AKC Letter About Layoff Decision
AKC President Dennis Sprung set in motion a plan that would achieve the best possible outcome for AKC in both the short and long term
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A Response to AKC’s Massive Layoffs
As many of you know, AKC announced that they were laying off a significant portion of their staff today. You may not know that their staff had very little time to prepare as the cuts came quickly without much notice. The letter from Dennis Sprung is copied below. Margaret Poindexter, former in-house counsel for AKC, responded to the layoffs with some very poignant observations and questions. This is something that everyone in our sport should read to understand what is happening at our beloved American Kennel Club.
Westminster – Junior Showmanship Finals
Just before the group judging on Tuesday night, the Westminster Junior Showmanship finalists enter the ring. They had to qualify for the privilege of competing at Westminster. Now, the top eight from the daytime preliminaries compete at the Garden for scholarship awards and the title of Best Junior Handler.
The Westminster Group Winners Their Story…
The Best in Show lineup at the 144th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show didn’t disappoint judge Robert H. Slay of Cary, North Carolina. He called it the strongest he’d ever seen—among the seven were two repeat group winners from 2019 (the Havanese and the Boxer) who also happened to be 2019’s Number 1 and Number 2 show dogs (all-breed), respectively. The Standard Poodle was the top Non-Sporting dog in 2019, and 4th in all-breed points. And, the Hound Group winner was the formidable Whippet Bourbon, the top hound last year, and Number 3 in all-breed points.
Canine Social Behavior – It’s the Same in the Wild
So, let’s get to the pertinent COVID-19 breaking news. Owners are spending unprecedented quality time with their dogs. All that mundane stuff normally relegated to dog walkers, dog groomers, dog minders….to put it bluntly, those days are over.
Frigid Dog Work
Almost everyone who does any work with their dogs outside a temperature-controlled training facility and who lives north of the Mason-Dixon Line has had times when they were cold. Now by “cold,” I don’t mean the sort of namby-pamby cold that can be cured by a hot buttered rum, a cup of Irish coffee or by putting on a fisherman’s wool sweater. No, I’m talking about the kind of cold that no matter what you do, you can’t warm up, when your teeth chatter like castanets, when even your hair seems to shiver and you feel like there’s an icicle lodged in your core.
Looking Around with Lee
I just couldn’t stay away! A bad back can’t stop me now! I’ve found a new venue in which to adjudicate; one that does not include standing out in the rain, on dirt floors, or in the blazing sun ‘til perspiration runs rampant in places I will not mention.
SOS! Clubs Trying to Survive the Coronavirus
So far, the 2020 show year really sucks. And the worst part is not knowing when or if it’s going to turn around. Obviously, it’s for the best. Canceling shows certainly beats an epidemic of viral pneumonia. So we wait it out.
Breed Priorities – Basset Hound
Bred to hunt hare, the Basset Hound is heavier boned than any other breed of dog considering its size. Its large nose (second only to the Bloodhound in scenting ability), loose skin, and long ears contribute to its skill and success at trailing. The breed originated in France that has several breeds with “basset” as part of their names, from the French “bas” which means low to the ground.
Three Double Lightning Strikes for Welsh Terriers at Montgomery County Kennel Club
On October 6, 2019, GCh. Ch. Brightluck Money Talks, “Dazzle,” owned by Keith Bailey (Bayleigh) and Janet McBrien (Brightluck), and presented by Tracy Szaras, won Best of Breed under the distinguished terrier judge Mr. Clay Coady, and continued on to win Best in Show under the esteemed breeder judge Mr. David Kirkland.
