Last night at the SDOC meeting, I raised the issue of AKC not requiring proof of spay/neuter when assigning competition numbers to mixed breed dogs. These are the AKC regs for the Canine Partners listing. You will note the owner must certify the dog is spayed or neutered or will be when it is age appropriate, and the owner agrees to send such proof to AKC if requested. This differs from the PAL (formerly ILP) requirement that proof of spay or neuter be submitted with the PAL application.
I have the nagging feeling that this “omission” is to appease the breeders of the “designer dogs”.
Permitting mixed breeds to compete at our trials is a business decision for the Club. However, philosophically I am appalled by AKC’s requirement of spay/neuter proof for PAL (purebreds without registration documentation) and the omission of such requirement for mixed breeds.
I look at what it costs to select the best dogs for breeding, to test for good health, to raise a litter and socialize it properly, and then note AKC, that once was the Champion of the Purebred dog and is now simply the Dog’s Champion, has basically winked and offered the opportunity to mixed breed dogs to be bred, and the puppies sold with bragging rights about their parents’ obedience, rally, and agility titles. I have no confidence whatsoever in the honesty of some who will submit applications for companion numbers, and have no expectation that AKC will require proof of spay or neuter at a later date.
Done with rant for the weekend! HOWEVER, if you feel as I do, please contact the AKC delegate for your parent club or local AKC member clubs, and direct his/her attention to these regs. The mixed breed dog owners should provide proof of spay/neuter at the time the Companion Partners number is sought.
