the delegates’ newsletter€¦ · akc fast cat: harnessing your dog’s instinct to chase by...

The Delegates’ NewsletterVolume 29, No. 4 December 2016

The Way I See Itby Sylvia Thomas, Assistant Editor/Secretary

Professor Pawsby Sylvia ThomasDr. Mary Isaacson and her side kick Niko are enhancinglearning in a university setting and empowering studentsand clients.

AKC Fast CAT: Harnessing Your Dog’sInstinct to Chaseby Stephanie KennerleyA variation on coursing ability, Fast CAT, the dog worldequivalent of a 100-yard dash is growing in popularity.

The Dog Aging Projectby Don JamesA two-pronged research project to study the length andquality of a dog’s life.

Just A Note…from Dennis SprungOverview of changes AKC has made to streamline and im-prove event procedures.

Are New Groups Knocking at Our Door?by Sylvia Arrowwood

The Reassessment Committee gathers data to take a freshlook at the group structure.

Getting to Know You: Blaine Groveby Sylvia ThomasIntroducing a new enthusiastic delegate with great ideasand a fresh point of view.

If You Ask Meby Monica Henderson-StonerDelegates share their thoughts to two questions.

Awards Not Scholarships: EncouragingJuniors to Stayby Jon GreenOne kennel club finds a simple way to encourage juniorswith awards.

Juniors Then and Nowby Mari-Beth O’NeillPaying it forward. The AKC Junior Scholarship is making apositive difference.

A Great Find: Here’s Brandiby Virginia DenningerInterview with the fascinating and energetic Vice Presidentof Public Relations and Communications.

Parting Thoughtsby Carole PlesurReflections on twenty-one years as a delegate.

Meet Dr. Frederic AskinAs told to Sylvia ThomasGet acquainted with Dr. Askin’s varied interests and life-long commitment to dogs.

In Memory of Those We Have LostRemembering our friends and fellow delegates.

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In this issue…Page 5

Perspectives WRITERS’ GUIDELINES

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Perspectives.Following are guidelines we ask our contributors to follow.They simplify our jobs as editors and yours as writers andhelp us produce a quality publication while enabling us to getPerspectives out on time.• Write for your audience. Perspectives is prepared byand for AKC Delegates who represent a wide variety ofmember clubs through the country. Our readers are veryknowledgeable dog people.

• Be certain that any facts in your article are accurate.Double-check them. Clearly state when a statement is yourown opinion.

• Whenever possible and appropriate, try to includeinput/quotes from others who are experts on yourtopic. Always attribute any quote to its original source.

• Articles should be submitted typewritten or elec-tronically, via e-mail. Solicited articles should be sent tothe committee member who requested the article. Unso-licited articles should be submitted to the Issue Coordinatorfor the upcoming issue OR the Editor.

• We suggest articles be approximately 500 to 1500words in length.

• Do not rely solely on spelling and grammar check, as theydo not proof word usage. After preparing your article,read it once more before submitting it. Use a diction-ary to check word meaning and spelling.

• Send in your article electronically, as early as possi-ble. Submissions will be due by the 15th of the month fol-lowing each Delegates Meeting. If your article arrivesafter the issue deadline, it may not be used in the currentissue and may be returned to you or held until the nextissue.

• A submission to Perspectives may not be reproduced inother publications without the written permission ofthe author and the Perspectives Editor.

• Any product in the name of a committee must be ap-proved for release by the committee prior to publicationin Perspectives.

Again — thank you for your interest. Without you, therewould not be a Perspectives.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Perspectives is a publication for, and written by, the Delegates,with an occasional article solicited by Editorial Board membersONLY from acknowledged experts in their field. It is a forum for

the exchange of ideas, for argument, for news. Through this medium, we hope to become better informed and, thereby,better equipped to fulfill our responsibilities as Delegates. Your contributions are welcome, and necessary, in makingthis publication a useful enterprise. Please assist the Editorial Board by submitting material via e-mail. We reservethe right to reasonably edit all copy submitted. Opinions expressed in Perspectives are not necessarily representativeof the views of the Editor, the Perspectives Editorial Board, or of the American Kennel Club.

Sylvia Arrowwood, Charleston Kennel Club

Virginia Denninger, Genessee Valley Kennel Club, Inc.

Don James, Leonberger Club of America

Dr. Geno Sisneros, American Pomeranian Club, Inc.

Daniel J. Smyth, Esq. (Chair), Burlington County Kennel Club, Inc.

Monica Henderson Stoner, Saluki Club of America

Sylvia Thomas (Secretary/Asst. Editor), Kennel Club of Riverside

Sherry E. Wallis, (Editor), Akita Club of America

Lynn Worth-Smith, Vizsla Club of America, Inc.

PerspectivesThe Delegates’ Newsletter

The coordinator for the March 2017 issue of Perspectives will be Geno Sisneros. Please

email articles directly to him at [email protected]. with a copy to Sylvia Thomas at

[email protected] by January 15, 2017.

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Though I have taken upgolf late in life, I admitthat team sports andevents are my favorites.As a baseball fanatic, Iwas completely taken bythis year’sWorld Series.What an adventure, twoteams, both long shots,and at the conclusion ofthe roller coaster ride of a

seven game series, the miracle happens! Cubs win!Howwas that possible? Lots of reasons, well run or-ganization, great coaching, remarkable individual ef-fort, a fan base that believed in the enterprise, and atthe heart of it all…Teamwork! While the scale is dif-ferent, Perspectives is an enterprise that is graced byindividual contributions of delegates, AKC staff, andPerspectivesmembers, led by our chair, Dan Smyth.In this issue, we have an article written by DennisSprung, AKC President/Chief Operating Officerthat provides an overview of changes intended tostreamline event operations for clubs. Collectively,we are the Team that produces Perspectives. Wethank you for your articles, your support and espe-cially for your thoughtful reading of the contents.Akitas have beenmy breed since 1980. I am for-

ever grateful that my dogs typically live to be four-teen, but regardless of the length of life, don’t we allwish it were longer? In this issue, you’ll find a fasci-nating article by Don James on the Dog Aging Proj-ect involving research that is being done on thelength and quality of dogs’ lives. Another researchtopic involves the inspiring work of Dr. Mary Isaac-son and her innovative approach to teaching futureoccupational therapists with her partner, Niko, bet-ter known as Professor Paws. Together they teachthese young, soon-to-be professionals, the value of afacilitation dog in a classroom setting.We continue the series which began earlier this

year, by bringing you a profile of an AKC staff mem-ber. This issue highlights Brandi Hunter, a dynamic

fireball with a fascinating history and a commitmentto enhancing and reinforcing the image of the AKCand our sport. We also introduce you to two of ournewest delegates, Blaine Grove and Frederic Askin.After you read their stories, I know you’ll agree theyare wonderful additions to the Delegate Body. In an-other article, Carole Plesur bids us adieu as she re-flects on her twenty-one years as a delegate.The sport’s promise of tomorrow, our juniors, is the

subject of two of this issue’s articles. In one,Mari-BethO’Neill recounts the tale of two juniors “then and now.”The article willmake you feel good about the future ofour sport. After reading it, you’ll want to dowhatever ittakes to encourage juniors. In the other JonGreengives us a simple idea, an award, used by his kennelclub to encourage juniors to join and stay in the sport.Speaking of encouragement, awards really do pique in-terest. Isn’t that the reasonwe all keep going to dogshows…the possibility of that “award”whichmighttranslate to a finishing point, an elusivemajor, or a per-formance title?How canwe encourage relative new-comers to the sport with an activity and an award? AKCFast CATmight just be the ticket. Fast CATuses adog’s natural chase instinct and channels that drive.StephanieKennerley’s article tells us how this fun andfriendly event is attracting novice competitors.Who doesn’t remember talk of group realignment?

Sylvia Arrowwood provides an overview of the Re-assessment Committee which is gathering informa-tion on group configurations. Stay tuned for more onthis at the December Caucus!Find out what’s on themind of other delegates who

graciously answered our questions about incentivesto recognize special members and ways to attractand keepmembers. Finally, we close the issue byhonoring thememory and service of delegates whohave passed away.It’s hard to believe another year is drawing to a

close. The holiday season has arrived. I wish you alla sparkling and safe holiday season, filled with goodtimes, fine food, andmemory-building adventures!

THE WAY I SEE ITSYLVIA THOMAS, Assistant Editor/Secretary

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•1 •PERSPECTIVES December 2016


As a California nativeand a UCLA alum, it

might seem curious that myhome address tile displaysthe OU logo as does my li-cense plate holder, and, ofcourse, the Boomer Soonerflag proudly flies over mydeck proclaiming my affin-ity for the University ofOklahoma. Friends know Ibecame an overnight OUfan when my son received afull ride to OU, was lead-offhitter on their CollegeWorld Series winning team,graduated and became anassistant coach for the base-ball team. His thirty-eightstolen bases in 1995 still stands fourth best for a sin-gle OU season. Since then, Aric’s career has takenhim to the University of Tennessee, but I’m still partof Sooner Nation, wear crimson and cream, haveseason tickets to the football games and, read theSooner magazine. It was in the Spring 2016 edition ofthe magazine that I read about a fascinating researchproject and innovative instructional approach takingplace at the OU Tulsa Schusterman Center.When I think back (way back) on my college days,

I wonder how much better, more inspiring and defi-nitely more genuine classes might have been had webeen greeted by a wagging tail that said, “glad youcame.” Dr. Mary Isaacson has seized the opportu-nity to merge the use of an effervescent tail waggingyellow lab, named Niko, aka “teaching tool and re-source,” with course content for future occupationaltherapists. The combination has been an authenticapproach to teaching students the capabilities of aservice dog and the potential benefits a service dogcan provide in supporting individuals with variedchallenges. Like many good things, Mary’s idea didn’t happen

overnight. Mary is an occupational therapist and re-habilitation professional with a goal of helping indi-viduals with disabilities do things they both want and

need to do in life. Through-out her career, she’s met in-dividuals who wereinterested in having servicedogs as a way to becomemore independent. In 2010,Mary volunteered her timeto train Samson as a servicedog, for Therapetics, a non-profit organization in Okla-homa that trains and placesmobility assistance servicedogs and psychiatric servicedogs. In 2011, Samson wasmatched and placed withBryce, a high school fresh-man. Bryce spent about ahundred hours in trainingwith Samson so that to-

gether they could be a real team. Initially, there wassome resistance from the school in terms of accept-ing Samson. Therapetics was key in providing edu-cation for the high school and through that processMary realized there needed to be more education onthe purpose of service dogs as well as advocacy forindividuals who can benefit from the support of aservice dog. It was that realization that gave birth tothe Professor Paws Project. Mary knew she touchedthe lives of one hundred students each year. If they,in turn, spread the message about the value of serv-ice dogs to those they work with, to future clients,and to their community, together they could make adifference. The Professor Paws Project began aboutthree years ago. Since then, Mary is seeing moreservice dogs being used and people are becomingmore accustomed to service dogs. Well trained serv-ice dogs are an important link in providing the edu-cation that leads to acceptance.Mary was concerned about finding just the right

dog for the Professor Paws Project. Following inSamson’s paw prints would not be easy. She wanteda dog whose breeding and background wereknown. Because of the time, energy, and money thatgoes into training, she wanted a dog that would behealthy and didn’t have a potential for medical com-

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THE PROFESSOR PAWS PROJECT: EDUCATING MINDSTODAY, EMPOWERING LIVES TOMORROWSYLVIA THOMAS, Delegate, Kennel Club Of Riverside


THOMAS, cont’d

plications. She looked for a breeder that did healthchecks to decrease the likelihood of problems andfound an AKC breeder who had experience provid-ing dogs for service work. The time arrived forMary to pick the perfect puppy. Both she and thebreeder knew that the temperament of the puppywould be key to the success of the project. Maryspent a great deal of time with the litter of four andnarrowed her choice to the two males. She ob-served the curiosity of the puppies, their willingnessto be with people and their enthusiasm. Betweenthe two males, Mary selected the puppy that wasslightly smaller in stature, but higher in energy andactivity level. Mary knew the puppy had to be activeand full of energy for the kind of work that layahead. Though full of enthusiasm, he would have tolearn to be calm, remain friendly and curious, butunafraid of new situations.Word spread quickly at OU Tulsa that the choice

had been made and staff and students alike eagerlyanticipated arrival of the new Sooner star. A contestwas held to name the new member of the family.Niko, derived from the Greek name Nikolas (victoryof the people) was selected for the little yellow labwhose future held an important purpose. Mary

worked with a trainer and a graduate assistant whoall helped with training. Niko was put through tradi-tional puppy training, Volhard testing and CGC. Nikowas intended to be a facilitation dog, used in an edu-cational setting, and not placed with a client. Maryemphasized to me that the role of the occupationaltherapist is to assist people to become more inde-pendent and to enable them to do things they wantto do. Service dogs support this effort. In the classroom setting, Niko has been trained to

demonstrate the ways a service dog interacts withand assists a client. Mary has found that many peo-ple don’t know the difference between a service dog(one trained to do specific tasks, protected by theAmericans with Disabilities Act) and a therapy dogwho can be trained to go to hospitals and nursinghomes to lift the spirits of patients. Students see thevalue of Niko as a resource in the classroom. Whenhe’s not part of a demonstration, he lies next toMary or one of the students. He frequently doesthings a trained service dog might do, like pickingup a piece of paper that has been dropped, withoutbeing cued. Students have said that Niko seems toknow when it’s his turn to “show off” a skill. He hasbeen described as “oozing canine charisma!” Every-

Niko “oozes his canine charisma” while demonstrating a skill.

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THOMAS, cont’d

one benefits from hispresence in the class-room. Just as the stu-dents like to gettogether and “chill”after a hard day or atough exam, it isn’tunusual for Mary toget a text from a stu-dent asking if Nikocan visit and hangwith the students.When not in classand with his workingvest off, which signalsplaytime, Niko can “get down” with the best of them.He is, after all, a Labrador! Mary is currently the only one doing this kind of

work. When students first arrive at the start of aterm, they are given a pre-testwhich assesses their knowl-edge about service and therapydogs. A post-test takes place atthe end of the term to measurethe learning that has takenplace. Mary plans to do a longi-tudinal study to see if theknowledge about the use of service dogs in-creases each year. Part of the training includes let-ting the students know the rules about servicedogs. Since some students and clients might haveallergies or fear ofdogs, it’s important tobe able to interactwith Niko in both aformal way in theclassroom and infor-mally when Niko is“off duty.”Like every great ed-

ucator I have known,Mary isn’t resting onher accomplishments.She is looking for waysto expand the programand wants to study be-havioral changes that could occur in students as aresult of the Professor Paws Project and strategies

that have a high im-pact. Mary sees tan-gible results inemails from formerstudents who want totrain a dog as a ther-apy dog, or volunteertheir time to train aservice dog. Just asMary and Niko havemade a difference intheir lives, they wantto do the same forothers. As a re-searcher, Mary

wants to study more about the use of service dogs.Most importantly, Mary wants to enhance the livesof clients, and empower students, clients and otheroccupational therapists by spreading the message

on the use of service dogs.“The Professor Paws Proj-

ect works toward educatingpeople who could directlybenefit from the use of aservice dog. Funding for thecourse at the Center for Indi-viduals with Physical Chal-

lenges came from a United Way Innovation Grant.The course covered topics such as the benefits ofservice dog partnerships, the populations of peoplewho could be helped the most by a service dog,

the service dog applicationprocess, and the laws sur-rounding service dog owner-ship.” If you are like me, youwant to know more aboutNiko and Mary. This is theProfessor Paws websitehttp://www.professorpaws.orgYou can also follow Niko(Professor Paws) on Face-book. Dr. Mary Isaacson andNiko are available for presen-tations and demonstrations.appearances. I’m hoping theDelegate Coordinating Com-

mittee will consider inviting them to present at aforum in the near future.

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..there needed to be moreeducation on the purpose

of service dogs…

Niko was hand-picked by Mary to educate students and spread themessage that service dogs can change lives.

Niko demonstrates how service dogs can assist individuals withdisabilities in opening automated doors.

http://www.professorpaws.org

Just how fast is my dog?” Manyowners have found themselves wondering

that at one time or another.The Fast CAT, one of AKC’s newest events, offersan answer. Launched in March of 2016, the FastCAT is a variation on the Coursing Ability Test. Inthe Fast CAT, dogs chase a lure in a straight line

100-yard dash andthe dog’s time isconverted to give itsaverage speed forthe run in miles perhour. Owners can

then see how theirdogs measure upoverall, as the toptwenty fastest dogsby breed are posted

on the AKC website. Dogs can earn titles as well;each dog’s speed is converted into points after tak-ing into account their height handicap, and once adog reaches designated benchmarks, titles areawarded. By year end over one hundred and tenFast CAT events will have been held. Clubs love theCoursing Ability events—they tap into one of thedog’s strongest instincts, and allow all dogs to com-

pete and be successful. Fast CATs are especially at-tractive to the novice competitor. Most dogs instinc-

tively chase the lure once itstarts moving, the course isstraight so no sharp turns arerequired, and often the area isfenced to allow easy collectionof dogs who may not recallquickly. More importantly, FastCAT offers a fun and friendly

environment where people can share their love ofdogs. Fast CAT has just started, but it is spreadinglike wildfire.

“Pe

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ceAKC FAST CAT: HARNESSING YOUR DOG’S INSTINCT TO CHASESTEPHANIE KENNERLEY, Sports & Events Project Coordinator

Fast CATs are especiallyattractive to the novice

competitor.

All American Dog “Keena” chasing the lure at 26 mph

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The Fast CAT course in King, NC

Labrador Retriever “Rinny” checking in with the scorekeeperfor a treat after her run

Leonberger “Magneto” during his award-winning 5 mph run!

Löwchen “Cosmo” posing with hisrosette



The comedian Louis CK may have put it bestwhen he said “Getting a puppy is a countdown

to sorrow.” I’m sure most of us would agree thatthe limited life span of our dogs may be the singlemost difficult fact we must deal with in owningdogs. As the owner of a giant breed, I’m acutelyaware that, for my dogs, life really is too short.But, what if it weren’t? What if there were some-thing we could do to increase both the length andquality of life for our pets? What if I told youthere’s a project being mounted by researcherswhich is designed to do just that? What if???Several geroscientists (scientists involved in the

study of aging) from the University of Washing-ton’s (UW) Medical Pathology Department led byPrincipal Investigator, Dr. Daniel Promislow arenow ramping up a study called “The Dog AgingProject.” Other members of the team include Dr.Matt Kaeberlein, Professor and Co-Director, UWNathan Shock Center for Excellence in the BasicBiology of Aging, Senior Fellow, Dr. Sylvan Urfer,a research scientist, veterinarian and Great Daneenthusiast, Dr. Kate Creevy, the project’s ChiefVeterinary Officer from the Department of Med-ical and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M Uni-versity, and Project Coordinator, Dr. TammiKaeberlein, Research Scientist in the UW Depart-ment of Pathology.

As the title implies, this an effort to use cur-rently available technology to try to figure outwhy the lifespan of the dog is relatively short incomparison with other animals. Why is it thatdogs go against the apparent biological rule that

larger animals outlive smaller ones? Orcas outlivedolphins, tigers outlive house cats, humans outlivechimpanzees, yet a Chihuahua can live to be 18years of age while a Leonberger is lucky to see12.In order to learn more about this project, as a

current Leonberger Club of America (LCA) Boardmember, I was invited along with LeonbergerHealth Foundation (LHF) President, Caroline Is-berg, and LCA Co-founder, Mary Decher, to ameeting at the University of Washington in Seattle.We spent a fascinating afternoon with Drs. Promis-low and Urfer as the LHF is considering a majorgrant toward funding this project.In a nutshell, here’s what we’ve learned. The

Dog Aging Project consists of two completely sep-arate research tracks:

The 10,000 Dog Longitudinal StudyOne is a longitudinal study that could eventually

involve up to 10,000 purebred and mixed breeddogs participating in the largest study yetmounted. These dogs would be as close to aneven split between sexes, would be of all ages,with a geographical dispersion from across the

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THE DOG AGING PROJECTDON JAMES, DELEGATE, Leonberger Club Of America

Dr. Daniel Promislow, Principal Investigator

Dr. Sylvan Urfer, Senior Fellow with his Irish Wolfhound


JAMES, cont’d

country and living in households of varying eco-nomic backgrounds. Each study dog will have itsgenotype determined (a genome is the completeassembly of DNA that makes each individualunique). It will also have its epigenome (chemicalcompounds that can tell the genome what to do)measured. These along with other measurementsshould help the researchers put together brandnew measurements which will help us understandthe canine aging process.Despite the wealth of vet-erinary expertise in treat-ing elderly companionanimals, there has neverbeen a comprehensive, de-tailed study of aging indogs or cats. The goal ofthis component of the DogAging Project is to performthe first nationwide, large-scale longitudinal studyof aging in pet dogs, where individual animals willbe followed throughout life to understand the bio-logical and environmental factors that determinewhy some dogs die early or succumb to diseasessuch as cancer, kidneyfailure, and dementia,while others live to a rel-atively old age free fromthese problems.Similar longitudinal

studies of aging in hu-mans have yielded awealth of important data,but require decades toperform. Because dogsage so much morequickly than we do, whatwould consume decadesin a study using humans will take just years indogs. Using cutting-edge technologies, in less thana decade we could identify the critical factors thatwould help our pets stay healthy longer, with theadded bonus that we will be able to compare ouroutcomes to those from the human studies. Theteam hopes to begin enrolling dogs within thenext year. Dogs participating in the project wouldbe required to make an annual visit to a veterinar-ian where blood would be drawn and swabs would

be used to provide additional information impor-tant to the longitudinal study.

The Potential of RapamycinIn addition to this longitudinal study, another

part of the project involves the study of a drugcalled Rapamycin. Just like Viagra, which was in-tended as a drug to fight high blood pressure (be-fore the multi-billion-dollar side effect was

discovered), Rapamycin isa drug originally developedto combat rejection inhuman organ transplants.However, in extensive testsusing lab mice, it becameobvious that the drug alsoimproves overall cardiovas-cular health. As a result ofthis, Dr. Promislow’s team

has run phase-one clinical trials using forty dogsfrom the Seattle area, putting one-third of them ona high dose of the drug, another one-third on alow dose and the final one-third on a placebo. Re-sults in both the high and low groups appeared to

show a distinct improve-ment in cardiovascularfunction. A larger studyincluding up to 1000dogs will begin contin-gent on obtaining a grantfrom the National Insti-tute on Aging. In orderto participate in the Ra-pamycin study, a dogmust be in good healthand be more than sixyears of age.I found our meeting

and the ensuing discussion to be absolutely fasci-nating. I have approached the Delegate Coordinat-ing Committee to discuss the possibility of havingone of the University of Washington researchersprovide a presentation to the Delegate Body at anupcoming forum.I know you’d find the subject matter as interest-

ing as I have. In the meantime, if you’d like tolearn more about this project, here’s their officialwebsite: http://dogagingproject.com/

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…the limited life span ofour dogs may be the single

most difficult fact wemust deal with…

http://dogagingproject.com/




JUST A NOTE FROM…DENNIS SPRUNGDENNIS B. SPRUNG, President & Chief Operating Officer, American Kennel Club

At the AKC, we are always striving to grow andbe better and to give our clubs, breeders and

exhibitors the best experience possible when hold-ing an event or attending one of our many shows,accessing our website or using any of our services.Some changes have been easier to make than oth-ers, but we are consistent in our pursuit of fulfillingour mission and improving the sport. To that end,we have been examining processes and proceduresthat are in place and determining if there are betteroperations options. In Event Operations, there havebeen several changes implemented by AKC staff tomake the process of holding events easier for clubs.These changes were made in response to issuesand concerns that were being conveyed to staff aswell as the desire to streamline certain procedures.Some of the many changes you may or may not beaware of are:

• Revision to the event notification messages toprovide clubs the URL link to a form wheninformation on the form needs to besubmitted for event approval.

• Modify Event Operations representativeassignments to be based more ongeographical area, allowing for clusters tocommunicate with one representative.

• Clubs are no longer required to submit agrooming space plan.

• Event applications can be effective for multipleyears.

• Specialty clubs are allowed to hold two days ofshows per year and one additional show to join

national specialties. This provides clubs moreflexibility to schedule their shows, opportunityfor additional entries, and reduces theinstances of local clubs holding shows in thename of the Parent Club.

• Allowing clubs, at their discretion, to utilizeelectronic documents for premium lists,judging programs, and catalogs.

• Revising the application for a show/trial,improving the layout and consolidating thejudges’ panel for Specialty, Obedience, andJunior Showmanship onto the application. Wedid this to eliminate the club from having tosubmit a separate form with duplicateinformation.

• Providing clubs with more flexibility inholding 4–6 month Beginner Puppycompetition. As of January of this year, day ofshow entries were permitted and starting inApril we began allowing foreign judges.

• Common Site Application (CSA) forms nolonger require signatures from eachparticipating club, thus allowing theinformation to be emailed and allowing anyclub in the cluster to submit the CSAinformation.

• As of April 2016 there is a check box forsweepstakes rather than submitting forms.

• Implementing a series of reports and metricsthat allow us to monitor, measure, andimprove our customer service.

Our goal as an organization is to do all we can toensure our clubs have successful shows. Our cher-ished events are an excellent way for us to promotesportsmanship, build lifelong relationships and pro-mote the beauty and endless value of the purebreddog. We look forward to making more changesacross all areas to enhance the experience of clubsthat work with the AKC.

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ARE NEW GROUPS KNOCKING AT OUR DOOR?SYLVIA ARROWWOOD, Delegate, Charleston Kennel Club

It may be ancient history to some, breakingnews to others, but as far back as 2006 Dele-

gates were looking forward to a time when thegroups would be manageable. A proposal to add asingle group comprised of Nordic/Spitz breedswas put before the Delegates in 2010, but wassent back to the Board and Committee, because itwas only a partial solution to a larger issue.In 2011–2012, the Realignment Committee did

further research and coordination, and brought aproposal to the Delegates which increased thenumber of Groups from seven to eleven. The pro-posed Groups would have been divided as:

• Sporting: Pointers and Setters, Spaniels andRetrievers

• Hound: Scent Hounds and Sight Hounds• Working: Working-Utility, Working-Molosser,

Working-Spitz• Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, Herding Groups:

Not to be split, but individual breeds wereproposed to be moved within the dividedgroups from various groups into the newly-created groups.

When the vote was taken in 2012, the approvalto increase the number of groups was a mere six-teen votes short of the required two-third major-ity needed to

pass. Since then, there have been seventeen addi-tional breeds admitted to full competition withinthe AKC with eight miscellaneous breeds andfifty-four Foundation Stock Service (FSS) breedsin process.The following chart lists the numbers of dogs in

each group in 2012, the time of the last attempt atrealignment. Also shown, are the numbers as itnow stands, near the end of 2016 and the projectednumber which could be in each group, assumingfull recognition of the breeds in process.In August this year the AKC Group Reassess-

ment Committee distributed a poll to delegatesasking the key question: “Do you believe there isa need to address the AKC Group Structure?”Over five hundred fifty surveys were sent andthree hundred sixty-three responses were re-ceived. Of the responses seventy-two percent ofthe Delegates responded “Yes.”The Reassessment Committee will be gathering

data from all AKC constituents that will be used todevelop a new proposal which will best serve theAKC, our clubs and our exhibitors. The Commit-tee will be part of the December Delegates’ Cau-cus in Orlando to briefly discuss the currentprocess and answer basic questions.

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GROUP 2012 2016-2017 PROJECTED FUTURE

SPORTING 29 31 42

HOUND 28 32 46

WORKING 28 30 45

TERRIER 29 32 33

TOY 23 23 27

NON-SPORTING 20 21 25

HERDING 26 31 42


GETTING TO KNOW YOU: BLAINE GROVESYLVIA THOMAS, Delegate, Kennel Club of Riverside

One of the best parts of being on Perspectives isthe opportunity to get to know many of the new

delegates through our editorial interviews. In Sep-tember due in large measure to Dick Blair’s NewDelegate Orientation and the mentorship of LynnWorth-Smith, our committee meeting was fortunateto have some new delegates in attendance. BlaineGrove, President of the Northeast Beagle GundogFederation and new delegate of the New EnglandBeagle Club was one of the attendees and he was in-terviewed as part of his “welcome!” Blaine was a will-ing and enthusiastic participant in the process and Ithank him for his cooperation and thoughtful re-sponses to my questions.

How did you become involved with dogs?My earliest memories as a child involved dogs. My

father was an avid hunter, so my brother and I wereexposed to the joys of hunting with Beagles, Blackand Tan Coonhounds and German ShorthairedPointers at a very young age. We spent many hoursin the field training with him long before we were oldenough to go along on a hunting trip.

What breeds do you have and how did youchoose your first breed?By my late teens the Ring Neck Pheasant popula-

tion in Pennsylvania had dwindled down to nothingand the only hunting opportunity with bird dogs wasstocked birds. So as our bird dogs got old andpassed away, they were not replaced. By the time Igraduated from high school, I realized I was more ofa morning person than a late night person. So I tookmore to the running of the Beagles in the daylightthan the night time running of the Coon Hounds. Mybrother on the other hand, was more of a night owl,so he kept the Coon Hounds going for a while. Buthe, too, is now a “Beagler.”

Where does your dog interest lie and Why?I love to train Beagles, for hunting and field trials.

Do you actively exhibit and or breed your dogs?My brother and I are now co-owners of all our Bea-

gles. We usually raise three litters a year from ourField Champion bitch stock. We also currently havefive males that we offer for stud. Between the pups we

raise and the pups we receive as stud fee puppies, weusually have quite a few young dogs to train and fieldtrial. We train at least four days during the week, (wetry to leave one day for our wives) and are usually at afield trial every weekend except for the hottest part ofthe summer and during the prime of hunting season.

Do you judge?I started judging Beagle field trials shortly after I

started trialing in the mid-80s. I have judged trialsfrom the shores of Cape Cod, Massachusetts to theAKC Nationals in Kentucky.

What Club do you represent?I am the delegate for the New England Beagle Club.

When did you become a delegate? What wasyour interest in becoming a delegate?I attended my first delegates meeting in September

2016.I’ve never been one to complain about something

without being willing to step up and do somethingabout it. So here I am.

Tell us a little about the club you represent.The New England Beagle Club is the second old-

est Beagle club in the USA. We are a member of theNew England Hunting Beagle Association (NEHBA)and the Northeast Beagle Gun Dog Federation,(NEBGF). Our club and running grounds of seventy-eight acres are located in Warren, Massachusetts.

How has the sport changed since you got yourfirst dog?My family has owned, hunted and bred Beagles all

my life. As a youngster in the 70’s we did not ownAKC registered Beagles. Most AKC registered Bea-gles were owned by field trailers. At that time, thepopular format was a brace trial. Hounds that werecompeting and finishing in these trials were uselessas hunting dogs. The very first item in the Beaglestandard 5-A for judging states, “The Beagle is a trail-ing hound whose purpose is to find game, to pursueit in an energetic and decisive manner, and to show adetermination to account for it”.Later in the Standard, 5-B, Definitions-Desirable

Qualities, the very first definition is Searching Abil-

Dele

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ates ity. This trait was bred out

of the AKC field trial dog.Those of us that huntedour hounds needed thattrait to be strong, so wehad no use for thesehounds.In the late 70’s early 80’s

the Small Pack Option(SPO) format was started.This is when I purchasedmy first AKC registeredhound and started compet-ing in trials. The emphasiswas put back on a hunting dog. You could hunt yourhound on Saturday and take him to a field trial onSunday! By the late 80’s the AKC SPO field trial waspopular again. Entries of 200 hounds were quitecommon. I judged several 13" bitch classes that hadover one hundred entries.Fast forward to today. Entries at licensed trials are

low. One hundred entries at a trial is a big trial. Thereare factions in the sport that again are not makingthe hunting/searching trait the number one priority.People are leaving the AKC to go to other registries.Entries at our National Championship are around370. Entries at the UKC National are about the same,and at the NKC Championship, slightly less. Thoseother registries can’t hold a candle to what AKC hasto offer as far as history and organization of events.What they do better is to maintain the integrity of theBeagle as a true hunting companion. I understandthat the responsibility of maintaining that integrity issolely in the hands of the judges that place hounds.But the AKC cannot continue to allow rule changeswhich do not support the breed standard.

Given the many fronts and issues AKC is facing(anti-dog legislation, declining registration, re-duced revenue, competition with other reg-istries), do you have any ideas about what itshould do?While attending my first meeting, I found it quite

interesting to learn of the efforts that my fellow dele-gates and the AKC are putting forward to fight thosethat are trying to take away our freedoms to ownand breed our fancy. Several years ago, my home

state of Pennsylvania had agovernor that not only al-lowed the animal rights peo-ple to run rampant, butencouraged it. Their effortswere supposedly aimed atshutting down the puppymills that were out of con-trol. But their proposed leg-islation was so tight that itwould have shutdown any-body that bred or raised adog outside of their home. We, the hunting Beagle

folks, teamed up with other hound organizations tofight it. We also were supported by organizationssuch as the US Sportsmen’s Alliance and the NRA.These organizations are not necessarily dog organi-zations, but they understand that the folks that aretrying to take away our freedoms will not stop untiltheir way of living is the only way. Their beliefs andproposed legislation is based on feelings, not facts.All dog owners and the AKC should respect therights of others and join the fight to protect all ourfreedoms.

If it were possible to change something or startsomething new that would solve somethinghaving to do with the AKC, dog shows orevents or anything related to purebred dogs,what would it be?As a newbie to the delegate body, I don’t know

what all I don’t know. As I learn more about theworkings of the AKC and the Delegate Body, I hopeto be able to help invoke changes that will help bringyoung folks back to our sport, and coordinate teamwork between the Beagle community and all theAKC initiatives such as the government relations,animal health and genetics, etc. The Beagle fieldtrial community doesn’t have a high opinion of theAKC right now. I don’t believe they know all theAKC is doing for them. I hope to be able to help edu-cate the community.

When it comes to dogs, what one thing is stillon your bucket list?As a judge, I have judged trials up and down the

Left to right: Youngest son Garrett, Wife Jodi, Blaine, Daughterin-law Stephanie and oldest son Zach.


THOMAS, cont’dDe

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ates east coast, including twice judging the AKC Nation-

als. As a competitor, I have owned or co-ownedeleven Field Champions, including a two-time Na-tional Champion and as a breeder we have producedmany more Field Champions and continue to pro-duce quality hunting stock. I would like to continuewith that success, but the one thing that I truly wantto do is pass along my love of the hounds and thesport to my grandchildren. But I am still waiting formy first grandchild to be born, so that won’t becrossed off anytime soon!

What can you tell us about yourself that wewouldn’t already know?My wife and I have been married for thirty-two

years; we have two sons. Both are graduates of PennState. My brother and I not only own dogs together,but along with a third partner started an IndustrialMaintenance company from scratch in 2005. Mybrother and I give puppies and young starter dogs to

any junior looking to get into field trials. The pups al-ways have an open return policy. So mom and daddon’t have to worry what to do with the pup if theirchild loses interest, we will always take it back.

Anything else on your mind you want to share?I want to thank all the delegates and AKC staff for

making me feel welcome at my first meeting. A spe-cial thanks to Lynn Worth-Smith, my mentor, andDick Blair for guiding me through the two days ofactivities. It was a lot to take in, but they had me wellprepared.Not only does Blaine “sound” like an interesting

fellow with great ideas and a fresh point of view, heis all that and more. I know you’ll use this interviewas just the start of getting to know Blaine and willtake the first possible opportunity to meet and wel-come him personally. Thanks, Blaine, for your can-dor and interesting perspective and for deepeningmy knowledge of Beagles.

Delegates were asked to respond totwo questions:What does your club do to attract new members?How does your club recognize special members?

Lynn Worth-Smith, Delegate, Viszla Club ofAmerica, Inc.The Vizsla Club of America gives an Outstanding

Sportsmanship Award to members who have madespecial contributions in service to the work and com-mitment of the club. It is presented at the annualAwards Banquet which is held at the close of the na-tional specialty and events and also recognizes dogsinducted into the VCA Hall of Fame. We also do hon-orary memberships for long-time members whohave contributed time and energy to the club.

Carl Ashby, Delegate, United States KerryBlue Terrier Club, Inc.The Carolina Kennel Club provides dinner which

builds attendance at meetings and creates a wel-coming environment for our guests. We offer han-dling classes weekly and from those we attractmembers. The cost of the meals, brought by mem-bers, runs between 150 and 200 per meeting and wefeed between 30 and 35 people. Meetings are heldin a Community Center.

Martha Lee Beckington, Delegate, Mount Ver-non Dog Training Club This is a very good question, especially given the

trouble we all have attracting new members. Whatwe have done with our newest arrivals is assign oneof us as their Mentor. This can be anything fromhelping them fill out entry forms, to introducingthem around, and even taking them along to shows.It has made a tremendous difference. Also, for our older members we have a lifetime

membership category in our club and try to honorthem on birthdays or special events at our shows. I think many of us forget when we were brand

Opin

ion

IF YOU ASK ME…MONICA HENDERSON-STONER, Delegate, Saluki Club Of America


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n new! A kind smile and a helping “paw” make atremendous difference!!!!

Marge Calltharp, Delegate,CSPCA SecretaryDAACThis isn’t an article but a number of clubs hold con-

formation classes and they increase membership.

Monica Henderson-Stoner, Delegate, SalukiClub of AmericaIn addition to AKC’s Good Sportsman Award,

SCOA offers a Friend of the Saluki award, honoringa long term commitment to the breed plus a willing-ness to go above and beyond to help Salukis andSaluki people. Long term members with a history ofservice are offered the opportunity to apply for hon-orary membership.

Maureen Setter, Delegate, Cleveland All-BreedTraining Club, Inc.Many times it is hard to get volunteer workers for

our agility trials. We reach out to 4-H groups andour new students. To thank them, we arrange a spe-cial half-day training session for them and theirdogs at our training building. They love this. Manygo on to apply for club membership. One of theproblems in being voted in as a member is that it isvery difficult reaching a quorum at our membershipmeetings. We have interesting membership meetingprograms plus “dinner for all” before the meeting.We have around 200 members. We have four mem-bership classifications: Regular (voting), Associate(non-voting), Junior (non-voting) and Lifetime (vot-ing). I'm sure that we are not the only club who hasquorum issues.

AWARDS NOT SCHOLARSHIPS: ENCOURAGING JUNIORSTO STAYJON GREEN, Delegate, Central Ohio Kennel Club

We all want to encourage young people to joinand stay in our special world of dogs. One of

the ways to accomplish this is to offer awards. Toavoid any potential problems, it’s important to workwithin the AKC rules. In this case, Section 13 of theJunior Showmanship rule book Conformation Jun-ior Showmanship Regulations, Guidelines for Judg-ing Juniors in Conformation, Juniors inPerformance Event Regulations reads very simply:No money prizes shall be offered. The section con-tinues with:

Gift cards/certificates, non-redeemable for cashor US Savings Bonds may be offered. Clubs offer-ing a Scholarship as a prize must submit funds di-rectly to he School the Junior is attending. Clubsmay establish an account to maintain these fundsuntil the time the Junior requests the award besent to the school.

But what if you want to offer a cash reward...let’sface it, nothing is quite so sweet as cash in hand. Youmight try what Central Ohio Kennel Club has done

for years. Up the ante with a written essay competi-tion. The guidelines for the essay are quite simple.The junior should provide details on his/her involve-ment in dogs, membership in clubs, and any activi-ties outside of dogs. Entries come in from around thecountry, and the winner is chosen by a committee.The choice has nothing to do with actual entry in aCentral Ohio KC event. Mari-Beth O’Neill and JimCrowley reviewed and approved of the competitionprocedure.To clarify: this is an award not a scholarship. Put

simply this means any money won can be used how-ever the winner desires. Being an active exhibitor, nodoubt that money is turned right back into their dogactivities! It’s a simple idea and one that has sparkedinterest by juniors from around the country and, per-haps the “win-win” is the award can be used for fu-ture entries, dog supplies, training, or anything else.The staff of Perspectives would like to thank Jon

Green for the information contained in this essay. Wewelcome suggestions from other clubs on how theyencourage the young people to participate and con-tinue their involvement in our sport.

Juni

ors


In August I attended the Theriogenology Confer-ence as a representative for the AKC Vet OutReach Program. While waiting in front of the Con-ference Center to meet an associate, I encountereda veterinarian and friend, Dr. Marty Greer, who ap-proached with a young lady. Marty greeted me andgestured to the young woman. “Do you remember Michelle Ahmann?” she

asked me.“Yes,” I replied. Michelle had been an AKC Jun-

ior Handler, recipient of the 2007 AKC JuniorScholarship as well as the English Cocker SpanielClub of America Scholarship (ECSCA). “I amthrilled to see you!” Dr. Greer explained thatMichelle is the newest veterinarian in her prac-tice. “I often wondered what happened to you,” I told

her.Michelle explained that upon completion of her

undergraduate degree at the University of Wiscon-sin, she attended veterinary school at Purdue Uni-versity, graduating in 2015.This encounter led me to take the opportunity to

share the story of two young ladies since agingout of Juniors. Both were recipients of AKC JuniorScholarships and other scholarships from parentclubs and other organizations which assisted themin their undergraduate and graduate education. The following are brief biographies of these two

young ladies and the involvement that they havehad in the dog world. Their roles have changed,but both are still actively involved in AKC Events.

Michelle Ahmann, DVM,AKC Junior ShowmanshipScholarship, 2007I started in AKC events

with my homely little Pug,Smudge, when I was 9 yearsold. He was the best dog inthe whole world and therewill never be another likehim. I was determined to dothings with him that mostpeople generally would not

do with a Pug. I showed him in Obedience andAgility mostly. Once he was older I started show-

ing him in Rally obedience when AKC introducedthe event and he actually did very well in that andwas one of the top five Pugs in the country forRally obedience in 2005! He also came to schoolwith me once a week when I was in third, fourth,and fifth grades. It is because of him that my lovefor purebred dogs started really young. I began showing English Cockers in juniors

when I was eleven years old and rapidly gotwrapped up in the fun world of AKC Conforma-tion. I showed the same dog in juniors from whenI was twelve through aging out at eighteen. Hisname was Patrick and he was a blue roan EnglishCocker Spaniel. He was truly a magnificent dogthat gave his whole heart to me every single timewe showed and I could never ask more from him.At the end of our career we were so in-tune with

each other that I could shift my weight and hewould respond with what I wanted, but, since hewas an English Cocker Spaniel, he definitely didthings on his terms too! As I got more involvedwith showing I continued to branch out obedience,agility, rally obedience, a little hunt testing andtracking. I am very lucky to have had the pleasureto work with many different breeds in the differ-ent venues.I proceeded to go to college at the University of

Wisconsin with the help of AKC and EnglishCocker Spaniel Club of America (ECSCA) scholar-ships. I concentrated my education on animal sci-ence with a focus on veterinary medicine. During

Jum

iors

JUNIORS: THEN AND NOWMARI-BETH O’NEILL, Vice President Sports Events


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s my time at Madison I got my first Irish Setter,Cabernet. I continued to show in AKC events withhim when I was able to get away from school onthe weekends and during the summer. My love forIrish Setters has grown and they are truly “mybreed” now. After undergraduate studies, it was a natural

progression to veterinary school at Purdue Uni-versity where I graduated in2015. I continued to show mytwo Irish Setters on the fewweekends I had free. I docredit both setters for keep-ing me sane through vetschool, as it is a rather in-tense experience. The dogswere always there for me as arelease to go for a walk or to class or to a show.Most of all they were there to remind me why Iwas in vet school in the first place. After graduation I started working at Veterinary

Village in Lomira, WI with Dr. Marty Greer andher husband. I have continued to work with andshow my Irish Setters. I am very lucky to work atthis clinic because we have a lot of reproductioncases, which naturally means I get to work withbreeders every day. I love working with breedersand doing reproductive medicine. It is a real pleas-ure to work with such beautiful, well-conditionedanimals, owned by people who put so much oftheir heart and soul into them. As an example, ear-lier this year, I assisted with the Caesarean Sec-tion of an English Cocker belonging to ShannonLoritz, another former AKC and ECSCA scholar-ship winner. Shannon Soafer, AKC Junior Scholarship Re-cipient, 2009, 2010My name is Shannon Soafer and I was a recipi-

ent of the 2009 and 2010 Junior ScholarshipAward. In 2001, I began showing my family GreatDane in Junior Showmanship. My weekend hobbyquickly developed into a passion to ensure thehealth and wellness of canine breeds and kindledmy passion to become a veterinarian. I graduatedin 2013 from Berry College with a Bachelor of Sci-ence in Animal Science and a minor in Chemistry.At Berry College, I worked at the Berry Farm’s

dairy, milking cattle and implementing protocolsfor harvesting and marketing embryos for salethrough a student operated enterprise. I was alsoemployed at the Gunby Equine Center andworked with our quarter horse herd. In 2014, Iwas admitted to the Iowa State University Collegeof Veterinary Medicine, Class of 2018. My passionfor business and animal health caused me to apply

to the executive board forVeterinary Business Man-agement Association and bea committee chair for our an-nual community 5K/10KSCAVMA (Student ChapterAmerican VeterinaryAs-

soc.) Scamper Race. I alsowas employed as a student

research assistant on a clinical trial for paralyzeddogs. I was the recipient of the Great Dane Club of

America Don Carmody Scholarship in 2014 and2015 and the AKC Humane Fund 2015 John D.Spurling Scholarship. My time inside and outsidethe classroom is preparing me to give back to the

AKC community that jump started my career am-bitions. It is my intended goal to operate and man-age a mixed animal veterinary practice thatembodies my passions for implementing innova-tive research, improving animal health, and pre-serving the human-animal bond. I am humbled bythe experiences I have had with the AKC and their

…their contributionsare already making a

difference


O’NEILL, cont’dJu

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s support in the pursuit of my career goals. It is myhope that I can have as significant of an impact onthe community through my practice as a veterinar-ian as the AKC has had on my future. I plan tocontinue to breed and exhibit Great Danes in thefuture.These are the stories of two girls that showed in

Junior Showmanship, who earned support fromthe AKC and parent clubs to attend college. One isa practicing veterinarian and the other is pursuingstudies to become a veterinarian. Their interest in

AKC and its events remains strong along withtheir appreciation for the support they have re-ceived. Their love and commitment to dogs is partof who they are and their contributions are al-ready making a difference. Two of the puppiesfrom the litter that Michelle assisted deliveringhave started their show careers by going WinnersDog and Winners Bitch at the Heart of MichiganEnglish Cocker Spaniel Club Specialty in Septem-ber.

A GREAT FIND: MEET BRANDI HUNTERVIRGINIA DENNINGER, Delegate, Genessee Valley Kennel Club

The American Kennel Club andall dog breed fanciers are

lucky to have snagged BrandiHunter as one of our most ener-getic and dedicated advocates.Coming onboard in May 2015, ini-tially as the Director of Public Rela-tions, Brandi quickly rose to be theVice President of Public Relationsand Communications. Her job de-scription includes launching proac-tive media outreach strategieswhich increase public awarenessof what AKC is and does. Her strat-egy is to help the public understand the relevancy ofour organization as well as understand the positive as-pects of what AKC and the dog fancy stand for anddo, which is much more than just being a dog reg-istry.Brandi is a ball of positive energy. I came away

from our interview totally impressed and inspiredby her. In fact, I am a complete fan! Spending anhour or so on the phone with Brandi, our topicsranged from dogs, to education, to slavery, andmuch more. None would be wise to classify Brandias a couch potato! She is a multi-faceted woman whohas many interests outside of work, yet is totally ex-cited by her job and what comes with it. She made itvery clear she loves working at the AKC and for us,the fanciers and she loves the challenges that comewith her job.And that job is a large one, strike that, a HUGE

one! For years the AKC and thebreed fancy were preoccupiedwith the sport as it was, and didn’tnotice the forces gathering, in-tending to end the enslavement ofanimals. Related to us, they begana movement to end the enslave-ment of dogs by breeders, ex-hibitors, and those that participatein performance events such asobedience, hunting, and the like.AKC and all associated with it,have been painted in broad brushstrokes as a “large part of the

problem” of the pet over-population, for decades.The result? What was once a matter of pride, owningan AKC registered dog became something to bequestioned. “Why buy from a breeder when thereare so many dogs to be rescued?” The millions ofdollars stock piled by these animal rights organiza-tions are hard at work daily to take away the right toparticipate in the dog fancy as we know it.Our public relations battle against this dark tide

threatening us is in its infancy really. In the past, notenough of a positive message was going out to thepublic. Attempts were made, but never seemed to landor worse, landed with a thud. For a period of time, itseemed as if we were failing in our attempts to rightthe ship. Public relations companies were hired. AKCcreated a National Dog Show and tried to generate in-terest in various other activities to capture the public’sinterest, but not enough stuck to show the right side of

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aff our dog world. I think the attempts were too reliant on

old fashioned tools of the publicity trade. Eventuallythough, the AKC Board of Directors and staff began torealize this and looked for new ways to reach out, es-pecially to the future of the sport, younger people. And, this is where Brandi Hunter comes in. She

brings a fresh eye and her ears are tuned to the vibeof what is relevant. She does not come from the dogworld, coming into the ranks of the AKC hierarchyfrom a completely different world—the music indus-try. There she acted as a publicist and also assistantto some notable black perform-ing artists. Her life was literallyprivate jets, parties, music and allthat comes with the glamorousjet-setting lifestyle of wealthy mu-sicians. Eventually though, shewanted a different pace, onewhere she would have the time to pursue her inter-ests and dreams. This eventually led to her workingfor the AKC. Once at her desk in New York, Brandi got up to

speed with what we are facing. She described the in-credible amount of help she has had from everyoneon staff, and members of the fancy. She marvels at thegenerosity of interest and time from dog breeders andexhibitors when she calls to ask questions. Impressedat how giving everyone was to help her learn what wedo and what our issues are. Brandi came away under-standing that for many in the sport of dogs, it is alabor of love. She thoroughly grasps what the AKCand fancy need to do to re-engage the public, to makeowning a pure-bred dog a matter of pride-again.Brandi quickly began to formulate ways to engage thepublic. Television events are coordinated by her, aswell as publicity on many other fronts. Facebook Twit-ter and Youtube are tools in her arsenal. Writers ofdog articles for printed or online sources contact herwith questions for the AKC to answer. Her answersare researched and stated clearly.Brandi approaches her job intending always to:

“Engage, Enlighten and Evolve.” While many as-pects of work for her are exciting and positive, shedoes not hesitate to engage directly those that ma-lign the sport by putting out incorrect informationregarding the AKC and those involved with thesport. She is not afraid and deals with them in a verydirect and no-nonsense manner. One of the more fa-

mous personalities she has engaged was Dr.Michael Fox; definitely not a fan of dog breeders andAKC. This conclusion is based on his responses re-garding our sport, in his newspaper columns. An-other is an animal rights activist promoting herbook, “The Dog Merchants.” This writer is very anti-breeder, while mostly going after large scale breed-ers, she also wants to make it illegal to televise dogshows and other events, especially the WestminsterKennel Club Dog Show in an attempt to drive downthe desire for pure-bred dogs. Brandi’s responses to

these individuals and others likethem are thorough and shouldmake the public rethink the nega-tive information they hear fromthese people. She is determinedto follow her mantra by engagingthe situation, enlightening those

involved with facts and then hopes to evolve the situ-ation to a more positive one for all of us. Outside of work, Brandi has a very interesting

concept she is working to bring to life. She is tryingto create a non-profit interactive educational experi-ence using art, literature and music to teach schoolchildren about history, especially the African Amer-ican experience in this country. The intent is tomake what might be dry, even inaccessible infor-mation in history books come alive in innovativeways for children to engage their interest and makethem want to learn more. Displays would behoused in a gallery where children would come toparticipate in an ever changing series of exhibits,much like in an art gallery. She is working on thisventure with several like-minded people. Brandi is also a genuine foodie who loves Thanks-

giving and yummy southern foods. Her family hassome roots in Atlanta and she looks forward to join-ing them for holidays. She likes to cook, but lovesher mother’s cooking above all else! Brandi’s family has deep roots in this country. She

proudly described her family's ancestor Barzillai Lew,who was an African American soldier in the AmericanRevolution! Yes, I think Brandi is qualified to join thatold organization, Daughters of the American Revolu-tion, if she wants. Her father’s family has always de-scended from “free-blacks” meaning many of Brandi’sancestors were never slaves. One of her ancestorsElizabeth Freeman Lew was interviewed at the age of

Engage, Enlightenand Evolve


DENNINGER, cont’dAK

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aff ninety-two describing her home in Massachusetts

which was part of the under-ground railroad, offering“shelter and protection on their (runaway slaves) wayto Canada.” Ms. Lew commented further, “Thosewere terrible times.” This interview took place in1912. Note, the house stands to this day on MountHope Street in Lowell, MA. Music has been a strong part of Brandi’s family

heritage. Barzillai was a fifer and drummer, as well assoldier in the 27th regiment from Chelmsford, Mas-sachusetts. His succeeding generations were re-spected and known to be well educated, skilled andrecognized for their musical talents, according toCaleb Butler writing in “History of the Town of Gro-

ton: including Pepperell and Shirley.” It is thoughtthat Dinah Bowman Lew (Barzillai’s wife) may havebeen one of the first African American pianists inAmerican history. Finally, a telling and fitting familytribute is a piano piece written in honor of BarzillaiLew, by none other than Duke Ellington in 1943. Notmany can boast of such an illustrious heritage! This heritage has helped form Brandi Hunter into

who she is; a strong, proud and capable womanready to tackle what comes. I cannot imagine abetter person to help our fancy get the messageout, about who we are and what we do. Brandi can be reached through email;

[email protected], or by phone; 212-696-8220.

It’s here — the day I have been dreading. Afterthe National Championship in Orlando, I will be

stepping down, resigning, and retiring as an AKCdelegate. This is a position I have truly enjoyedand will always cherish. It has been an honor andprivilege to serve in this capac-ity for two clubs I have repre-sented over the pasttwenty-one years: the ItalianGreyhound Club of America(IGCA) and the Kennel Club ofBuffalo (KCB).In 1995 I began my career as

the delegate for the IGCA. Iwas very naive and as green asa new delegate can be. Therewere no new delegate pro-grams or printed materials toassist the newbie. To say that Iwas terrified and frightenedwould be mild. My son-in-lawdropped me off at the CrownPlaza Hotel in New York Citywhere my initial meeting was scheduled to con-vene. After a brief meeting, we adjourned. I can-not remember a single thing that happened atthat meeting! I was picked up by my son-in-lawonly to return later for a tour of the AKC offices.Following that was a dinner where we were intro-

duced to important personnel followed by a Qand A session. After that my son-in-law was backto pick me up again for the trip home. That wasmy introduction to becoming an AKC delegate.In 1998, after three years, with some experi-

ence under my belt, I became thedelegate for the Kennel Club of Buf-falo. At that time, I do rememberthat new delegates were providedwith a notebook and some videoswhich gave all the informationdeemed necessary to be a delegate.I remained as the KCB delegate forthirteen years.After eight years as a delegate, I

became a member of the DelegateAdvocacy and Advancement Commit-tee (DAAC), then known as theStrategic Planning Committee. I wasappointed to fill a vacancy for part ofa term. At the next election, I won athree-year term. I am proud to saythat I have served continuously on

that committee ever since.I have had delegate meeting roommates with

four different delegates over my tenure. None ofthese delegates had a toy breed. As a resultthough, I now have greater insight into Workingand Terrier breeds.

Dele

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PARTING THOUGHTSCAROLE PLESUR, Delegate, Italian Greyhound Club Of America

mailto:[email protected]


PLESUR, cont’dDe

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ates I am pleased to say that I have made so many

good friends, people I never would have other-wise known. They have shared their insights indiverse breeds and aspects in all venues of thesport of purebred dogs. I can truly say that wedelegates are an often untapped wealth of infor-mation.In 2007, my husband Joe and I decided to leave

the Buffalo area and really retire in Florida. Icontinued to represent the Kennel Club of Buf-falo for a few more years. It made me uncomfort-able giving reports that I could not give to themembership face to face.The Club had many mem-bers that I knew had thepotential of becoming out-standing delegates. As itturned out my good friend,Margaret (Peggy) Dosterbecame my replacementand their new delegate, andshe is my current delegate meeting roommate.In 2011, I returned to my prior position as dele-

gate of the Italian Greyhound Club. During theperiods I represented IGCA, there have beenthree different groups of Officers and Boards ofDirectors.Looking back at the twenty-one years, I can say

that I have had many wonderful experiences.Well, maybe some were not so wonderful! On twooccasions my luggage did not arrive with me, buteventualy found me by evening.Thank you to Helen Prince and Karen Dorn

who were my saviors when I became locked inthe bathroom at an adjacent hotel. I banged onthe walls and yelled HELP whenever I heardsomeone in the hall. Helen and Karen eventuallyrealized that it was not the television, but some-one actually in distress in the adjoining room!They called management. The outside door,which I had efficiently locked twice, had to betaken down. Then they had to remove the bath-room door. Helen and Karen gathered me intotheir arms for many reassuring hugs. If not fortheir intervention I would not have been misseduntil 6:00 pm the following evening when I didnot arrive home!

To this day, I continue to render apologies toWillie Crawford who had the misfortune of beingmy roommate when I was struck by extreme ill-ness. I spent the entire night being very sick inthe bathroom, and even needed to borrow a per-sonal item of clothing from Willie. Finally, Williepolitely asked (as any Southern lady would) per-mission to use the bathroom. After that she wasout, dressed and vacated the room in a flash.And then there is Jim Smith. We were together

at the 9/11meeting. We could look out our win-dow and see the clouds of black smoke from the

World Trade Center bomb-ings. Jim had the completepresence of mind to quicklyrent a car and took all fivewestern New York delegateshome. Thanks to him, wewere safely back at our homesthat evening. This fine gentle-man, a former Chairman of

the Board of the AKC, would never allow us toshare the expense of this drive home.I thank Paula Spector and her outstanding staff

for always getting us to meetings in a most expe-ditious manner. In addition, I found our retiredCFO Jim Stevens to be a wonderful friend.I don't know how I would have survived without

the efficient assistance of Jim Crowley and his al-ways responsive assistant, Neil Singer. Both ofthese men have an extraordinary wealth of AKCand delegate knowledge.And of course, to our leader, Dennis Sprung,

thank you for all that you do.Last but not least, thanks to Dan Smyth, Chair-

man of DAAC and Chairman of Perspectives. Inparting, I have to be truthful, Dan. You knowthose cookies that I always make for our new del-egate orientation gala every September? Every-one wants to know if I make them. Yes, I do! Iunwrap the frozen cookie dough, place them on acookie sheet and throw them into an oven tobake! They are good though, aren't they?Thank you all to my fellow delegates. It has

been an honor and privilege working with eachand every one of you. Goodbye to everyone, Iwill miss you all!

…we delegates are anoften untapped wealth of

information.


MEET FREDERIC ASKIN, NEW DELEGATEAs told to SYLVIA THOMAS, Delegate, Kennel Club of Riverside

Iasked one of our newest dele-gates to tell me a bit about

himself and despite his busyand active life, Frederic waskind enough to honor my re-quest.Dogs have been part of my

life since I was a child; we al-ways had dogs. Our more “re-cent” journey with dogs startedin 1968. One of our friends hadan Old English Sheepdog(OES) and we really liked thebreed which led us to find AnnaWeisee in Lacrosse, WI andthus our adventure in OESbegan. Later, in 1991, we ob-tained our first Westie, who wasa rescue dog. We used to takeher to shows when I stewarded.It was there that I met Tom and Billye Ward whohelped me with grooming and ultimatelyarranged for us to take home a two-year old Westie whose owner hadbecome ill. That dog went on tobecome the #1 Westie in bothBreed and All Breed competitionin 2001!These days my interests lie in the

conformation ring, stewarding and myinvolvement with therapy dogs. We ac-

tively breed and exhibit our West-ies and I also judge Westies, Cairnsand Scotties.In September of this year, I be-

came the delegate for the Colum-bia Terrier Association ofMaryland (CTAM). I was very in-terested in representing the Terrierbreeds especially in the area ofhealth. CTAM is a club of modestsize and, in general, its membersshare the terrier personality! Weare worried about declining entries,lack of young members, and risingcosts. Overall, we are probably notmuch different from other clubs,large and small. I think one of thechanges I’ve witnessed over theyears is that there isn’t as much ca-maraderie at shows and it is rare to

see people stay at the show to watch groups orother breeds. I think that the AKC is trying

to have an active publicity campaignand certainly the PAC is doing agreat job against powerful adver-saries.For me personally, I still have

some unfinished goals. I’d like tohave another Westie earn an ROM

title and I’d like to get my current boyto chase a lure more than fifty feet.

Dele

gate

s

Frederic and Pippi after her evaluation as atherapy dog for Pet Partners

Thank you

to the December, 2016 Perspectives Coordinator,Monica Henderson-Stoner, and our contributingwriters. Their hard work made this issue possible.Please let them know you appreciate their efforts!


IN MEMORY OF THOSE WE HAVE LOST

MARGARET CURTIS

Greenwich Kennel Club (2010-2016)

DEIDRE GANNON

German Pinscher Club of America (2012-2016)Member of Perspectives Editorial Committee

ROBERT MCKOWEN

Mississippi Valley Retriever Club (1999-2015)AKC’s Vice President of Performance Events (1988-1999)

CATHERINE NELSON

National Capital Kennel Club (1993-2016)AKC’s 2004 Breeder of the Year

BRUCE PETERSEN

Corn Belt Kennel Club (2016)AKC Breed Columnist for Irish Terrier Club of America

AUDREY SUTTON

Santa Clara Valley Kennel Club (2008-2016)

DIANE TAYLOR

Newtown Kennel Club (1991-2016)Was to be honored for 25 years of Delegate Service

JERRY WERK

Hollywood Dog Obedience Club (2012-2016)

We miss our friends and fellow delegates and acknowledgetheir contributions to the AKC and the dog fancy.


January11 Board Meeting12 Board Meeting

February11 Board Meeting12 Board Meeting

March7 Delegate Committee Meeting8 Delegate Meeting

April11 Board Meeting12 Board Meeting

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June 12 Delegate Committee Meeting13 Delegate Meeting

July11 Board Meeting12 Board Meeting

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BOARD & DELEGATE MEETINGS2016

All meetings, except December, are in the NYC/NJ area. The December meeting is in Orlando, FL.

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