-- Preserving and Protecting Our Breeds -- In describing his 1889 trip to Idaho, Theodore Roosevelt noted "a certain half melancholy feeling as I gazed on these bison, themselves part of the last remnant of a doomed and nearly vanished race. Few, indeed, are the men who now have, or evermore shall have, the chance […]

-- Celebrating Grassroots Efforts by AKC Clubs -- Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland made four very successful movies together from 1939 to 1942. Interestingly, each movie – starting with Babes in Arms – followed pretty much the same overarching storyline. In order to put a spotlight on some worthy cause, the young stars and their friends would […]

-- The True Essence of AKC Breeders -- Eleven years ago, Ron Menaker, Dennis Sprung, and the good folks at Eukanuba created the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship and made celebrating our breeders an integral part of the event. In 2003, they added the Best Bred-By-Exhibitor competition and every year since then, many of our sport's top […]

-- A Commitment to Serving Our Customers -- Shortly after the end of World War II, a family purchased a dog and registered it with the American Kennel Club in their daughter’s name. That registration decision was certainly a nice way of saying to their daughter, “This dog is yours to keep, care for, and […]

-- Relentless Positive Action -- In my August Chairman’s Report, I introduced the concept of “relentless positive action” as a driving force in delivering new programs, new events, and new outreach. That philosophy is one that most certainly drives our best breeders in their determined quest for constantly improving their lines, and subsequently, their breeds. […]

-- AKC Breeders a Labor of Love -- One of the founding fathers of the American Kennel Club was William G. Rockefeller; his family is featured prominently throughout the history of the AKC. The Rockefellers had a family creed that formed their guiding principles. Visitors to New York will find it carved in granite at […]

-- Join With the AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders -- Outside the Johnson County Courthouse in Warrensburg, Missouri, stands a statue dedicated to a Foxhound named Old Drum - commemorating a famous trial held there in 1870. Old Drum was shot and killed when he wandered onto the neighboring farm. His owner’s only recourse […]

--A Shared Agenda for Success-- President John F. Kennedy’s address to a special joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961, was both an historic and a defining moment for the United States. It was during that speech that he announced a plan to put a man on the moon before the decade was over. […]

--"Keep On Keepin’ On"-- In his insightful and highly acclaimed biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson chose to capture a defining characteristic of Jobs by giving him the last word on his own life. Jobs, who proved to be a good student of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan’s philosophical insights, used a Dylan lyric to explain his […]

-- Together We Are Truly the Dog’s Champion! -- At the Delegates Meeting in June, we spoke of the proposed new regulations to the Animal Welfare Act and the onerous impact on AKC Fancy breeders, like you and I. We were determined to act quickly and with great purpose to address this issue. And we […]