Wednesday Wisdom: Pat Laurans: AKC Delegates, Take the Lead, and Pet Disaster
Pat Laurans – AKC Judge, Delegate, AKC Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
Delegates are your Voice to the AKC
Delegates have unique powers most in the fancy are unaware of. As a body, they approve rules and guide the AKC. At times, the delegates can overturn an AKC board decision.
Delegates attend quarterly and annual meetings and participate in standing committees that focus on specific areas.
For Example:
Parent Club Committee – Through the Parent Club committee, National Specialty Reserve Winners Dog/Bitch may receive a major. Originally the AKC board turned the proposal down, but the delegate body overturned the board decision and approved it.
Being a Delegate
Not easy and a minimum 5-year commitment is recommended. Delegates must qualify and represent a member club, be in good standing with AKC, meet occupational criteria, and show fiscal integrity.
Delegates report to their clubs and need a forum for doing so, and take club recommendations and suggestions back to the delegate body. Clubs should help with the financial travel costs of their delegate.
There are employment restrictions: judges that accept fees, and professional handlers are not eligible.
Parent Club Conferences
Improve performance of parent clubs, parent club relationships with AKC, and build lasting links – the last conference was 10 years ago.
AKC Reunite Pet Disaster Relief Trailers
55 trailers are currently in use. Provides local emergency animal care with temporary housing for 65 pets, generators, microchips, scanners, bowls, crates, and non-perishables. Trailers co-locate with Red Cross or other local emergency services and are fully donated to local emergency management.
Trailers cost $22,000 to build and stock. $12,000 is raised by local clubs, businesses, and fundraising. AKC Reunite will match with $10,000.
Good for building dog club, community, and county relationships.
Take the Lead
Story of the formation of Take the Lead about 15 years ago to help people in the sport of dogs with a life-threatening illness. Over 4.6 million awarded to date.
Congratulations to Pat on her AKC Lifetime Achievement Award!
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