The Kennel Club "ABS" should carry a Health "WARNING" - Page 11

Missbeeb, I echo your last two responses, excellent.and precise.

Dingodog, Once again we talk about compromise, I say the KC was not prepared to compromise, you say the GSDP was not prepared to compromise. Let us see who is nearer to the truth here...............................................................................

The KC wanted us to consider unsoundness, roach backs and double handling, we agreed a certain amount of unsoundness was in the breed and agreed to address this (in fact we pointed out the SV was already addressing it and our specialist judges were certainly following suit). We agreed Double Handling still went on but the best breed show committee;s were keeping it under control by use of the KC Escalation procedure, we asked if perhaps at breed shows the KC would consider we put up a safety area at one side of the ring (like at our British Sieger Show) where those who want to double handle can do safely in a confined area but that the majority of us would make a conserted effort to control those who continue to DH at all breeds shows. We did not agree however that roach backs were a problem, we asked the KC to show us live examples, they could only show us photo's. We explained (as you have now noted) that for every photo they show us of a dog displaying what they considered a roach, we would show them 20 photo's of the same dog with a completely different backline. The GSDP told the KC it would arrange a judges meeting and hold an open forum to address the things just been talked about.

On the other hand, the GSDP wanted the KC to bring in Mandatory Health Checks for our breed. They claimed they were a registration body (you know that old chestnut?) and as such had no mandatory powers!! Funny how they have plenty of Mandatory powers in some things (which do not effect their financial coffers) yet have them in abundance in others. So we asked if they would then consider incorporating Mandatory Health Checks as part of their KCABS scheme via the introduction of a two tier system using a different coloured registration papers (purple) for those who did ALL the relevant Health Checks as defined in our BC Survey system. Heck we even did ALL the work and came up with a perfect formula for incorporating it without effecting what it currently had on offer to the puppy farmers who don't do health checks (except they would now be defined with the usual registration colour). We even put the suggested Two Tier KC ABS system onto the
BC Agenda for the Meeting held in July 09, where it was passed unanimously. A meeting, in case you didn't know, where only 24hrs earlier the KC letter detailing the the suspension of all GSD CC;s for 2012 dropped like a bombshell through the letterboxes of all Breed Club Secretaries. Did we rise up and attack the KC then? No we didn't, we attended the BC meeting the next day , at which two KC reps had also being invited to speak and under the circumstances conducted ourselves with both grace and decorum.

To date the KC have neither ACKNOWLEDGED NOR CONSIDERED the suggested Two Tier system for Mandatory Health Testing into the KC ABS for our Breed. Now presented with all the facts, in the order of which they took place and believe me there are many more twists and turns I haven't even bothered to go into here but which even place the KC in a more  unfavourable light) who do you consider to be the unreasonable , uncompromising party in this ongoing saga now? Not withstanding that once again I ask Dingodog, when it comes to Breed Health where exactly do you consider we should be prepared to compromise?

Regards
Sue b

Oh yes Dingo before I close I really must remember to point out that before the KC came up with the threat of witholding 2012 CC's, it had successful negotiated an agreement with the FCI whereby they would agree NOT to register any UK Breed that hadnt first been registered with our KC!!!!  Funny that aint it? Underhand and petty more like but really what it came down to was once again protecting their financial coffers by putting MONEY BEFORE HEALTH. The KC knew that threatening the GSD people was going to cause a problem, especially since it was now obvious they never had any intention of introducing Mandatory Health Checks under any circumstances, again because it would effect their Monetary Income. So they sneekily ensure the GSD fraternity had no alternative way of registering their GSD's (regsitration income now protected) and then set about with their demands in their bully boy tactic way. 

Missbeeb perfectly describes the rest, even down to their use (or abuse) of media to get back at us by attacking the BOB at Crufts.

Hope you followed all this Dingodog and now perhaps you realise why no matter how much you try to defend them, you will never convince those of us who know the exact timetable of events that the KC are the poor misunderstood party in all this.
 
An abuse of power from a priviledged position is what they used and we all know this is unacceptable as well as unlawful.

Regard
Sue b

Good grief, I am not defending them, nor have I ever said that they were misunderstood.  That is the last time I will say this.  I also never suggested that you compromise on health, simply that things went wrong in the original negotiation, and it seems to me that the original issues hadn't been agreed upon before they were presented with demands for alternative registration systems and mandatory health testing.  It is pointless keep going round in these circles, and we are both simply wasting our time. I think this topic has just about been done to death, and I can see both sides of the argument.
Malcolm Willis was made interesting reference to how the KC should meet only with the BC in his recent  article (point 1). Perhaps lack of cohesion in various communications contributed?

My understanding is that the FCI have similar agreements with Canada and another country (can't remember off the top of my head) not just the UK KC.

How I wish everyone would stop sniping at each other and raising pedantic issues.  We have much more important things to do - we already have the tools to do the job, let's get on with it and not waste energy on things which we cannot change (like the past!)  Life is full of "if only"s and we can either learn from them and move on or waste time and energy on thinking about themt.  The KC is NOT moving on - it is digging itself bigger holes - a magnanimous gesture would be needed to retrieve the situation with them.  That ain't gonna happen, so let's move on

have to agree with yu Alyson.my only disappointment is i havent an animal young enough to join in at the regional events,so for the time will have to be content with entering Chiki for the KC shows and being a spectator at the regional events.Carole S.