped considerable for all the other investors . The reason I stated that I thought they have seen a decline in profits may have a lot to do with the decline in people registering with them is because of this quote from an investigative article....

"Unable to distinguish itself as the premier registry that we know it is, the AKC found its registrations in serious decline. We have all been bombarded with this news, but suffice it to say that in six years – from 1999 through 2006 – AKC registrations dropped by 249,428 dogs and 113,066 litters. Those figures are even more significant for our discussion than a simple formula of number of dogs registered times registration fees, since most of the commercially-bred puppies are sold with at least one supplemental transfer fee. During the initial, dramatic drop in these registrations, an officer of the AKC stood before the delegate body and said that although we had lost a significant chunk of the commercial breeders, we really “don’t need the puppy mill dogs.” But someone clearly thought we did."

The reasons for it are probably multiple......

Okay I understand what you mean in the decline. It would be interesting to find out how many people were breeding dogs 20 years ago, 10 years ago and today. I suspect the number was going up until the the market turned sour. It would also be interesting to see how much their budget has grown over the same time period.

It really is appauling what the AKC is doing for survival and also very sad. I don't see how anyone can justify what is going on.

livingdustmops · 09-04-2009, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dixies Mom

I have been dealing with a breeder that actually gave me the right paperwork on a dog but physically handed me, in person the WRONG dog. I along with this other breeder, had been in contact with the AKC on this matter. Much to my dismay the only thing AKC would do is get me the paperwork for the dog this woman gave me. I ask how they can legally allow this woman to register a dog I contracted from this breeder and purchased. They told me there was nothing they could do they are in the business of registering dogs. Even though I was able to present the with more than enough proof they could not prevent this woman from getting the paperwork on the dog I purchased. It's a registry.

I would go to small claims court.

Dixies Mom · 09-04-2009, 03:02 PM

I have gone through all the channels I can and have tried everything possible however we have been left with no other choice but to sue and that is our next step. AKC was even given the letter of intent to file and they still said they can not keep the breeder from getting the papers for the dog in her possession which is the dog I contracted and purchased. Also AKC sent me a letter stating if I do not sent back the paperwork they would just re-issue the registration to the breeder. It has been very heart breaking.

livingdustmops · 09-04-2009, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dixies Mom

I have gone through all the channels I can and have tried everything possible however we have been left with no other choice but to sue and that is our next step. AKC was even given the letter of intent to file and they still said they can not keep the breeder from getting the papers for the dog in her possession which is the dog I contracted and purchased. Also AKC sent me a letter stating if I do not sent back the paperwork they would just re-issue the registration to the breeder. It has been very heart breaking.

Sad and I have been following your threads.

Sbyork · 09-27-2009, 12:10 PM

Yes it is true AKC does register puppy mill dogs, BUT if you get the Gazett and look in the back you will find MANY people (puppy mills) that are suspended each month. This is a HUGE proble, with an estimate of over 2,000 puppy mills operating in the US. and supplying over 200,000 dpgs each year. No one is perfect BUT every small step is one closer. No one has the financial resorces to attack ALL at once. AKC registers dogs that have registered parents, they are a registry NOT a legal organization. They are trying, however small it may be. They will tell you what to look for in a breeder if you check their web site. Good Not PERFECT. A small step in the right direction. At least they do require more than a picture to register a dog!
Some Day

Sparkling Blu Yorkies AKC and proud of it!!!!!

BamaFan121s · 09-27-2009, 02:36 PM

I'm curious...will AKC suspend/revoke breeders for running what can be deemed as a "puppy mill?" Or can/do they only suspend breeders for not adhering to AKC guidelines? From what I can tell...puppy mills are usually outed by animal welfare organizations and any punishment comes from the authorities. Just wondering what AKC's active role in shutting down puppy mills is...

fannie · 09-27-2009, 03:55 PM

As far as I know, AKC will only suspend a breeder for not adhering to their guidelines.

BamaFan121s · 09-27-2009, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fannie

As far as I know, AKC will only suspend a breeder for not adhering to their guidelines.

That was my understanding too. I'd be willing to be that any 'suspended' breeders got their status as a result of adhering to their rules, not simply because they were classified as a puppy mill. So then I'm not sure why they can be credited with taking an active role in stopping them.

Dixies Mom · 09-27-2009, 05:16 PM

The last thing AKC wants to do is suspend a breeder. Registering dogs is what they do, they rely on that revenue. If you are in violation of their guidelines such as, record keeping, instead of suspending you they send someone to help you fix the problem and they do this until you get it right.

09-02-2009, 02:10 PM	#16
jp4m2 Love my Boys Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: w/ my boys Posts: 5,056	This whole AKC situation is new to me. I understand that AKC can only do so much because there are certain laws in place, the USDA tends to group dog breeders in the same category as cows and pigs. But what I find disturbing is AKC actions and their apparent lack of concern as to how the litters are produced and raised. Their concern for big profits seem to be at the expense of the animals. ...These quotes are from The Philadelphia Inquirer's investigative report.....I provided the link above...All of these former investigators tell us where AKC's priorities are.... The former inspectors claim that the AKC registry has been tarnished. They told the Inquirer that the registry is "no longer reliable" because the organization has, in recent years, accepted so many dogs without proper papers and proven lineage into the registry. In addition, they informed the Inquirer that in many cases, "the AKC knows the registrations are suspect but approves them anyway for a fee. The AKC has never undertaken a thorough study of its stud book." (There are actually two AKC books: the registry which lists the names of all purebred dogs registered with the AKC and the stud book which lists all dogs that have been bred.) Robert Nejdl who became the AKC's first investigator in 1973 and retired in 1994 told the Inquirer the following: When people buy an AKC dog, they expect it to be of high quality and they expect the papers to truly match the dog. But that's not often true. It's just so much window dressing. The American Kennel Club is in the registration business and not the de-registration business. It's the cash cow." Robert E. Hufford, an eight year employee and a former manager of field agents, stated that the AKC is nothing more than a "moneymaking operation." According to Hufford, "'the AKC is shipping out registration papers daily they knew should have been canceled out. The bottom line is the AKC, they don't give a damn [about conditions] as long as the checks don't bounce.'" Rona Farley, an inspector from 1991 to 1995, estimated in a court affidavit that 90 percent of the breeders she inspected did not meet AKC record-keeping requirements. She informed the Inquirer that very few noncomplying breeders were, to her knowledge, ever disciplined, sanctioned or suspended. In fact, when breeders failed to comply with AKC rules, the AKC told her to help these breeders re-create records. Sharon D. Reed, a five year investigator, said that the AKC never wanted dog registrations canceled, even those that were fraudulent. When AKC told her that they didn't want to harm consumers by canceling registrations, she informed them that they were only augmenting the harm. Reed told the Inquirer that "'AKC registration is worthless." Mike Reilly, an inspector from 1985 to 1994, told the Inquirer that the AKC "'didn't want to know anything that would upset the applecart. They wanted everything to run smoothly, get the registration money, don't make waves. The bottom line is the money.'" Martie W. King, an investigator for four years, said that the AKC did not want to cancel registrations because if they removed too many dogs, the AKC might have to refund money." FTC Warning: The American Kennel Club Cannot Be Trusted Previous findings of its inspectors, senior staff, administrators, board members, and court transcripts indicate that registration papers should not have been issued in 50%-90% of the cases actually investigated. In a 1995 court submission, the AKC stated it had erroneously registered 600,000 dogs and made approximately $5 million dollars by selling the certification papers to unsuspecting consumers. Because of its practices, puppy mills continue to breed dogs which (if they survive the abhorrent conditions of their birth) may suffer from chronic diseases for the duration of their short miserable lives. AKC supports such breeders and has renamed them "High Volume Breeders" in a new public relations effort to increase registration income. There is no progeny testing, no follow-up on puppies sent out by the breeders, and thus no controls on breeding genetically defective animals. From CanineChronicle: Although the committee was named “high volume breeders committee,” members pointed out that it had visited everything BUT high volume breeders. The committee recommended in-creasing I&I staff and budget to allow inspection of all high volume breeders annually; expanding pet store inspections; creating a rapid response to emergency and high profile situations; establishing closer cooperation and working relationships with regulatory agencies; creating a speakers bureau for appropriate venues; and developing an emergency plan for high volume kennels .... close reading of the Gazette will show that AKC is very rarely suspending breeders for inadequate standards of care, having decided to help them improve their kennel conditions instead. Such a plan would be commendable if those kennels were then inspected in 30 days or even 60 days to see if those improvements had been made. But this is generally not the case. Then there is their total the lack of concern concerning pedigree fraud and stud book errors that the AKC has refused to correct even when presented with documentation that it had occurred. This is from The Dog Press, in which the article only presented three cases but they claim there are many more cases just like them....the article is to long to copy so I provided the link.... Pedigree Fraud Pt. 1 - AKC Stud Book Corruption, Bulldog, Kuvasz, Samoyed, Mastiff. TheDogPlace Exclusive And then there is the newly formed committee called "High Volume Breeders", made up by the AKC which is a clever way to associate with puppymills. This is the AKC"s way of getting around the issue of teaming up with puppymills and still be able to register all the massive amounts of litters they' will produce under the guise of "helping" them by guiding them in the right direction to clean up their practices. AKC SUPPORTS PUPPY MILLS AFTER VISITING HUNTE CORP. WORLD'S LARGEST PUPPY BROKER, by Gayle Roberson, for The Dog Press These actions have nothing to do with following USDA laws these actions are ways to increase profits. The AKC appears to have made calculated, deliberate decisions that have nothing to do with ensuring the health and well being of the dogs and everything to do with money. What a shame...... __________________ B.J.mom to : Jake J.J. Jack & Joey, momma misses you..... The joy found in the companionship of a pet is a blessing not given to everyone. The two most powerful words when we’re in struggle: me too..

09-02-2009, 02:18 PM	#17
jp4m2 Love my Boys Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: w/ my boys Posts: 5,056	Cindy, I did accidentally come across the site The Dog Press and thought their articles where informative. I see it will let a person read some articles but then I have to join to get access to others... I might join so I can get more info... I agree that they seem to have a very high income coming in.... I don't believe the loss of income is from the stock market. I have seen several articles stating that AKC is losing a lot of income because pet owners are not sending in their registration papers and the millers and byb are going to registries that are easier to file with......That would explain their desperation of wanting to associate with the Hunte Corp and Petland..... __________________ B.J.mom to : Jake J.J. Jack & Joey, momma misses you..... The joy found in the companionship of a pet is a blessing not given to everyone. The two most powerful words when we’re in struggle: me too..

09-02-2009, 03:44 PM	#19
livingdustmops Princess Poop A Lot Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 6,728	Here is the 2008 Annual Report http://images.akc.org/pdf/2008_annual_report.pdf __________________ Cindy & The Rescued Gang Puppies Are Not Products!

09-04-2009, 02:31 PM	#21
Dixies Mom YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 258	AKC and Registrations I have been dealing with a breeder that actually gave me the right paperwork on a dog but physically handed me, in person the WRONG dog. I along with this other breeder, had been in contact with the AKC on this matter. Much to my dismay the only thing AKC would do is get me the paperwork for the dog this woman gave me. I ask how they can legally allow this woman to register a dog I contracted from this breeder and purchased. They told me there was nothing they could do they are in the business of registering dogs. Even though I was able to present the with more than enough proof they could not prevent this woman from getting the paperwork on the dog I purchased. It's a registry.

09-04-2009, 03:02 PM	#24
Dixies Mom YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 258	Next Step I have gone through all the channels I can and have tried everything possible however we have been left with no other choice but to sue and that is our next step. AKC was even given the letter of intent to file and they still said they can not keep the breeder from getting the papers for the dog in her possession which is the dog I contracted and purchased. Also AKC sent me a letter stating if I do not sent back the paperwork they would just re-issue the registration to the breeder. It has been very heart breaking.

09-27-2009, 12:10 PM	#26
Sbyork Currently Suspended! Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 243	True Yes it is true AKC does register puppy mill dogs, BUT if you get the Gazett and look in the back you will find MANY people (puppy mills) that are suspended each month. This is a HUGE proble, with an estimate of over 2,000 puppy mills operating in the US. and supplying over 200,000 dpgs each year. No one is perfect BUT every small step is one closer. No one has the financial resorces to attack ALL at once. AKC registers dogs that have registered parents, they are a registry NOT a legal organization. They are trying, however small it may be. They will tell you what to look for in a breeder if you check their web site. Good Not PERFECT. A small step in the right direction. At least they do require more than a picture to register a dog! Some Day Sparkling Blu Yorkies AKC and proud of it!!!!!

09-27-2009, 02:36 PM	#27
BamaFan121s Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Alabama Posts: 11,432	I'm curious...will AKC suspend/revoke breeders for running what can be deemed as a "puppy mill?" Or can/do they only suspend breeders for not adhering to AKC guidelines? From what I can tell...puppy mills are usually outed by animal welfare organizations and any punishment comes from the authorities. Just wondering what AKC's active role in shutting down puppy mills is...

09-27-2009, 03:55 PM	#28
fannie Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,693	As far as I know, AKC will only suspend a breeder for not adhering to their guidelines. __________________ Steph, Mama to 6 skin babies and beautiful yorkies!

09-27-2009, 05:16 PM	#30
Dixies Mom YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 258	It hard to get suspended The last thing AKC wants to do is suspend a breeder. Registering dogs is what they do, they rely on that revenue. If you are in violation of their guidelines such as, record keeping, instead of suspending you they send someone to help you fix the problem and they do this until you get it right.