VERY frustrated with AKC

[JeanH]

Long story. I purchased one of my females in 2004 from a breeder in Washington with full registration as a breeding quality dog (pending OFA certification of her hips and elbows at 2 years old). About a year ago, I received a letter from AKC saying that the registration on my dog had an inquiry logged on it, and I would not be allowed to register any puppies out of the dog or show her in sanctioned AKC shows until the inquiry was reviewed. AKC would not give any other information regarding the inquiry and all people with dogs descended from a certain dog in Ilse's pedigree got the same letter. They would not even say which dog in her pedigree was in question.

A few months later, got another letter from AKC stating that the inquiry had been closed and to enjoy my dog. No further action was to be taken, and my dog's registration was, indeed, valid. No other information was forth coming. However, we did find out that the dog in question was 3 generations back in my dog's pedigree. Evidently, a breeder in Texas sells all her puppies on limited registration only and considers her dogs are in a "closed breeding program", "to ensure that the integrity of the lineage is maintained appropriately". This breeder gave one of the pups to a breeder in Arizona and somehow, don't know the whole story, that puppy was registered with AKC with full registration privledges. Both the breeder in Arizona and the dog in question have both passed, so the whole story will never be known. The breeder in Texas was the one to file the protest with AKC.

I just received another letter from AKC stating that my registration papers are to be voided on Ilse. No explanation, NOTHING. All the dogs that have this one particular dog in their pedigree are having their papers pulled. Again, AKC will not give any information with regard to WHY, especially, since they have already said the papers were valid - now 7 months later, they aren't. I have no idea how many innocent people this affects. My contract with my breeder states that she will replace my dog if she didn't pass her OFA certifications or had some other genetic defect that would not make her breeding quality. However, my dog did pass her OFA certifications and has been bred for an October 3 due date. Too early to tell if she is pregnant, but I am at risk of having a litter of puppies that can only be sold as pets without registration. So, not only am I out all the money for x-ray's, and showing her, ect., I will have puppies that I will only be able to get, at most, half of what they are worth. I will NOT be giving Ilse back, she will be spayed and stay with me forever if they do end up pulling her papers.

I really feel for the breeders that have sold puppies from this line. If they had contracts on their puppies sold, they will be out thousands of dollars in replacing puppies. I have heard for one breeder, it will be over $100,000 in dogs, and it will bankrupt them. Everyone bought or sold puppies from this line without any knowledge of alledged wrong doing on anyone's part. I don't see how AKC can do this with any kind of integrity - the largest registry of dogs in the United States has lost all credibility in my eyes. Word is that a number of the breeders that this impacts the most will be filing a law suit against AKC.

Sorry for the length, but I needed to vent. This will be a case of David vs. Goliath I think.

Here's Ilse when she won her Best of Show puppy:

And, Ilse last January:

 

[chandab]

Beautiful dog. I hope you are able to get it all straightened out in the long run.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Run an Ad in one of the KC magazines- get all the people who are affected together ans SUE the PANTS off the AKC!!

They are acting illegally and it is only by allowing them to get away with it that you strengthen their power.

They a re rescinding papers on WHAT basis??

They HAVE to give you a reason.

Our KC thinks it is god, do not allow yours to get into the same position.

For the good of dogs everywhere, fight this.

Good Luck.

 

[_minihorses4ever_]

That's not right. You have such a beautiful girl, and I hope everything gets straightened out.

 

[JeanH]

Thanks Rabbitfizz, as you said, everyone involved will have to work together. I have already forwarded Ilse's registration information to the appropriate person that will be leading the charge to fight this injustice.

I am not breeding GSD's for financial reward because we all know how that works out most of the time. I my goal is to breed a dog of excellent structure and most important, temperment, to be used as a working dog for services such as search and rescue. I have been working diligently to acquire dogs to meet this goal, and they are just now coming of age where they can be OFA certified and be bred. I have spent countless hours socializing and training my dogs so they are good canine citizens. My vet has given me the highest complement with regard to my dogs saying she wished all German Shepherds were as easy to work with as mine are (and my two Pit Bulls, too).

The first litter I had was in March. After an emergency c-section, I only had two surviving puppies (there went the financial gain :no: ). However, with one of the surviving puppies, I made significant progress on my goal for breeding top GSD's, and the puppy was placed with a lady who is a member of the Wyoming K9 Search and Rescue. When Sable was 4 months old, she was evaluated as a "top" prospect for SAR.

Jean

 

[nootka]

This just makes me sick. I am likening it to how I'd feel if it were one of my horses or all of them, since many have the same ancestor in common.

Please let us know how this turns out.

Liz

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Oh no Jean!!!! I would think that the person that lodged the complaint would be the one sued..... or the person that got the puppy in question KNOWING that the breeder intended for her to be limited reg and got full instead....thats the person that did the wrong in the first place. I would think that would be the one responsible to recoupe EVERYONE elses losses! So sorry you are going thru this.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[JeanH]

Lyn,

That is part of the problem. The lady who sent in the registration application to register the puppy has passed away, but she had a reputation of being very ethical according to several sources. Those sources believe that the lady registered the dog in good faith and with no intent to defraud. There is no one to dispute the claim that the registration application was altered. I would think it would be very easy to tell given how BIG the box is that you have to color in for limited registration. And, since AKC at first said everything was OK, they obviously didn't feel the application was altered either.

Jean

 

[Sterling]

ooohhhh that is frustrating! Did you keep the letter they sent you when they gave you the all clear? Keep everything in a file and together. Your Isle is beautiful! Hope you can get this all worked out.

 

[twister]

:no: Jean I feel your pain, I know how difficult both the AKC and the CKC can be to deal with. I have been breeding Golden Retrievers since the early 80's. I haven't had the same problem as you but many run ins where the CKC issue the registration incorrectly and then want to charge again to correct their own mistake. I hope you all succeed in fighting this issue. Your dog is a beautiful example of a german shepherd, her structure is outstanding. Good luck in your fight.

Yvonne

 

[Camelotcavs]

I would think it would be very easy to tell given how BIG the box is that you have to color in for limited registration.

The big box to fill in for limiteds is a recent addition to the AKC registration forms. It used to be just a box to check such as for color. I myself had checked this box accidently once and just scribbled across the box and initialed next to it and they sent the full reg. - no questions asked. The big box was developed because so many registrations WERE altered in the past.

 

[Miniv]

I don't deal with AKC very much, but something smells to high heaven. You need to raise a ruckus, and if necessary, band up with other owners within the same pedigree.

The entire situation is outrageously UNFAIR.

MA

 

[Cronewolf]

:no: It has always been my nderstanding that the papers belong to the dog not the breeder. There was quite a deal made of it back in the 60's when some folks were bad for charging one price for a dog and then more for the papers. Whenever I had a dog I didn't want bred for whatever reason I mailed the papers back to AKC marked deceased, so someone couldn't send in for them at a later date. There was a real problem of folks selling papers to people with unreg. dogs too. Some breeders always reg. a couple more pups than were born in a litter. They also papers to dead dogs .

Lyn,

That is part of the problem. The lady who sent in the registration application to register the puppy has passed away, but she had a reputation of being very ethical according to several sources. Those sources believe that the lady registered the dog in good faith and with no intent to defraud. There is no one to dispute the claim that the registration application was altered. I would think it would be very easy to tell given how BIG the box is that you have to color in for limited registration. And, since AKC at first said everything was OK, they obviously didn't feel the application was altered either.

Jean

 

[keeperofthehorses]

Wow... In my mind it kinda depends on WHY they are pulling the registration. If there is no question on parentage, then AKC and/or the breeder needs to understand that the right thing for them to do on this one is to just bite it and maintain current registrations. I imagine there are many more dogs by now than just yours and it could really affect a lot of people. I'd raise holy heck!

That said, taken into consideration what happened in ASPC in the past, IF the parentage is in question, then in the long run, despite you getting shafted in the deal, the right thing to do is pull the papers of all animals involved. JMO... although that doesn't sound like what's happened.

 

[JeanH]

There is no question of parentage. The question is whether a dog several generations back in the pedigree of my dog was issued full registration rather than limited registration. Certificate of Registration for the dog states full registration, but it was questioned if the registration application was altered.

AKC said inquiry was closed without further action in January 2006, and then sent a letter saying registration had been revoked in August 2006. No explanation for the reversal of the original inquiry or that a new inquiry was opened before receiving the "sorry, your papers are revoked" letter.

It is not just a couple of dogs, it is several generations of dogs.

Thanks!

Jean