The bad news continues. LA city has just passed another anti-dog law. On the sunny side, fanciers in Oklahoma have warded off another onerous bill for this session of their legislature and a judge in Louisville has negated the restrictive dog law on a technicality.

Election time is coming up at AKC. Delegates are being bombarded by appeals for votes. Clinton and Obama have to take a back seat for a while. Speaking of the AKC. you know, the AKC continues to put millions of dollars into advertising and public relations campaigns that promote our brand and communicate our mission to the public. We're very pleased that AKC 2008 print advertisements will be featured in Parade magazine - with readership of 32 million, it is the highest circulation print publication in the country.

However, as competition from other "registries" continues to grow and the sale of puppies over the Internet becomes more common, we know we still need to do more. And to have the most impact, we know it needs to be a collective effort involving our most important resource: our clubs. Therefore we are asking you to take part in an aggressive campaign with the goal of reaching puppy buyers at the grass roots level.

The Board recently approved a program called "Demand AKC Papers" whereby we are asking clubs to place classified ads in their hometown papers that directs puppy buyers to www.demandakcpapers.com or www.puppybuyerinfo.com. The thrust of this initiative is to inform puppy-buyers that they should seek an AKC dog when buying a family pet in order to receive the healthiest, happiest dog possible, and to connect people with the information they need to make smart decisions throughout this process.

For more than a century, generations of American consumers instinctively knew that AKC "papers" came hand-in-hand with a purebred pup from a responsible breeder. But in today's environment, it is no longer sufficient for us to assume that the average puppy buyer understands the value of the AKC in the dog ownership experience.

The puppy-buying public is bombarded with "papers" issued by dozens of other inferior registries with marketing ploys like similar looking initials, seals, logos, and even pedigrees based on AKC's stud book. Add to that the various new avenues of commerce they face, such as buying puppies from seductive Web sites sight unseen and it's no wonder that potential pet owners are confused and unaware of the real benefits of AKC registration.

Besides the unrivaled integrity of our registry, the value of AKC registration has grown over the years to include complimentary 60-day AKC Pet Healthcare Plan coverage, dog.com e-certificates equal to the value of the registration fee, and a free veterinarian visit.

And with the millions of dollars that AKC donates annually to its affiliated organizations, the AKC Canine Health Foundation, the AKC Companion Animal Recovery and the AKC Museum of the Dog, the dogs benefit too. AKC registration dollars go toward inspection of breeders, promoting responsible dog ownership through public education, and advocating for the rights of responsible dog owners and breeders.

AKC values the important work its affiliated clubs conduct each year to reach the public and we know that your time is limited. However "Demand AKC Papers" is designed to be simple and to bring together all our clubs in a common cause that we deeply believe can have a tremendous impact on the future of our organization. In addition to promoting the AKC and the sport you love, participation will meet one of the eligibility requirements to hold future dog shows in Category Part A of your club's event application.

Please visit www.akc.org/clubs/club_communications.cfm for the information that will get you started, including:

Details on the classified advertising program


• How clubs can work with newspapers or other mass media advertising outlets, such as web site or billboards, to secure the best placement and discount rates
• Sample ads for clubs to use or customize
• How clubs can send their published classified ad to AKC to qualify for an educational credit towards a club's event application approval.

If you have any questions regarding this new program, please contact Lisa Peterson at 212-696-8360 or lxp@akc.org. We hope that we can all work together to ensure that every newspaper in the country directs puppy buyers to the resource we all know will be best for them and for purebred dogs- the American Kennel Club.

Winning Solutions is celebrating our first anniversary by offering a two for one sale. Select any $9.95 Special Report at it's regular price and chose any other one free. Act now as this offer is for the month of March ONLY! Go to www.winningsolutions.info and chose from over twenty in-depth reports on subjects you need to know about to be a highly successful breeder/exhibitor.

This email was sent to you as a valued customer of the American Kennel Club. Please read AKC's Privacy Statement.
HOW FAT IS FIDO?


Dog Obesity can have serious health effects:

JOINTS & BONES: "Extra weight aggravates the joints," says Denver Veterinarian Kevin Fitzgerald of Animal Planet's "Emergency Vets" and "E- Vets interns." " Dogs that are overweight have a much higher incidence of problems with the knees." And in animal tat already have a tendency toward bad backs, including specific breeds like the Dachshund, "you don't want to put extra weight on those discs that are bad to begin with."

HEART & RESPIRATORY SYSTEM: " We have a lot of respiratory problems in overweight animals. Things like collapsing trachea and asthma are tremendously aggravated by being overweight." Fitzgerald says.

DIABETES: As in humans, being overweight carries the risk of diabetes. "Your pancreas is set to an optimal body weight. If your body mass is more than it should be, your pancreas is overworked and stops producing insulin, and bang, you've got diabetes," Fitzgerald says.

CANCER: Extra weight can increase cancer risk, and the effect is long term. " Dogs that are obese at 1 year of age have a higher incidence of mammary cancer as a 10- year olds." Fitzgerald says. And diets high in fat and sugar makes your pets more prone to intestinal cancer and cancer of the colon.

Protecting Researchers And Research From Anti-Animal Research Extremists
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206162309.htm

ScienceDaily (Feb. 7, 2008) - The Society for Neuroscience (SfN), the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians who study the brain and nervous system, has released a new document to help improve the protection of academic researchers, including, but not limited to, those who face intimidation, harassment, and physical attack by fringe anti-animal research extremists. The document, Best Practices for Protecting Researchers and Research: Recommendations for Universities and Institutions, provides a set of specific and proactive steps that organizations can take to protect their employees, while also advancing scientific knowledge and medical progress.

"Responsible biomedical research is essential to improve human health and save lives. Continued progress requires that institutions ensure the health and safety of researchers and their families," said Eve Marder, PhD, President of SfN. "At a time when reasoned debate has turned into illegal harassment, trespass, and threat of violence, universities have an obligation to provide an appropriate and safe environment for their researchers. Today's document provides practical security, communications, and advocacy steps that universities can take to protect their colleagues. SfN encourages researchers and institutions to partner actively to evaluate and implement these recommendations in their communities."

Synthesizing lessons learned from other universities, researchers and organizations, Best Practices is a blueprint for action to:

• Provide public leadership and public commitment to researchers and the research enterprise;
• Develop and implement security protocols and relationships in advance of attacks; and
• Support policy and public communication solutions at the federal, state, and local levels.

Recently, the number of campaigns of harassment and intimidation directed at researchers has grown against those who use animals in research. Although they pursue crucial research and are required to operate within established Regulatory and animal-care frameworks, these investigators face stalking, harassment, and physical assault on their homes. SfN members reported more attacks in the first six months of 2007 than in the five year period from 1999 to 2003.

"The continuing intimidation and threats of violence to which researchers have been subjected are beyond the bounds of acceptable discourse and debate," said Jeffrey Kordower, PhD, Chair of the SfN Committee on Animals in Research. "In recognition of that fact, the U.S. Congress passed the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act to prohibit such action, and we now urge universities to add their efforts to ensure that researchers have a safe environment in which to pursue their vital work."

The responsible and humane use of animals in research has been an indispensable part of the health and medical revolution that is treating and curing crippling conditions that affect millions in North America and more around the globe. Disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, paralysis, addiction, and depression cause untold hardship for countless families and drain billions from economies annually. Moreover, it has been repeatedly shown that the American public supports the responsible use of animals to conduct research, and overwhelmingly rejects animal rights extremism.

The Society for Neuroscience, with more than 38,000 members, is the worlds largest organization of basic scientists and clinicians working to advance understanding of the brain and nervous system. Their research advances fundamental scientific understanding and forms the basis for new treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders that affect millions of people worldwide. Neuroscience research also serves as a major national economic engine, spurring investment in biotechnology applications, pharmaceutical advancements, and health promotion.

Best Practices for Protecting Researchers and Research: Recommendations for Universities and Institutions can be found at http://www.sfn.org/animals.

Adapted from materials provided by Society for Neuroscience.

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Emergency Animal Care - Steps to take when dealing with sick or injured animals from News 10 Now.

" A lot of times people will wait on things. They will wait and see what happens or they don't recognize that there's been an emergency and an emergency situation could go on for days with animals sometimes before seeking help," said Lori Tyler- Oshsner, a licensed Veterinary technician during a Red Cross seminar in Ithaca, NY

"Most important thing for owners to know what's normal for their dog and to watch for abnormal behavior because I think the abnormal behavior will key them into an emergency situation fastest," said Tyler-Ochsner.

A great book to help people understand and treat emergency symptoms in dogs is HANDS ON DOG CARE by John Hamil, DVM, and the Veterinarian who was so instrumental in turning around the onerous AB1634 California bill. Published by Doral Publishing


 

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