The AKC Takes A Hit… Again

By Fran Reisman

Once again the ax has fallen on the American Kennel Club. The NBC Today Show has aided in turning the dog owning public against the AKC by featuring a very incomplete and misrepresented report on the work that the kennel club does for the welfare of dogs.

How this happens is by most people unknown. For others it is believed that the funds available to the HSUS and PETA give them the power to supply the media with these inaccurate stories. And we all know how much of the media looks for the ugly in so many of the stories they print.

In an AKC post we are told that the club had a one hour meeting with producer Jeff Rossen of which only 1 minute was used, and this one minute was chosen by Mr. Rossen to, it seems, make the AKC look like an organization only interested in the money received from puppy registrations, with no knowledge or concern for the health or the living condition that affect the dogs they register. The supported documentation and important facts they were given by the AKC were disregarded. AKC has asked us to send letters of protest as well as letters telling of our experiences as breeders and owners of AKC registered dogs to the head of NBC News and The Today Show. I don’t know if these letters will help, and I’m sure we are all willing to do what we can. Furthermore, what can we expect the AKC to do? They represent us, the breeders and owners of purebred AKC registered dogs. Maybe they need to use every resource available and every inch of power that they can muster to fight this erroneous television report. Maybe they should contact all media sources along with the Number 1 morning TV news show, Good Morning America, asking them to allot the kennel club time in which to tell the real and total story of their mission and efforts on behalf of all dogs.

Of course they cannot say that they have control over all breeders and all properties where puppies are bred. They need to let the truth speak for the organization. Let the viewers understand that everything is being done to insure that in the future all AKC registered dogs come from healthy and well adjusted parents who are housed in the best conditions. The important thing is working to see that problems are investigated and handled with the health and well-being of the dogs who are being bred and the puppies that are for sale as the number one objective.

If you haven’t read AKC’s response to this article, it is posted below:

The Facts The Today Show Didn’t Tell You

The AKC is extremely disappointed that The Today Show was given all of the information below but chose not to include any of it in their segment this morning. We met with the producers for an hour prior to the taped interview – which also lasted nearly an hour – and we provided them with supporting documentation, and they chose only to include less than 1 minute of airtime for AKC. They disregarded important facts that should have been told. In fact, we requested to receive a copy of the tape of the entire, unedited interview with Jeff Rossen so that we could show you all of the information we gave them, but their lawyers refused to provide the footage to us. Here are some top facts that The Today Show didn’t tell you:

1. They didn’t tell you that no other organization does more to protect dogs than the AKC and that “being the dog’s champion” means, among other things, donating more than $24 million to canine health research, conducting kennel inspections, and offering more educational programs for responsible dog owners than any other organization.
2. They didn’t tell you that when an AKC inspector finds substandard kennel conditions they must immediately report it to the appropriate federal, state and local authorities to take action.
3. They didn’t tell you that, in many instances, the highly publicized raids for which animal rights groups take credit in the media have come about as a direct result of AKC’s reporting to law enforcement.
4. They didn’t tell you that, as we explained to Jeff Rossen and his producers numerous times, there are no “AKC Registered Operations” or “AKC Registered Breeders” and that breeders use AKC services voluntarily.
5. They didn’t tell you that less than 5% of AKC’s registration revenue comes from commercial breeders or that the AKC is a not-for-profit organization whose total revenues are less than the total marketing budget of the HSUS.
6. They didn’t tell you that AKC saw substandard breeders leave the registry in droves in the mid-1990′s when we instituted an inspections program. We did it anyway, even though it affected our bottom line negatively, because it was the right thing to do for dogs. And, more breeders left when we began DNA testing.
7. They didn’t tell you that when AKC has concerns with legislation, it publicly puts legislative alerts on its website where anyone can learn about how a bill may potentially affect responsible breeders and dog owners’ rights and not do anything to protect dogs.
8. They didn’t tell you that AKC works to ensure the enforcement of cruelty and neglect laws, as well as the provisions of the federal Animal Welfare Act. As a result, AKC has a productive working relationship with local animal controls, state and local law enforcement, state departments of agriculture throughout the country, as well as the USDA.
9. They didn’t tell you that AKC is well respected by lawmakers who consider us credible experts on dog issues, and rely on our thoughtful and considered advice when it comes to legislation that will impact dogs and their breeders and owners.
10. They didn’t tell you that the purebred rescue groups they referenced are actually AKC breed parent club groups and affiliates that make up the largest dog rescue group network in the country.
11. They didn’t tell you that The Today Show’s Natalie Morales made a TV public service announcement in conjunction with the Ad Council and the HSUS.

Please send your comments directly to the Producer of the Today Show Don Nash don.nash@nbcuni.com and the President of NBC News Phil Griffin phil.griffin@nbcuni.com.

Watch the segment on the Today Show website and then go to Rossen Reports and Today.com and NBCNews.com to post your comments in support of AKC and all the responsible dog owners and breeders in this country.

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=21301

Posted by Tom on May 7 2013. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.