AKC/Petland - Page 2

It was indicated in the minutes that the reason AKC is doing this is because of competition from other registries. Before, most of the pet stores and commercial breeders registered their puppies with AKC. Since then the development of other registries like ACA have offered cheaper registrations and the pet stores began using them. The AKC claims it has had an affect on their registrations ($$income$$). The minutes claimed that the contract with petland is confidential, but indicated, instead of $15 for regular registration with this contract they are going to offer them a few $ off each puppy registration to match what the other registries are offering. They feel there's nothing wrong with it because they used to register these puppies before. They are just reclaiming revenue they lost to competition. So what does it all boil down to....MONEY$$ as usual with the AKC. NOT the betterment of purbreeds! They are crying about this decline in registration...are they REALLY that poor? Now c'mon!

vomlandholz Great job with the petition it seems to be growing quickly:-)

I think that we all have similar opinions about the A.K.C.'s involvement with this enterprise. In my opinion the A.K.C. needs to remain the sole F.C.I.-approved registry for the United States, and enforce its breeding and registration rules for the betterment of all dog breeds, not just our GSD. Ocassionally we see a GSD breeder go foul of the A.K.C. rules for registration by withholding registrations or misrepresenting the supposed sire and dam in the registration. But just try to make the A.K.C. enforce their own rules and suspend and/or eliminate a breeder's registration privledges, even with a tremendous amount of documentation about the lack of or inaccuracy of documentation. Yes, they will assign a case management number, write a few letters to the breeder, try to make you feel as if they are on your side in the matter, and in the end do virtually nothing about the enforcement of their rules. And the answer to any inquiry about these matters is typically "Well, we are a breed registry, not an enforcement agency." Even though they have "rules" that state otherwise. I apologize if my mouth fires like a rifle with a filed seer, but I am a bit touchy about how they handle cases with errant breeders. I have noticed this more than once, and just shake my head as I watch from the sidelines. The A.K.C. needs to return to its original purpose and avoid aligning itself with other entities. Bob-O

It doesn't sound as if the majority of delegates and their clubs are very happy about this either. None of them knew about it beforehand and the contract is not available for their review. I look for it to be rescinded, but it still puts another black mark on the public persona of AKC. They are avoiding the real issue that many puppy millers no longer register their litters with AKC, they use one of the splinter groups instead to appear legitimate. They don't register with AKC because they do not want to be in the AKC paperwork loop making them open to inspections of their records and facilties. AKC can hardly say they will allow them this exemption, so they have to try another gameplan, the partnering with Petland. If this one fails, show and event entries are going to skyrocket. We will pay one way or another. Any members of the GSDCA or any other AKC sanctioned dog club might want to contact your club rep and express your opposition to this partnership. Dr. Battaglia would be a good one if you are a member of the GSDCA since he's an AKC director and voted on this alliance with Petland. I don't think the individual voting record on this motion has been made public knowledge, but the records do say that it carried with only one "no" vote. Actually after thinking about it, I believe it would be appropriate for any GSD owner to let Battaglia know your feelings on this. His email addy is in the Sept minutes of the AKC delegates and should also be available on the GSDCA.ORG website.

Bob-O - given your comments, why would you suggest that the AKC remain the FCI recognized registry for the USA? I'm not sure the purview of the FCI (Is it a Shepherd only org- or all breed?) but it doesn't make sense to dump the AKC - they suck and seem to have no other goal than making cash. -Calvin

Calvin, my reason for that statement is that the A.K.C. is currently the ONLY F.C.I.-recognized breed registry in the U.S.A.. Could we do better? Of course we could if some entity such as the G.S.D.C.A. would decide to become an F.C.I.-recognized registry solely for our dog-the GSD. A perfect world, I might add. Would they, or more importantly could they ever attempt such an undertaking? Although I am a member of that organization, I do not know the inner feelings of the powers-that-be withing the G.S.D.C.A.. One has to admit that it would take a lot of small spheres to deliver such a coup to the A.K.C.. If only it couls happen..... Bob-O

Calvin-a point of further clarification for my remark, as I see how you interpreted it. The A.K.C. needs to tend it its core business-nothing else. The word "sole" was a word that I should not have used. I think that I am perhaps a bit hypersensitive when our sole (bad word-I know) breed registry seems to forget its purpose. Good catch, Calvin. Bob-O

Puppy Choosing- I hope that you are ready for this, its pretty sick... A list of different breeds are faxed to the seperate stores telling us which ones are available, and for how much. SO depending on which breeds are "hot" right now (remember the 101 dalmation thing?) we would choose those first. Then smaller dogs, like min-pins, shitzu, poms, poodle and poomixes, and all the same things that you see on t.v. Like Goldens, labs and My baby (RIP) Huskies. I only saw 2 GSDs come thru in the 3 year span, Show line, poor quality at that, Severe underbites, cow hocked, HD, soft ears and what not... Then we fax it back to Best Friends Broker in MO. (the #1 state for puppy mills BTW) They would then pack up those pups (6-7 weeks old) and ship then in a cargo truck, and to our back door. I or the Manager would then go back, and look at each pup, if they wernt "cute" enough they went back... To who knows what kind of fate.. We then brush, spray and stick em in the window, to fast for 24 hrs... The dogs were priced by how much we paid, + cuteness, champions in pedigree, and how "hot" that breed was at the time. So I will tell you how it worked for my Sibe. The store paid 250 for her. She was black/white with BLUE eyes, small, and very quiet. VERY CUTE!! we automatically multiplied the cost by 2.5, and then added on 175 just because... grand total $800.00 for a heavily inbred dog... MOST of the dogs, have URI, watery stools, coughs, it was so sad. Mercedes was so sick, and would only eat for me, so I sucked it up and bought her for 350. She had an auto immune problem where she was rejecting her teeth, bladder and bowls... SO CHRONIC poops, peeing, and barfing because I had to have so many of her teeth pulled she swallowed her food whole... close to 6000dollars later, and 5 years I helped her stop suffering... Ok, well I am at work, so I guess I had better go, But I will write more sick, sad stories later... Oh, and I cant scan it in, scanner died. But I can make copies and send them out if you like. Its amusing. I also contacted the Breeder, sent her a pic and all that Jazz. She said she was sick because her dam rejected the litter, and she had to bottle feed them all.... HMMMM... No. Petland is a SICK place that needs to be stopped, I am SO ashamed at working there I dont even add it into my work history... (hence my screen and email name.... Mercedes)

Thanks for the petition vomlandholz. I've signed the petition 1,351 12:28 pm PDT, Sep 21

A reminder to sign the online petition if you are against AKC partnering with Petland. The URL is listed in Vomlandholz's post to this thread. This petition is circulating on many dog related lists. I assume Vomlandholz initiated it, good job.