Thursday, May 20, 2010

Scratching My Head In Amazement

Yesterday, all the judges got a letter from Ron Menaker saying AKC had rescinded it's original plan to "charge" us to judge. ( Must have been the collective cry of "Get a rope!". ) However, they still plan on "taxing" us somehow for the privilege of making money for AKC. Yeah, I know it's the strangest thing I've ever heard, too.

In part of the letter, he wrote this: (Quoted from the 5/18/10 letter from AKC's Chairman Ron Menaker )

"Now, it is time for judges to join the other constituencies of the AKC-clubs, breeders, exhibitors, and registered handlers to make a financial contribution to help maintain the quality of the sport we all love so much"

Huh??? What exactly does that mean??

Many of us are still exhibitors, breeders and hard-working club members. We did not spring into judgehood over night.

In order to judge we had to meet AKC criteria in exhibiting - had to finish so many champions. Had to have bred so many litters. Had to have been in clubs, had to have stewarded shows, etc, etc, etc. In other words, we have spent an ocean liner full of money and spent years studying, learning, doing just to meet their criteria to judge. (Just read on AKC site about the minimum it takes to qualify to apply to judge!)

.....and apparently, that's not enough. Now, we have to pay to support our years of acquired knowledge that we thought we were now able to give back to he dog fancy.

If that don't beat all!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Amazing that AKC is going broke and they are charging the people who make it all happen. Without judges there is no point to AKC. We pay for the professional opinions of the judge. I can see an annual fee, but make it a flat, nominal fee.