General – Page 14

CANCELLATION OF DISCOVER DOGS 2020

With regret, the Kennel Club must announce the cancellation of this year’s Discover Dogs event, planned to take place in London in October. This is due to the continued restrictions arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and current Government advice against staging large public gatherings such as indoor exhibitions. At present, there is no prospect of these restrictions being lifted in the timescale required to organise the event.

The Kennel Club takes the health, safety and security of everyone who takes part in its events very seriously and this must remain the prime consideration at all times. We shall look forward to welcoming you all to Discover Dogs next year.

YOUNG DOG LOVERS ENCOURAGED TO GET CREATIVE WITH THEIR CANINE COMPANIONS TO WIN £100

Kennel Club Educational Trust initiates new competition with the Young Kennel Club to inspire members during lockdown

In July, the Kennel Club Educational Trust (KCET) and Young Kennel Club (YKC) are joining forces by encouraging YKC members to showcase their creative flair and share what they have been up to during lockdown, with three youngsters having the chance to win £100.

Open to all YKC members, aged 6 – 24, young dog lovers will be invited to submit a short piece that encapsulates lockdown life for them and their dog(s) during the coronavirus pandemic. This can be in the form of a 60-second video, a series of images and/or written prose, up to a maximum of four sentences.

WARNING AS SCAMMERS CASH IN ON IMPULSIVE PANDEMIC PUPPY BUYING

According to research from the Kennel Club, one in four puppy buyers spend less than two hours to decide on their puppy, with thousands then being duped by rogue breeders and online scams

Instances of scams and rip-off merchants illegally selling puppies have sky-rocketed during the coronavirus pandemic, the Kennel Club has warned, as thousands make a quick decision to get a new four-legged friend – and miss the key red flags.

UPDATE REGARDING CRUFTS 2021

The Kennel Club and the Crufts Committee are committed to holding Crufts 2021 if permitted to do so by the Government.

We greatly appreciate the support the show receives each year from our exhibitors, sponsors, trade-stand holders, public visitors and Channel 4.

The qualification criteria for the show will be announced once the Government guidance is clear on future events, which may not be until the autumn.

It may be that the show will need to be reformatted in a way to comply with new regulations. If so, more details about this will be announced as information becomes available.

We would ask for patience at what is a difficult time for everyone with limited information currently available as to how things will progress in the coming weeks and months.

Crufts is the world’s best known celebration of dogs and we very much look forward to welcoming you all to the show in happier times in 2021, if circumstances allow.

Would you like to become the Crufts Inter-Regional Obedience Team Manager for Wales?

The Kennel Club is calling for anyone interested in becoming an Obedience Inter-Regional Team Manager to get in touch.

The Inter-regional event has been a popular feature in the Obedience Arena at Crufts for almost 40 years and is a competition between teams from Scotland, Northern Ireland, North, Midlands, Wales, South East and East Anglia, South and South West.

We have a vacancy for a new manager for the Welsh region and are now inviting applications from interested parties who would like to be considered for the position, initially for the period up to and including Crufts 2022 and then renewable on a three yearly cycle.

Risk Assessment For Dog Training Clubs Government Guidance England From 1st June 2020

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/training/dog-training-clubs-and-coronavirus/risk-assessment-for-dog-training-clubs-government-guidance-england/?fbclid=IwAR3gwJGGs_MI52eoIpAScHC0hWmGnjBTciFGi_bAhL3Oa-0EBdaLpc3ARvg

Advice for animal related businesses and local authorities during COVID-19 – Dog Trainers

(Excerpt from Kennel Club site at https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health/for-owners/coronavirus/advice-for-animal-related-businesses-and-local-authorities-during-covid-19/)

DOG TRAINERS

Training of dogs is an important element of their social development. Dog training instructors may continue to provide advice on training on a one-to-one basis using technology to connect the trainer and client. It may also be possible to run classes by video link. From Monday 1st June small dog training classes of up to five students and one training instructor (or instructor, assistant and four students) are allowed as long as clients are able to maintain social distance whilst arriving, leaving and at the class. A training class must utilise a secure private outside area with adequate parking to allow clients to arrive and leave whilst remaining two metres apart. There should be no physical contact between the trainer and client or dog and social distance should be maintained at all times. Owners should touch only their own dogs. Owners of dogs from infected or self-isolating households pose a significantly higher risk to the training instructor and others in the class and should not be accepted. Owners can leave their dogs with a trainer providing the business handover protocol is followed and social distancing is maintained.

STATEMENT REGARDING COVID-19 AND KENNEL CLUB EVENTS

The safety and security of competitors, spectators, volunteers and staff at Kennel Club events continues to be of paramount importance. In light of the continued restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kennel Club has taken the decision with regret to extend its strong recommendation that clubs and societies cancel forthcoming events until the end of September and that serious consideration should be given to events due to be held after this date.It is vitally important that those responsible for organising events, large or small, conduct a risk assessment which will include ensuring that the event is Covid secure, i.e being compliant with Government advice and guidance on COVID-19. We will be working on further advice to clubs and societies on the issues which need to be addressed in a risk assessment once the Government publishes further guidance or instruction.This latest recommendation is based on all advice issued by the Government so far which continues to restrict non-essential travel and maintain social distancing. The Kennel Club also recommends that alternative arrangements continue to be put in place regarding other activities such as meetings, seminars and training classes.It is appreciated that clarity is important in order to be able to plan, budget and mitigate costs and therefore we will provide more definitive advice as soon as the position is clearer from the Government.The latest advice on the situation regarding COVID-19 is regularly updated and changes daily and we strongly suggest that clubs and societies keep aware of updates as issued by the Department of Health at www.gov.uk/coronavirus.The Kennel Club’s current cancellation policy and FAQs, in relation to breed shows, can be accessed at bit.ly/2x5DuzQ and, in relation to all other disciplines, can be accessed at bit.ly/2AjuyZm.Please contact the KC office on email sass@thekennelclub.org.uk to confirm the cancellation or postponement of any licensed events. If your event is cancelled, please also advise whether you require a refund for your licence fee or require the fee to be carried forward for a future event.Thank you for your patience and understanding at this time.

Dog training clubs and coronavirus (2nd April)

Given the rapidly changing situation, please regularly check the latest government advice and continually assess your own situation based on this information. The Kennel Club is in regular contact with Defra to keep up to date on developments.

The most recent government measures everyone must comply with are:

Stay at home
Only go outside for food, health reasons or essential work
Stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people
Wash your hands as soon as you get home

THE KENNEL CLUB AND THE KENNEL CLUB CHARITIES EMERGENCY RELIEF INITIATIVE

The Kennel Club, the Kennel Club Charitable Trust (KCCT) and the Kennel Club Educational Trust (KCET) have announced their intention to support canine organisations in their communities which may be suffering genuine financial hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Kennel Club has agreed to credits totalling £25,000 for licence fees on those events cancelled between March and June 2020. However, the Kennel Club is aware of potential problems coping with the financial consequences of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. It is imagined that many clubs and societies will have a financial reserve to protect against hard times and cancellations. But some, for their own reasons, may now find themselves without adequate reserves or in significant financial hardship. These clubs are invited to contact the Kennel Club who will consider loans or grants in the following circumstances:

Where the cancellation of a club show may have a further direct adverse effect on the annual provision of services to club members and others (e.g. support for rehoming, educational events).
The KCCT has agreed to help support those community-based canine organisations which require emergency funds in order to prevent the unnecessary suffering of dogs such as providing additional support for small to medium sized rescue centres.
The KCET will look to support those associated with the Kennel Club offering dog training services which may have been affected by the negative consequences for dogs, due to Covid-19.

In the first instance, the Kennel Club and the charities will work to seek to understand the scale of the challenge and, therefore, how best to respond to it within their financial and other resources. As such, clubs, societies and others mentioned above are invited to apply by 30 April 2020 to the Kennel Club by using the form, which can be found via the following link – https://thekennelclub.formstack.com/forms/emergency_relief_initiative – to explain the scale of financial hardship they face as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Kennel Club, will evaluate each application to match the available funds against those evidencing significant hardship. Contact will be made with the applicants when further details of the financial and/or other help the Kennel Club and its charities may be able to offer are available.