In 2002, I pulled a tiny, emaciated red female Doberman from a local shelter. She was just 13.5 weeks old, and had been in the shelter more than four weeks. Since I had a young male that was taking a lot of my time, I thought I would get her healthy, and find a great […]

Courtney Kramer was just in seventh grade when she first saw Smoky and knew that they were meant to be together.  Her parents did not think the same, however, but after days of pleading, Courtney brought Smoky home from a rescue group. She did not let her parents down with her promise to take care […]

Basic obedience training is the foundation upon which all canine activities are based, whether it be competition in conformation, conquering the obstacles on the agility course, sniffing out a suspect in law enforcement work or a service dog guiding a visually impaired person safely across the street. In 1933, when AKC Obedience competition began, the […]

The American Kennel Club is delighted with the announcement of the AKC Pet Healthcare Plan by Pet Partners, Inc. AKC Pet Healthcare Insurance, underwritten by State National Insurance Company, an A rated company by AM Best, which features two comprehensive plans for fanciers and pet owners: the “Premier Plan” and “Premier Plus Plan.”  The plan […]

AKC was honored to host Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, at a luncheon at our Corporate Headquarters in New York City on Wednesday, April 30. Princess Anne was the guest of honor at an event to celebrate the launch of AKC's Pet Healthcare Program. As the president of the Animal Health Trust […]

As the cut-off date for nominations for the 2003 Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE) approaches (June 30th), I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight this wonderful AKC program, now in its 4th year. Since AKC first celebrated the extraordinary canine-human bond with this award in 1999,  we have been delighted, humbled, saddened and awed […]

-- Defending Our Rights -- New York, NY – For years, animal rights extremists have focused on attacking the health of purebred dogs based on what they determined were improper breeding programs, and have indiscriminately discredited dog breeders with unsupported anecdotal stories as opposed to facts. We all know the unsubstantiated accusations all too well. Unfortunately, […]

-- Making a Difference for Canine Health and Well-Being -- At the March Delegates meeting, Article III of the American Kennel Club Bylaws was amended to include the following: “The objects of the Club shall be to advance canine health and well-being…” Someone unfamiliar with the AKC might see this as a beginning. In fact, […]

Each March, Delegates representing the AKC Member Clubs elect individuals from among their own number to serve as voting members of the AKC Board of Directors. In order to understand the significance of this process, it is important to understand how the AKC is governed. There are three distinct, but interrelated, groups of individuals with […]

Recently, I was a guest on the History Channel's weekly series "History's Business" where I was asked to discuss AKC and the sport of purebred dogs.  In preparation, I did a great deal of reading about AKC’s 120-year history and the individuals who contributed to making the organization and the sport what it is today. […]