Noteworthy News for May 2019
The AKC has
been busy creating new programs, working to advance the sport, along with our
mission to protect and promote purebred dogs and responsible dog ownership. It
is my pleasure to share some of these developments with you.
The AKC has
expanded our FIT DOG program by
recognizing clubs and organizations that provide canine fitness classes and
organized canine walks as AKC FIT DOG clubs. To date, we have had over 130 FIT
Dog clubs participating in the program. AKC FIT DOG, which was launched in
September of 2018, was created to encourage owners to walk with their dogs. The
program adopted the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 30 to 40
minutes of walking per session for a minimum total of 150 minutes per
week. Owners who achieve this level of activity for three months may
apply for a free car magnet featuring the AKC FIT DOG logo. In the first
five months of the program, over 1900 owners have applied for magnets. We are
very excited about the growth of this program and its goal to create fit owners
and dogs.
In April the
AKC Public Education Department launched the AKC B.A.R.K (Be A Reading Kid)
program to get children excited about reading. The goal of the AKC
B.A.R.K Program is to provide children with a fun, educationally enriching
experience that also allows them to bond with a canine companion. In this
program, children will read to a dog of their choosing and a parent or guardian
will assist them in logging their hours on the AKC website. If a child does not
own a dog, their parent/guardian can find a local AKC Canine Ambassador and
arrange a visit. After reaching certain milestones, children will receive
incentives for the hours they have read. Dogs participating in the program will
be acknowledged with a certificate for their volunteerism.
To close out
the month of April, we hosted the first ever AKC Agility Premier Cup presented
by EEM at the NYCB Live at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long
Island on April 25th. The top 60 canine agility competitors and their handlers
from around the country were invited to compete at the Invitational. Twelve
dogs competed at each jump height (8”,12”, 16”, 20”, and 24”) for $10,000 in
cash prizes. We congratulate the five dogs who rose to the top to win their
respective jump heights. This family-friendly event was held in conjunction
with the Longines International Masters Championship Cup and marked the first
time a major AKC Agility event was held at an Equestrian event, demonstrating
the extraordinary abilities of both horses and dogs in their respective
sports. We appreciate the opportunity to work with EEM World and look
forward to hosting this family-oriented event again next year.
This is just a
brief overview of some of the recent happenings at the AKC and ways in which we
are carrying out our mission. Look for more updates next month.
Dennis Sprung
President & CEO
President & CEO
