In Session ® AKC’S STATE LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER The American Kennel Club’s Newsletter for State Legislators and their Staff Perspectives Five Canine Heroes Honored With ogs enrich our lives in so many ways. ® DThe companionship they provide and AKC Humane Fund Awards for services they perform are as varied as the breeds themselves. Canine Excellence (ACE) In this issue of In Session , we celebrate he AKC ® Humane Fund recent - and suffering from numerous infec - the many ways dogs improve the lives of Tly announced the winners of the tions. His adoptive owners, both individuals and the world around us as 12th annual AKC Humane Fund animal control officers, started a well as the dedication of responsible dog Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE) , Facebook page to report on Tugg’s breeders and owners to ensuring the which commemorates five loyal, progress. Today, the Bull Terrier has health and wellbeing of not just their cur - hard-working dogs that have made more than 9,300 fans around the rent pets, but future generations of pure - significant contributions to their world. Tugg’s fame has helped him bred dogs as well. communities in each of the follow - raise money for an array of charita - ing five categories: Exemplary ble causes, including animal rescue The American Kennel Club ® (AKC) Companion Dog, Law Enforcement, and the Susan G. Komen recently honored five exceptional dogs for Search and Rescue, Service and Foundation. As a certified therapy their service to society and their owners. Therapy. dog, Tugg makes school visits where The AKC Awards for Canine Excellence "The AKC Humane Fund Awards he helps raise children’s self-esteem (ACE Awards) are awarded at the for Canine Excellence celebrate with his "You are great just the way AKC/Eukanuba National Championship what dogs contribute to our lives you are" program. each year in December. (See opposite for and these five exceptional recipients more information.) exemplify the selfless service These five dogs are remarkable for their canines perform for us everyday," accomplishment and service, but in many said AKC Spokesperson Lisa Peterson. ways, they are little different from the All the ACE recipients received T dogs we encounter every day. The bond N $1,000 and an engraved Sterling sil - E M between dogs and their owners often T ver medallion presented at the R A P defies explanation—and from time in E AKC/Eukanuba National D E C memorial we have cherished their loyalty Championship in Orlando, Florida I L O P and companionship. on December 17, 2011. Each winner Y T N If you recently watched the was also honored at local events. U O C This year’s ACE winners include: AKC/Eukanuba National Championship K L O F or Westminster Kennel Club dog show, you F U S saw another way the AKC and responsible Y S E T breeders celebrate purebred dogs. Dog R U O shows are not only a fun, family-friendly C D R event, they also serve an important purpose A V O Continued on next page E Law Enforcement Dog: "Blue," a K A L German Shepherd Dog owned B Y S by Suffolk County Police Inside E T R Department and handled by John U ® O Five Canine Heroes Honored With AKC Human C Mallia of Yaphank, NY On December 11, 2010, John and Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE) ........1 Exemplary Companion Dog: Blue were requested to search for a Economic Benefits of Dog Shows ......................3 "Tugg," a Bull Terrier owned by missing woman in the Gilgo Beach area of Long Island, NY. They Issue Analysis: Conformation Shows - More Than Blake & Kim Ovard of Cleburne, TX ended up locating a different A Pretty Face ......................................................4 When he was four months of age, woman’s remains in an area covered with dense brush and later unex - Treeing Walker Coonhound ...............................6 "Tugg" was found beside a road, wrapped in a blanket, barely alive Continued on next page www.a1kc.org (Continued from page 1) Continued from page 1, “Five Canine Heroes Service Dog: "Bingo," a Labrador ® for responsible breeders. On page 4, we With AKC Human Fund Awards for Canine Retriever owned by Konrad Feldmann discuss the history of conformation Excellence (ACE)” of Liberty Township, OH pectedly found three additional sets of shows and the role they serve in promot - "Bingo" acts as a service dog for Konrad, human remains, all of which were believed ing high-quality breeding for health, who has cerebral palsy. Since being paired to be victims of the same serial killer. Just with Bingo, Konrad has experienced a far temperament and breed characteristics. one week later, the team recovered the more inclusive and welcoming attitude in his Dog shows also generate significant remains of another person in an unrelated school and community. Whether it’s a walk revenue for local businesses through case, helping to bring closure to a victim’s in the neighborhood or attendance at a high facility rental, hotels, restaurants, and so family. school football game, the team elicits a mul - on (Learn more on page 3). This is in titude of greetings from the many new addition to the millions of dollars collec - friends Konrad has met through his canine tively spent by responsible dog owners partner. The team has also facilitated a pres - each year on basic dog needs, veterinary entation in a special needs classroom and care, grooming and so on. taken part in a ribbon cutting ceremony for These are just a few of the reasons it an accessible playground. benefits lawmakers to support responsi - N A ble dog ownership and ensure that H A N canine legislation does not result in O M Y L L overly restrictive regulations that hurt I B Y responsible breeders. The AKC wel - S E T R comes the opportunity to work with U O you to protect the welfare of dogs and C the ability of responsible owners and Search and Rescue Dog: "Hunter" breeders to continue to own, breed and owned by Fire Captain Billy Monahan enjoy dogs for generations to come. of Tehachapi, CA Hunter and Captain Monahan were R All the best, deployed to Haiti after the country’s January E K A B 2010 earthquake. During his time there, A I C Hunter detected and alerted to live human I R T scent while searching the debris of a four- Y S E T story collapsed building. As a result of his R U O efforts, rescuers were able to pull three girls, C Sheila Goffe still alive, from the rubble. Hunter was also Director of Government Relations called on after the Japanese earthquake and Therapy Dog: "Miki," a Pomeranian [email protected] tsunami in March 2011 and worked through owned by Tricia Baker of Plainsboro, NJ aftershocks, tsunami warnings, freezing tem - In 2009, Tricia Baker’s son Kenny took peratures and snow. In 2010, Hunter was his own life after years of struggling with awarded the Firefighter of the Year award by depression and anxiety disorder. Therapy the Los Angeles County Fire Department, AKC Government Dog Miki has been instrumental in the becoming the first ever non-human recipient. Baker family’s recovery. After Kenny’s Relations Department death, Tricia and her family created the (919) 816-3720 organization A.I.R. (Attitudes in [email protected] Reverse), whose theme is "Mental illness www.akc.org/canine_legislation is like air. Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. It is all around us." Tricia makes presentations about mental health and suicide preven - tion where people pet and hug Miki as they open up about their personal jour - ® neys with similar issues. Miki also helps F O 4 U 8 N D E D 1 8 raise awareness by walking for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and AKC M ISSION STATEMENT the American Foundation for Suicide Y L I Prevention. M The AMERI CAN KENNEL CLUB is dedicated to uphold - A F N ing the integrity of its Registry, promoting the N A For more photos and stories about the M D sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and L 2011 AKC Humane Fund ACE recipi - E F function. Founded in 1884, the AKC and its affili - Y ents and honorable mentions visit: S E ated organizations advocate for the purebred dog T R http://www.akc.org/news/ace/2011/hon - U O as a family companion, advance canine health C orees.cfm and well-being, work to protect the rights of all dog owners and promote responsible dog ownership . From AKC.org 2 Issue Analysis: Conformation Shows – More Than Just a Pretty Face Group and a St. ave you Bernard is a mem - H ever won - ber of the Working dered why a poo - Group). The dle has such a inter - seven dogs that esting haircut? It’s win group compe - tition then go on an inevitable ques - to compete for tion for many dog Best in Show. show spectators. Points are Contrary to popular awarded based on belief, it’s not the the number of artistic whim of the dogs the winner of dog’s handler or each breed compe - G N groomer, but rather U tition defeats and O Y T the number of a cut dating back R E B competitors in the O centuries that helps R / C show. A Champion K A the poodle be a bet - © (Ch.) title is ter swimmer. obtained once a The word “poo - dog obtains a cer - duties for which it was bred.