Pet Travel Rules - Jan 2012 -new

The Kennel Club has published a new Code of Conduct to remind exhibitors and competitors of their responsibilities whilst taking part in all canine activities and also when discussing shows, trials and events online.

Whilst the Kennel Club believes that the overwhelming majority of people taking part in dog activities do so in a responsible and sportsmanlike manner, it is concerned at the increasing number of complaints which it has received about incidents of abuse, in particular through the negative use of social media.

The guidance offered in the new Code of Conduct is included to help ensure that everyone participating in dog activities is free to do so in an enjoyable and fun way, especially the dogs themselves. The code is intended for use primarily as a guide, but does outline some of the penalties which the Kennel Club has at its disposal to deal with serious cases of transgression. As such, it should be read in conjunction with relevant regulations as listed in the Kennel Club Year Book.

Over recent years, there has been a rapid growth in the use of social media as a form of instant communication and there is a need for those who use Facebook, blogs and chat rooms etc to understand their responsibilities. For this reason, there is a specific section within the Code of Conduct giving general guidelines on participation on social media websites.

A word from the Kennel Club
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Communications Director, said: “Thousands of people take part in a wide range of canine activities, week in week out, because they are a fun way to spend time with their dogs and they get to meet others who share common interests. Undoubtedly, the vast majority do so in a well-mannered and sportsmanlike manner, however rarely a week goes by without the Kennel Club being contacted by someone who feels that they have been abused or slighted in some way by a fellow competitor, either at an event or more frequently through the internet.

“As a result, we felt that the time was right to remind everyone involved in the world of dogs that it is essential that anyone who wishes to attend a show, trial or other event should be free to do so without fear of anything which might spoil their enjoyment. The world of dogs is still under great scrutiny and it is important that we continue to show unity in our enjoyment of our hobbies. We hope that the code will be seen in a positive light and will be of benefit to all.”

Copies of the new code will be available on the Kennel Club stand at the Bournemouth, Welsh Kennel Club and Darlington championship shows over the coming months as well as the International Agility Festival, and at all future events which the Kennel Club attends. Copies can also be obtained by contacting Hayley Swann-Ross in the Canine Activities Team on 0844 463 3980 ext 319 and is available to download from the Activities and Events section of the Kennel Club website.
READ FULL CODE OF CONTACT

Video and still photography at Crufts and any dog show.
Info from the Kennel Club UK

You can only photograph dogs for your own personal use, and these must not be published anywhere, including your own website, or public forums and facebook, without the permission of the owner.

Refer to Crufts website – click on show information – general information – and filming and photography, where it says about commercial photographers must have permits etc and certain restrictions on still photography, and further information from Press Office.

DETAILS CLICK HERE

The Internet - Friend or Foe -February 2010
Published Tanat Valley Chronicle - written by Sarah Kendall-Taylor

The Internet for central informtion is great, and readily accessible to most people these days. There is a down side though, that my colleagues and I come across time and time again. Some veterinary information is posted from unqualified sources and is inaccurate. People tend to think most veterinary information on the internet is the most up to date, but for veterinary surgeons we rely on veterinary publications and websites only accessible to vets to get up to date information. Additionally, we have contact with specialists in various fields.

Typing in your animals condition can be misleading. For instance, you may look up 'conjunctivitis' and see various treatments. However the key to successful treatment is a detailed examination to determine the cause. I have seen a dog treated with antibacterial cream for conjunctivitis which was caused by a thorn in its' eye. Some types of conjunctivitis are caused by lack of tear production and there are many other causes.

The wrong treatment, delaying a visit to the vet may cause difficulty in curing the condition because it has progressed so far in the human field on some sites. You can type in the symptoms and come up with a possible diagnosis, but without a full examination by a qualified medical of veterinary person, the diagnosis may well be off the mark.

I have seen some non-accredited sources quote there is no treatment for a particular parasitic condition when there is a perfectly good treatment. This site was trying to sell an unrecognised treatment that had no proven record that it worked.

No vet or doctor will diagnose a patient without seeing them. This is because the history of a condition a patient tells them, together with examination will often give you a clue as to the cause. Vets are always willing to discuss any concerns you have about your animals condition. Please think before you Google!!

February 2010 - The Mail on Sunday
A leaked document from DEFRA suggests that every dog owner will have to take a 'competence test' to prove they can handle their pets under new government proposals designed to curb dangerous dogs.

Owners of all breeds would also have to buy third-party insurance in case their pet attacked someone and pay for the insertion of a microchip recording their name and address. The proposals are apparently among a range of measures to overhaul dog laws in England and Wales being considered by senior Ministers who are expected to announce a publis consultation within weeks.

But critics said responsible dog owners would be penalised by yet more red tape and higher bills - one expert has estimated the extra costs at £60 or more- while irresponsible owners of dangerous dogs would just ignore the measures.

It states that the RSPCA said it would welcome a review of legislation which has failed to curb the numbers of dangerous dogs that attack children and adults. The Charity did say that they would not support anything which would hit sensible owners while failing to police those who are a danger.

A government spokeman has been reported as saying that these proposals are contained in a confidential report drawn up by DEFRA,
It is thought that under the proposls would be dog owners would have to show they have a basic understanding of their dogs before being allowed to keep one. There have been suggestions for a competency test for all or some dog owners akin to the driving theory test. The cost of setting this system up is the problem and would have to be met by either charging for the test or by imposing a dog licence fee..although there were disagreements over what would constitute competence in looking after and controlling a dog.

Other proposals quoted in this article were giving the Police and local authorities power to impose ASBOS on the owners of unruly dogs and extending the laws to cover attacks everywhere. At the moment dogs which attack people on private property are allowed to be exempt from the law despite coomplaints from Postmen.

The Kennel Club are quoted as saying that it was in favour of measures to promote responsible dog ownership but that the competence tests sounded impracticable.

February 2010
According to our local paper the Kennel Club has set up a 'doggie dating website'.

To help dog breeders find the perfect match for their pedigree dog. The canine equivilent of an internet dating site that has a serious aim to improve the health and genetic diversity of pedigree dogs.

The KC said that in the future it wouls help breeders select mates for their dogs which maximise the chances of producing healthy puppies.

The mate selection programme announced will use health tests which Accredited breeders have to carry out on their dogs.

READ KC release in full CLICK HERE

Animal Rescue Kerala, which was set up by
an English Lady a few years ago.
In her 60’s, Avis sold up everything in the UK and literally had
a rescue centre built from nothing, for Dogs, Cats and Horses.
TO STOP THE ILLEGAL SLAUGHTER OF DOGS
and other animals....
To read more and go to site
CLICK HERE
opens as pdf.

THE COLLIE HEALTH FOUNDATION - USA

We are a non-profit charitable Foundation whose sole purpose is to raise money to fund research into health issues in Collies, such as epilepsy, autoimmune disorders, bloat, cancer and others. We funded $250,000 toward the successful discovery of a genetic test for the gene that codes for PRA and are now supporting studies into dermatomyositis, epilepsy and cancer. To my knowledge, we are the only such organization of our type in the world and believe we can engage all Collie on the planet to achieve our goals of healthier Collies.

CLICK HERE to visit their web site

New Green Star System for Ireland

At the An Ard Chomhairle meeting in Dublin on Friday, 3rd November, the delegates agreed to a change to the Green Star system which has been in operation since January 1978, which in itself had been the first major change since the formation of the Irish Kennel Club in 1922. The new system will come into operation from January 2007 and will be subject to review in 2009.

The current points system will be replaced with a simple numerical calculation of seven green stars won under seven different judges. To ensure a smooth transition from old to new, a conversion will be applied from points already gained under the old system.

Points won under the old system will be converted as follows –

1 - 5 points counts as 1 Green Star

6 – 11 points counts as 2 Green Stars

12 – 18 points counts as 3 Green Stars

19 – 24 points counts as 4 Green Stars

25 – 31 points counts as 5 Green Stars

32 points or more count as 6 Green Stars

Grading will also be introduced at all Championship shows and only those dogs graded Excellent (or in the case of puppies-Very Promising) will be allowed to compete for the green star. There would be a stipulation that 1 Green Star must be won after the age of 15 months. Champions will also be eligible to compete for the green star.

There will no longer be any enhancement for Group wins.

The title of Annual Champion in each breed will be awarded to the dog with the highest number of Green Stars won in the calendar year. In the event of a tie, the award will be made to the dog with the greater number of Best of Breed wins.

These changes come on the back of the decision to implement 10 groups at all Championship shows from June 2007; these will mirror the FCI groupings and will see some breeds move from their traditional home, eg. Dalmatians into Group 6 along with Beagles and Bassets, an influx into Group 5 of the Pomeranian, Siberian Husky and Samoyed and other Nordic and Spitz breeds, the merging of the Toys and remaining Utility breeds into the Companion Group 9 and the prospect of the Miniature Schnauzer and the Affenpinscher taking on the mighty St Bernard in Group 2. Dachshund will have their own group, Group 4 and the Gundogs will be split into Groups 7 and 8.
Irish Canine Press

Belfast Dog Show Society – Future allocation of Challenge Certificates

The Kennel Club has worked in close conjunction with the Belfast Dog Show Society to agree a change to the way that Challenge Certificates are allocated to the society. This has resulted in an increase in the number of CCs available to both Belfast and to the rest of the UK also.

The Kennel Club conducted detailed statistical research on the dogs exhibited at shows on the island of Ireland, and it became apparent that, due to the expanse of water between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the local breed population and show entries needed to be looked at in a completely different way. It has been agreed that a rather different mix of CCs than has previously been allocated to the Belfast Championship Show, would be more appropriate for all parties.

Representatives from the Belfast DSS held an extremely constructive meeting with the Kennel Club to discuss this issue, and a proposal put forward by the Kennel Club on the most appropriate breeds to be allocated CCs there, was subsequently accepted by the Belfast DSS committee.

The effect of this proposal is that Belfast show entry statistics will be excluded from the formula used to calculate the number of CCs available for allocation each year in the rest of the UK. Therefore, in future, only the General Championship show entry figures for such shows held in England, Scotland and Wales will be used. In so doing the calculations will no longer be coloured by the lower entries received by the Belfast show which are inevitable due to the difficulties in crossing the Irish Sea.

The Kennel Club has agreed that CCs should be allocated to the Belfast Championship Show for all native Irish breeds which have championship status, and has recognised for CC status a different mix of breeds for which entries have been generally strong in Ireland. This has resulted in some extra sets of CCs becoming available to Belfast for 2009, and full details of this new allocation of CCs are included on the general and group championship show allocation chart in the October issue of the Kennel Gazette.

As Belfast’s entry statistics will no longer feature in the CC calculations for the rest of the United Kingdom, the CCs for breeds traditionally allocated to the Belfast Championship Show have all been re-allocated to shows on the UK mainland, thus increasing this number also. Where possible, breed club rotations have been cancelled, joint breed clubs’ championship shows will be offered and, following representation from breed clubs or councils, CCs have been restored to certain general championship shows. There has also been an emphasis on the number of re-allocations to general championship shows in the north of England and south of Scotland in an attempt to help areas which traditionally supported the Belfast show with entries and may have lost the opportunity to do so.

Said Ronnie Irving, Chairman of the Kennel Club: “We believe that this decision represents a beneficial situation for all concerned. By restructuring the Belfast Championship Show allocation, this will aid the Society in its continued efforts to attract more exhibitors and achieve a successful championship show. The increased number of CCs released for elsewhere, also allows us to improve the situation for many other clubs and societies. While we can’t unfortunately meet everyone’s wishes, we have been able to cancel some rotations and give some breeds an allocation which is closer to what they have said they want.”

25th September 2006

For further information please contact

Press Office

020 7518 1008 / 1020

pressoffice@the-kennel-club.org.uk

Visit the Kennel Club website

www.thekennelclub.org.uk

Insurance for Show dogs

Following a conversation with a dog breeder it turned out that when trying to register a new puppy with the same company used for the last 10 years or so, a different question was asked by the Insurers - ie is this for working or leisure. When told by the owner that the dog was shown the Insurer then refused the registration. Having spoken to the Insurers they do say that they are operating a"pet" insurance service.....and apparently you are only allowed to go to three shows a year, and as a breeder it is classed as a trade or business where profit is made. The poor chap on the phone checked with his under-writers and they implied that we might get rewards at a show....I did explain that we pay to go to shows and if we are lucky enough to get placed we actually get a rosette of card....not any money..... But nevertheless if you have a breeding bitch or show your dog regularly this would not be covered by this particular company.

I have rung round to a number of companies and a lot had to check with their underwriters, some were quite happy to accept show dogs, as their interpretation of a working dog was one used for guarding or racing etc.... so that was fine but some said a downright NO to show dogs.

When you are insuring your dogs our advice would be to check whether the company you choose does actually cover "show dogs".

-any comments to collienet2000@aol.com