AKC discussion....
 

I was reading this long thread ( I'm sure you know the one I'm referring to) that had a lot of talk concerning a particular registry and how they are encouraging puppymillers to profit by not having any "code of conduct rules" in place nor does it ask any questions about parentage. As I read through this thread I was left with more and more questions that I didn't know the answers to. I went on a quick hunt looking up info on AKC and as to what they do to ensure good breeding practices and frankly I was flabbergasted by what was popping up.

I was always under the impression that the AKC was an elite club, that it had strict rules and they it made sure all the members dotted their "I's" and crossed their "T's". After my search I'm now even more confused as to what exactly does the AKC do to keep members on the right track, so to speak.

Some of the questions I have are this....

If the Hunte Corp. is the biggest broker in the U.S.and it gets it's pups from known puppymillers and they Hunte Corp. has strong ties to Petland which is known to sell puppymill pets, why does AKC have strong ties to both of them?.... I thought AKC abhors such practices? .

This is the Hunte Corp. site prominently stating they register with AKC as a selling point...
The Hunte Corporation - Registries

Which brings me to another question...If AKC does not approve of a breeder, broker or known mill can the AKC refuse to register any dogs from that person?

These links talk about how they feel the AKC is lowing the bar for their financial gains from millers......I realize the first link is dated 2006 but it still shows there was some dealings between the parties....

AKC Endorsing Petland and Supporting Notorious Puppy Mill Hunte Corporation

SOLD OUT BY AKC, Petland Pet Shop Contract, Puppy Mills and High Volume Breeders, Editorial by Barbara "BJ" Andrews

This link shows a Ron Menaker, chairman of AKC board of directors, admitting to registering mill dogs and how profitable is has been....

- Terrierman's Daily Dose -

This link is an article from The Philadelphia Inquirer quoting a few former AKC investigators admitting that AKC did not do as thorough of inspections as they would like the public to think, suspensions were rare, and when they did find problems they where essentially told, ...."get the registration money, don't make waves. The bottom line is the money.'"

The Philadelphia Inquirer Exposes AKC Greed - Companion Animal Protection Society

I wanted for others to give their views as to how they feel that the AKC would associate itself to these parties......Do you feel the AKC has tarnished it's reputation as the golden registry by doing so? ...

I would like to hear some other opinions on this issue because I just had no clue til today.........

I'll be interested to hear what people have to say. I am still learning so much about the state of dogdom in the US. I feel like it's a shame that the public knows so little, but at the same time, I've been reading for months and still feel like I have a ways to go. It seems complicated. :confused:

Sadly AKC is a registry and not a protector of our precious dogs. I remember when the lightbulbs went off and how upset I was...here is this "non profit" organization that makes milllions of dollars and only has 7 people to inspect kennels. I have also posted where AKC (taken right off of their website) entertained the Hunt Corp because they want their registries and they do not care how these animals are raised.

I have many articles that I could post but while I believe AKC tries to keep their registries honest (even though it wasn't until 1999 they wanted blood samples and only if they have 4 litters a year) I don't believe they do anything to help protect the dogs.

I believe changes will happen but it will start in England and Europe before it moves over to the US. Look into the Crupps shows and what is happening in England and how their (AKC) is trying to do things for the health of the dogs and not for how the dogs look.

Thanks for answering this issue....I was doing some more reading since I posted this all I can say is ....what a shame.......

I had no idea this kind of thing was going on. I would imagine a lot of others don't either.....It appears AKC has joined the very people is has been claiming they don't want to support. If I remember correctly AKC tells breeders to not sell their litters to pet stores and yet they want to work with the Hunte corp and Petland ..:confused:

I've seen many times on this forum people giving AKC glowing reports and they claim AKC to be the best registry out there, but if these allegations are true then I feel that AKC is no better than the all others.

These two links just blew me away......

- Terrierman's Daily Dose -

- Terrierman's Daily Dose -


I wish I had put this out on the general or breeders section for some breeders opinions on this issue.....

Maybe you could ask admin to move it to the breeding section. I'd be interested to hear what more people have to say.

Thanks for the suggestion. I would really like to hear more opinions on this issue, I'm really curious and saddened to see these articles. I wonder what long time breeders think of the AKC registry......

Admin, could you move this to the breeders section....Thank you....

Well, i was looking on AKC a night or so ago trying to find something about a breeder that has recently moved to my town. I read thru articles and minutes of meetings and the whole nine yards. i was as surprised as you to find that yes, AKC does know there are puppymills out there and have even done kennel inspections on some of the larger ones and found them faultless. made no moves whatsoever against them and in fact, praised them to the other board members. just goes to show you.

I'm no expert but did know this and wondered too. I was and still am sadly dissapointed with the AKC. We need them - yet they don't stand for what they are susposed to stand for - too many contradictions.

It's the sole reason I never formally registered my girls. Chanel almost was, but I pulled out. I saw no reason to give them any money for a piece of paper since I had NO intention of ever breeding.

I'd be interested in what the long time breeders say too.

I am still perplexed as to why people give praises to AKC and claim it's a wonderful registry and the best we have but yet I'm finding articles where they're not only accused of but they also admit they have no problem registering puppymill pups.

I see so many people on this forum state they would never give their money to any organization that is a participant in any way shape or form in mills.....Yet they register through them and encourage others to do so.....:confused:

Dee, your a breeder, do you find that the AKC is severely lacking in upholding it's own standards of care guidelines and ethics by wanting to do business with brokers and commercial breeders...? Do you feel AKC it not the prestigious registry it once was?



After doing some reading about this I'm glad I never registered my last yorkie......:(

yes, I do and like everyone else, hope they will wake up and smell the coffee. i know many people on here think that if the dog is AKC, it's quality. that is just not so. i didn't look at the dates on the reports I was looking at but i think they were like a year or two ago. I am hoping that this is not something they have always done. but i bet it is and is just now coming to light as peoplee get more computer savvy.

I can tell you have really thought this through. You bring up some very valid points. Often times you see that people proclaim they will not support ABC, only to see that they support XYZ and other organizations/companies that work in conjunction with them. I have found that many times (and I'm sure I'm guilty of the same) people condemn and action/organization/company, but only refrain from supporting it when it's convenient for them.

It's hard to tell when statistics are thrown around but I've seen the number as high as 80% of the registered litters at AKC come from puppymills......This is a cash cow for them if it's so......No wonder they tried to cozy up to Andrew Hunte......

If you read the year end financial reports from AKC (posted on their website) you will learn alot. You might want to also get added to the dog press (The Dog Press - The ORIGINAL Unaligned News By & For Breeders, Exhibitors Judges, and Handlers in The Dog Show Fancy) as you will learn a great deal from breeders and the judging system (or lack of). Once you understand the pet industry is over a 94 billion dollars industry then things start falling into place.

You will get very angry as you read many of the articles BUT I think there is still a place for a good registry. At this time and place it is AKC but even that is not a guarantee that you have a purebred dog but it is probably the best. I know that AKC is fighting for their life but as far as I am concerned they are going to lose unless they start protecting dogs. People are more computer saavy and all the information is out there if people want to dig. I believe dogs are coming out of the livestock stage and people are starting to demand kinder ways of living for our pets. ARe we there yet...NO ... but it has already changed in Europe, England and I think eventually it will come to the US. The pedigree business is BIG business (look how much $$$ they make and spend in a year AKC) and really start to question some of these amounts. They make it sound so pretty (marketing 101) but people are starting to see through their BS and demand more from this organization.

I think you must remember that the AKC is not a law enforcement agency, and they can require no better kennel conditions than what individual state laws demand. When states demand better kennel conditions, and pass stricter laws, the AKC can then say that XYZ kennel is not meeting those conditions, and suspend or ban them. The AKC can suspend oar band for other reasons, but this often has more to do with record keeping and purebred lines. You know, "Whose the daddy?" The AKC has it's flaws, but most of these larger kennels are USDA licensed and the USDA is an advocate for the "farmer" and really tries diligently to get the farmer to comply with regulations, they aren't looking to suspend anyone. Furthermore, when the USDA learns that a kennel is AKC registered, they pretty much abandon their inspections because the AKC is stricter, but this puts more responsibility on the AKC and more of a financial burden, as well. I always encourage pet owners to get involved with the AKC, and register their dogs, I believe pet owners as well as good breeders can help the AKC to become a better club, and a more outspoken proponent of helping to pass good breeding legislation.

This is why we must address the puppy mill situation on several different fronts. We need to support responsible breeding laws at a state level, we also need to readjust our thinking concerning commercial breeders, I'm not sure we will ever do away with them, but we can improve them enough so at least the dogs are tortured. We can encourage people to only register with those registries that actually do routine unannounced inspections of all breeders, not just some, and actually do suspend breeders. We can also inform people that it does cost some money to produce a healthy quality dog, and don't support anyone, unless you are willing to see the kennel conditions for yourself. The AKC probably approves kennel conditions way below my standards, and you should set your own standards for this, but don't allow dogs to be raised in a situation that you wouldn't want your pet to spend the rest of its life.

American Kennel Club - AKC Board Meeting Minutes

Financial Report
James Stevens, Chief Financial Officer, gave a report:
Total annual revenues for 2008 of $66.4 million were 1.6% below the prior year. 2008’s total operating expenses of $63.6 million were 2.6% higher than 2007. This resulted in an operating surplus of $2.9 million for the year, which was above budget, vs. $5.5 million in 2007.
The market value of our investments depreciated during 2008 by $18.7 million or 30.7% due to the dismal performance of the stock market last year.
Consequently, 2008’s bottom line reflected a net deficit of $15.8 million. This contrasted with a net surplus of $10.4 million in 2007.

This is a not for profit organization and I believe they can do a better job protecting the dogs with this kind of revenue.

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......

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.

Here is the 2008 Annual Report

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

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......

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.

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.

I would go to small claims court.

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.

Sad and I have been following your threads.

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!!!!!

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...

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. :confused:

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.