BOARD MEETING DECEMBER  5^TH AND 6^TH, 2009

      It was a long meeting with few breaks and the agenda left unfinished. Many contentious issues were on the table and many tough decisions were made. Below are some of the highlights of the discussion and outcome of the debates. Please feel free to contact me regarding any of these issues. 

CROPPING AND DOCKING: 

      Two motions were presented and passed regarding this issue. One is communication with clubs who have a docked tail within the bred standard asking the club to review the standard on this one area and respond to a REQUEST to change the standard to describe and accept an undocked tail where this is not already the case.

     The second motion is increased liaison with other organizations that would be impacted by bans such as those already implemented in NB and PEI and under consideration in Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Ontario.

     There was no motion from the board to unilaterally change any standard, nor to remove the cropped and docked appearance from any standard.

     There is a plan being formulated by the Responsible Dog Ownership Committee to respond to concerns surrounding this issue. There will be a heavy emphasis on member involvement and input in the projects undertaken to support this committee.      

BUDGET: 

     The budget was dealt with, and as expected the economic outlook  would not be termed rosy. The CKC is facing some challenging times. Dropping registrations and participation in all events being less than normal, has created a situation of budget shortfalls. Alternative sources of revenue will be required in order to maintain the existing programs.

     Layoffs will occur and several items have been cut. However, more and more demands are being made for services and programs to increase.

     That being said, I am not in favour with the budgetary process currently followed by the CKC. I believe the board members must be given more time to question and fully understand some of the budget items listed. Having to deal with the budget along with a full slate of agenda items doesn’t allow the appropriate time to analyze the items line by line. I plan to make suggested changes for the presentation of next years budget. 

NON MEMBER SURCHARGE: 

     This has obviously become a contentious issue, The intent with this legislation was not to hurt performance or American event entry numbers but to compensate CKC members for their loyalty. Many countries require breeders and exhibitors to become members prior to taking advantage of the amenities offered by the club. In Canada non members have as much right to participate in our events, with no financial cost, but it is the members that support the infrastructure of the organization.

    Dogs co-owned with Americans are exempt from the surcharge. I can appreciate however that an American entering a dog in Canada also faces listing and ERN fees as well. As a result of the feedback this is one item that might be revisited down the line. The surcharge doesn’t come into effect until June 1^st.

     And for all interested…I voted in favour of this surcharge with the membership in mind.

PRIORITY DATES: 

     By now all clubs should have received their priority dates to 2016. This is something the clubs have been requesting so they can plan judging panels and venue rentals in advance. Please check the dates carefully and notify the office in case of any irregularities.

SHOWS AND TRIALS IT UPDATE: 

     The CKC has been in discussion with the AKC regarding developing a compatible component for CKC’s online services. However, with the AKX undergoing a massive restructuring of their events management system it will create delays to implement.  The CKC is going to have to make a decision whether to start the project in house or wait until possibly 2012 and explore partnering with the AKC.  I would appreciate your views on this issue. Do we upgrade in house and be ready for 2011 or wait and partner with the AKC for sometime in 2012?

CODE OF KENNEL PRACTICES: 

       I raised this topic several months ago. The CVMA’s Code of Kennel Practices is included in our Breeder Code of Ethics and it includes sections on docking and cropping and feeding raw. I requested the CVMA’s portion being deleted from our COE because it was counter to many of our member’ views. It was referred to the legislation committee to review and following a meeting it recommended the CKC develop its own set of guidelines for kennel operations. It was further referred to the Breeder Relations Committee to rework. My attempt to have the CVMA’s addendums removed immediately from the COE while we work on a new kennel  practice document was lost.

KENNEL AND BENCH: 

      Beginning in January members will receive “Kennel and Bench” bound into their copy of Dogs in Canada. This will contain much of the information we used to read in the Official Section. This publication is a “work in progress”. This section will be for members so any suggestions of what you would like to see included will be appreciated.  

MULTIPLE SHOW ENTRY FEES: 

     Recording fees currently has three categories: under 100, up to 175 and in excess of 175. This created an unfair playing field for clubs in the 200-250 dogs per day entry compared to a club offering multiple shows and having a total of 350 dogs per day exhibiting. The new schedule will contain only two categories. Shows up to 125 and shows over 126. The middle category has been eliminated.