The ARISTOCRat Winter 2013 A Publication of the Borzoi Club of America, Inc. Executive Officers President Rebecca Peters Campbell, P.O. Box 80499, Springfield, MA 01138-0499, 413-575-4663, [email protected] Vice President: Carol Enz, Box 876, Ramah, NM 87321-0876, 505-783-4743, [email protected] Recording Secretary: Joy Windle, 2255 Strasburg Rd., Coatesville, PA 19320-4437, 610-380-0850, [email protected] Corresponding Secretary: Karen Mays, 3336 Bagley Passage, Duluth, GA 30097, (678) 957-9544, [email protected] Treasurer: K.C. Artley, 3706 W. Jackson Road, Springfield, OH 45502-8722, (937) 325-1129, [email protected] AKC Delegate: Barbara O’Neill, 11403 3rd Avenue S, Seattle, WA 98168, (206) 439-7543, [email protected] Regional Governors Region 1 Ron Williams, 155 Libertyville Rd., Wantage, NJ 07461 (973) 721-4146, [email protected] Region 2: Jane Schreiber, 916 Rocky Ford Road, Powhatan, VA 23139-7203, [email protected] Region 3: Prudence Hlatky, 4511 County Road 121, Rosharon, TX 77583-5959, 281-595-3547, [email protected] Region 4: Lorrie Scott, 1728 Hanson Lane, Ramona, CA 92065-3311, [email protected] Region 5: Robin Riel, 12076 Mieras Road, Yakima, WA 98901, [email protected] Region 6: Joyce Katona, 7617 Pelham Drive, Chesterland, OH 44026-2011, [email protected] Committee Chairpersons Annual Awards Nancy Katsarelas, [email protected] and Melissa Pearce, [email protected] Annual Versatility Award & Versatility Hall Of Fame: Karen Ackerman, [email protected] Aristocrat Helen W. Lee, [email protected] BCOA Beverly C. Taylor Trust For Cover art for this issue: Borzoi Rescue Committee: Shen Smith, [email protected] “Pyerun & Willow 1980” BCOA Shop Carol Enz, [email protected] BCOA Web Site R. Lynn Shell, Web Mistress, [email protected] by Ariel Duncan, Challenge Trophies Chairman Pending submitted by Joy Windle Club Inventory & Medals Barbara O'Neill, [email protected] Conformation Championship Medals: Christine Danker, [email protected] Disaster Plans Robin Casey, [email protected] and Veni Harlan, [email protected] Futurity Event Joyce Katona, [email protected] Futurity Barbara O’Neill, [email protected] Gazette Columnist Jon Steele, [email protected] Health Committee Virginia Jones, [email protected] Judges Education Committee Patti Neale, [email protected] “Keeping In Touch” Edna Ogata, [email protected] Legislative Affairs Rita M Rice, [email protected] Member Education Prudence Hlatky, [email protected] National Specialty Chairman Barbara O’Neill, [email protected] We’re now Rescue Dee Jones, [email protected] Specialty Guidelines Barbara O’Neill, [email protected] accepting ads!! Standardized Trophies Barbara O’Neill, [email protected] Standing Rules K.C. Artley, [email protected] INTRODUCTORY RateS: Statistical Committees Regular full page - $35 • Statistics Coordinator Joyce Katona, [email protected] New Title Holder - $25 • Conformation Dr. Greg Hlatky, [email protected] (see pages 14 & 15 • Junior Showmanship Barbara Lord, [email protected] for New Title examples) • LGRA Dawn Hall, [email protected] • Lure Coursing Tom Golcher, [email protected] Send ad copy & pic to • NOTRA Victor Whitlock, [email protected] [email protected] • Obedience/Rally/Agility/Tracking Bonnie Dalzell, [email protected] • Open Field Karen Ackerman, [email protected] • Registry Of Merit (ROM) Barbara Ewing, [email protected] Pay online Ways & Means Carol Enz, [email protected] or by check to KC Artley ASFA Delegate Tom Golcher, [email protected] 2012 Official BCOA Tabulator Ms. Patricia Swanson, Attorney at Law 2011 Alternate Tabulator Carl Holder 2013 National Specialty Joy Windle, Specialty / Facility Coordinator, [email protected] 2014 National Specialty Carol Enz, Specialty / Facility Coordinator, [email protected] 2 BCOA Aristocrat Why So Many Pet Food Recalls? by Valori Trantanella (Written in response to a thread on an e-mail list) bought out by the big boys, the formulation, same amount of the next ingredients until sourcing and many aspects of production are you get to the fat. And remember these num- y first job out of college I changed to meet more intensive profit goals bers have to stay under 100% so it is usually worked in a feed mill and and the quality deteriorates. 15-17% or so of each of those 6 ingredients. formulated rations for dairy It also has become an industry standard Do not assume that the first ingredient is herds. I saw corn stored in a to take advantage of economies of scale substantially more than any other before pileM on the ground under tarps and tires for by contracting out many of these different you get to the fat source. It is quite possible the winter when more corn came in than we and various food labels to just a few mills that they are all very equal in amount. So if could fit into the new building to store prop- around the country, so many, many, many two are animal sources and three are plant erly. They knew it was not a great option but labels that are perceived as unique and dif- sources then maybe 35% is animal and cattle rumens’ microbial load do handle an ferent products are all produced at standard- 50% plant CHO and protein sourced. Now awful lot of less than desirable feedstuffs. ized facilities, just following a different if you take an example where the first two Very important choices are made at every recipe and poured into unique bags. Due to ingredients are chicken based but there are stage from the field to the bag in your hand this continuous process of buying out suc- 8 items before the fat or there are various fat that affect quality. cessful new brands and fighting for shelf sources, each item goes down as a percent- space at the retailers, a food that is fabulous age of the total. This is extremely crude but Once I had a person that ran a couple of now might be a totally different product a is based on the concept that pet manufactur- contract chicken barns, with pigs on the side, year from now. So just keeping on top of ers follow the least cost ration formulation request I formulate a ration with high anti- those changes is difficult for the average used in the livestock industry. Of course this biotics that would allow them to throw their consumer. only sets the base and they have to evaluate dead chickens into their pig feed so they to ensure that they meet AAFCO standards could capture the protein. We refused as that A newer practice I have seen is adding more and tweak the formula. They have to make was wrong on so many levels. Pigs’ diges- and more items that might be perceived as sure the product will go through the extruder tive systems are the closest livestock to our “good” by the consumer. I have seen labels dies and other production considerations of own. In the 80s it was a common practice where 10-15 items such as quail eggs, vari- course. It is far more complex than this as to throw the dead chickens in the manure ous vegetables, other rare protein sources different companies set different internal spreader and bald eagles would pick them are listed AFTER sodium or other minerals. standards but once profit becomes involved, out of the fields in the winter. Imagine what They are included because they look good to this is the basis. all those microbes did to the eagles. Some of the consumer but they are at such low levels the choices made are very poor. they do not add nutritionally to the food. In Now the pet industry recognizes that con- fact if you understand how a big batch of sumers will pay premium prices for per- The point is that intensive attention to food is manufactured, items in such small ceived premium foods so formulations are sourcing, production and storage details amounts are difficult to distribute evenly tweaked to appear premium. They may or are extremely important in avoiding recalls. throughout it. Those ingredients would may not meet performance standards that Companies that maintain very tight control become so dispersed I defy you to analyze a would substantiate those claims. But they of all aspects of production are the only piece of kibble and even be able to identify formulate in order to meet AAFCO stan- ones that are not setting themselves up to be the DNA of all the supposed ingredients that dards and consumer perceptions and their blind-sided by recalls. are listed in the label. profit goals. Don’t get me wrong; there are some great foods but they are few and far There is a cycle in the pet food industry Another crude but quick method I use when between and are a moving target. where a very good quality food is developed analyzing labels in the store is to look at and produced and gains a respectable fol- how many items are listed before the first As breeders we have our own constraints of lowing by loyal pet owners and that food fat item and then see how many other fat finances, availability of products and time to brand is later bought out sources are included. Assume there are 5 sit around worrying about and researching at a good profit to items and then a single fat source. If your our dog food. the developer/ formulation states 18% fat than you pretty entrepreneur. much know that the preceding 5 items each (My BSc is in Animal Science and Once will probably constitute something around Agricultural Economics with an emphasis that. Example: chicken, corn, chicken on dairy production in case you think I am meal, corn gluten, rice. For this exam- just blowing it out of the top of my head.