General – Page 8

FIRST EVER RALLY WARRANT TITLE GOES TO BORDER COLLIE

A four-year-old Border Collie, Littlethorn Leaf RW, belonging to Denise Platts of Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire is the first ever dog to be awarded the new Rally Warrant (RW) title. She qualified for the award at the Ditton Dog Training Club.

This title was introduced by The Kennel Club at the start of 2021 in a move designed to encourage new competitors into the rally discipline, as well as to give confidence to existing competitors to work at every rally level.

NEW GOVERNMENT PLANS TO CRACK DOWN ON DOG THEFT WELCOMED BY THE KENNEL CLUB

The Government’s Pet Theft Taskforce has today recommended a new ‘pet abduction’ offence and further proposals to combat the crime

The UK’s biggest organisation dedicated to dog health and welfare has welcomed recommendations from the Government’s Pet Theft Taskforce published today (3 September), following a successful campaign lobbying for stronger sentencing and better data collection on the crime.

Currently, sentencing places undue weighting on the monetary value of the pet rather than giving sufficient weight to the emotional impact of the crime, meaning it is often treated in the same way as the theft of a laptop or mobile phone. There is also no central record in order to help decision-makers understand the scale of the problem or the circumstances around it – for example, whether a theft was driven by opportunism or organised crime.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE OBEDIENCE LIAISON COUNCIL HELD VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS AT 10.30 AM ON THURSDAY 22 JULY 2021

Click to view Minutes here

Razor makes obedience history – First Kelpie to win Obedience Champion title

He wins two Obedience Certificates in two days

Cories Ray of Sunshine, known at home as Razor and listed on The Kennel Club’s activity register as an Australian Kelpie, recently made history when he won his Obedience Champion title. He is owned by Nina Whitnell of Colchester, Essex.

Razor’s achievements are unique, as no other Kelpie in the UK has ever qualified for the championship obedience class nor won an Obedience Certificate, let alone claimed an Obedience Champion crown.

Although the Kelpie breed is not currently recognised by The Kennel Club, it has been exhibited in its native Australia since 1908 and received recognition by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) in Belgium in 1989. In Australia, Kelpies regularly perform well in various canine activities including obedience and herding tests.

Resumption of Kennel Club licensed events: Guidance updated 19 July 2021

In view of the Government’s lifting of the majority of the remaining Covid-19 restrictions on 19 July 2021, we have updated our guidance in relation to the resumption of licensed events in all canine disciplines.

Find out more – thekennelclub.org.uk/resumptionofevents

New figures show scale of dog theft and ‘jaw dropping’ failure to tackle the crime

New statistics show that a staggering 98 per cent of dog theft criminals are never charged, and in more than half of cases a suspect is never identified
Freedom of Information statistics reveal 196 cases of dog theft every month, up 7 per cent on 2019
Over 500 dogs estimated stolen across the UK since the Government’s Taskforce set up to tackle the issue in May, as the pandemic puppy surge led to growing dog theft fears
The Kennel Club’s new ‘paw and order: dog theft reform’ campaign urges the Government’s Pet Theft Taskforce to improve the reporting and recording of the crime, and to treat dog theft with more proportionate sentences

As concerns about dog theft soar following the surge in pandemic puppy buying, new research shows a shocking failure to tackle a crime that is devastating 196 families every month, with only two per cent of cases in 2020 resulting in a criminal charge.

PARSON RUSSELL TERRIER MAKES OBEDIENCE HISTORY

First small breed to win Obedience Certificate for 32 years

He wins another Obedience Certificate a week later

The Parson Russell Terrier, Glencymreig Degu OW, owned by Louise Healey of Grantham, Lincolnshire, recently made history in more ways than one when he was awarded the Dog Obedience Certificate at two championship obedience shows held a week apart.

When ‘Stanley’ won the Certificate at Winchester City Dog Training Club championship obedience show, competing in the Championship C Dog class by Peter Lubbi, he became the first of his breed to win such an award in the UK, as well as the first small breed to do so for 32 years.

Kennel Club Obedience Liaison Council – Feedback for the Reliability & Control exercise – on the agenda for 22nd July 2021

Your questionnaire must be completed by 9pm on 21st July 2021. It is completely anonymous but we do ask that you complete the section indicating which Obedience Liaison area you are located within to make sure that your feedback reaches your allocated representative. I have prepared this survey on Google Forms as Chairman of the Obedience Liaison Council. I would be grateful if you could complete this survey only once to give me an overall view of the Obedience community’s views on the proposal for a Reliability and Control Exercise on the Obedience Council agenda. The full agenda can be viewed on the Kennel Club website – https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/events-and-activities/obedience/already-competing-in-obedience/ then navigate to the agenda for 22nd July 2021.

June Le Fevre (12th July) – Re : the national survey on the new Control & Reliability exercise proposal – I have been alerted that some folk wish to now change their vote. To assist with this I have enabled that setting, so if you have already voted and would like to change your vote just simply visit the poll again.If you have not already voted and would like the opportunity to do so, which would be very valued, then please go to :

Further details and questionnaire click here

Robert Harlow steps down from Chair of Obedience Liaison Council

At The Kennel Club AGM on 23 June 2021 Mr Robert Harlow, current chair of the Obedience Liaison Council, was elected on to the Board for a term of three years.Under the regulations of The Kennel Club a member may not sit on the Board and any Council at the same time and as such Mr Harlow will be stepping down from his role as chair, and as a member of the Obedience Liaison Council, with immediate effect.A new item has been added to the Council agenda for the council members to elect a new chair for the remaining term of office and the vote for this will take place electronically before the meeting. The council will be informed of the result before the current Item 1 on the agenda.

A REMINDER: ENTERING DOGS FOR COMPETITION USING THE ‘NAF’, ‘TAF’ AND ‘CNAF’ FACILITIES

As competitive events begin to open up as a result of the phased easing of some Covid-19 restrictions, The Kennel Club wishes to remind competitors that they can use the ‘Name Applied For’ (NAF), ‘Transfer Applied For’ (TAF) and ‘Change of Name Applied For’ (CNAF) facilities, if necessary, when entering dogs for competition in any of The Kennel Club disciplines.

Kennel Club regulations dictate that dogs entered for any form of Kennel Club competition must be registered in the name of the person(s) making the entry. If, at the closing date of entries, the owner(s) have applied for but not received confirmation of The Kennel Club registration, the dog shall be entered in the name shown as the first choice on the application form for registration and the name should be followed by the letters ‘NAF’. An example of this would be ‘Clarges Oliver Twist NAF’.