Small Dog Carriers - The Conflict Of Interest Report
The Conflict Of Interest Report
http://www.dognews.com/editorial.html
Well, the long-awaited release to the public of the Conflict
of Interest Committee appointed by the Chairman of AKC in
November 2003 occurred on Friday, August 19, 2005. The 14-page
report, with 19 pages of exhibits, has been posted on the
AKC Web site. It is an interesting document with some major
innovations, although overall it can hardly be labeled startling.
Certainly the Committee's recommendations that the Delegate
Body be opened to anyone, professional or amateur, with
a pre-requisite background in the sport is both warmly welcomed
and appreciated by these pages. Additionally, establishing
the concept of a “Director-At-Large, which allows
clubs to appoint an interim delegate to vote for the club,"
is warmly applauded as well. This gives the elected director
the opportunity to cast his or her vote, fulfilling their
obligation to the corporation—that is, AKC. At the
same time, they lose their opportunity to vote at Delegate
meetings, and the clubs interest in turn is now represented
by the interim delegate. This eliminates the Ken Marden-type
situation, where his club instructed him to vote in a manner
that he believed was inconsistent with the best overall
interests of AKC. The dilemma he was faced with would, under
this kind of “dual” role, be eliminated. This
is most progressive thinking on the part of this committee.
Conflicts And Judges
Most of the complaints AKC receives is in the area of conformation
judges and revolve around associations nurtured during the
years of active competitive relationships. Obviously, these
relationships continue, notwithstanding the changes in personal
status. The existing Guidelines are a hodge-podge of directives
that are both contradictory and misleading. In the words
of the Committee, they are “sorely defective.”
Whether the adoption of an AKC CODE OF SPORTSMANSHIP solves
any of these problems, as this Committee seems to believe
it would, is most debatable. Certainly, rewriting the Guidelines
more positively, which it suggests will cover a multitude
of sins, is forward thinking. But putting the onus solely
on the exhibitor and not the judge for entering an ineligible
dog at a particular show is both pandering to the judge
and Pollyanna in attitude. Really, a judge knows all too
well the status of his or her relationship towards any dog
and should be held on a par relationship with the exhibitor.
Interestingly, the "gift" problem of exhibitor
to judge is cavalierly mentioned and hardly gone into. Let's
face it; too many “sterling silver whatnots”
are included with award photographs to go unnoticed. Similarly,
the business relationship between judge and exhibitor is
too whitewashed to our liking.
AKC Employees And Conflicts
Permitting AKC employees to exhibit on a limited basis has
always been controversial, but candidly we've never had
a major problem with the practice. One presumes that Field
Reps who continue to exhibit dogs outside “their areas
of responsibility” covers Conformation Reps, thereby
precluding them from exhibiting at point shows. Amazingly,
it is recommended that employees who are approved to judge
SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO JUDGE! Come on, someone must
be kidding there. FIELD REPS NOW CAN JUDGE! And then to
further blur the senses of even the most insensitive is
the statement that employees MAY NOT receive additional
breeds while employed by AKC. Talk about what's good for
the goose not being good for the gander. How in the world
can Board Members get additional breeds but employees may
not? Talk about promoting conflicts in interest! This kind
of thinking does just that. The entire 14 pages are reprinted
in this issue, although the EXHIBITS are not. One may get
the exhibits from the AKC posting or DOG NEWS will send
them to those who ask.
Benefiting Animal Victims Of The
Tsunami
Relief programs funded by the World Society for the Protection
of Animals (WSPA) are helping animal survivors of the tsunami
that recently struck Asia. Thousands of animals have already
been assisted and tens of thousands more will benefit from
WSPA's long-term aid projects. Working alongside people
on the ground, WSPA has helped to establish a network of
veterinary clinics that are bringing care to those animals
in tsunami-affected areas. In Sri Lanka, having already
supported efforts in tsunami-hit areas to vaccinate more
than 12,000 dogs against rabies, two WSPA-funded mobile
vet clinics are now working along the affected coastline
in the country's southern and eastern provinces, treating
thousands of animals a year in areas where little other
animal care exists. The longtime work now underway follows
emergency aid provided by WSPA earlier this year in India,
Indonesia Thailand and, of course, Sri Lanka. Now may be
a good time for those parent and all-breed clubs that are
considering annual donations to take this organization into
consideration.
Thought For The Week
It's hard to believe that five years have passed and another
Morris and Essex is upon us. Replicating Mrs. Dodge's efforts
are near impossible, but the hard work and due diligence
of the M&E people cannot be ignored nor overlooked.
The yeoman tasks of these members have been outstanding
and are done for the love of the sport, to say nothing of
recognizing the great achievements of the past. Without
the assistance of the Hatboro folk, the date would not have
been possible. Let's not overlook that fact whilst thanking
and recognizing M&E people, too!
