An Open Letter To The American Kennel Club (AKC)

Dear AKC:

Regarding the latest news story of the elderly Arizona couple who had over 800 dogs in their triple-wide trailer http://www.kpho.com/news/15579448/detail.html, I am contacting you to express my concern at the AKC’s failure in this matter and matters like it.

I don’t understand how your organization can continue to issue litter registrations to someone like this without red flags going up and bells and whistles screaming. If the purpose of the AKC is further breed standards, how can you not recognize puppy millers such as these? Oh that’s right, it’s because you work so closely with the likes of the Hunte Corporation, the largest puppy broker in the nation.

Rather than being the organization that fights for the dogs and champions reputable breeders, yours has become an organization where the almighty dollar takes preference over the lives of innocent puppies. As long as those puppy millers keep sending you their fees, you’re going to keep registering their litters, no matter how many they have in a month’s or year’s time.

I cannot properly express to you my disgust and disappointment in the AKC. My breed of choice happens to be the Bichon Frise. I am not a breeder but am very involved in rescue. Every time we get some poor little pup out of a puppy mill with a grade 6 PDA heart murmur or a group of 30 breeding females dumped on us with diseases and mange and broken spirits, I get angry that these places are allowed to continue mistreating dogs and passing along genetic diseases and traits detrimental to the breed. I understand that the USDA is in charge of inspections but your organization is part of the chain as well. And both you and the USDA have dropped the ball.

Your organization can make a difference in the lives of these innocent little dogs but you must regroup and remember what your original purpose was. Until you change the way you do business and get involved in shutting these places down, I will continue to spread the word of your willful impotence and liability in these matters. I will scream it as loud as I can and encourage others to do so as well.

This is a time when the AKC has a choice. You can continue to go down the current path and focus on the money or you can do something heroic and help save lives. The decision is yours to make. I hope that you make the right one.