AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB REGISTRATION

Dear DCA Members,

In 1993 The American Kennel Club registered over one million six hundred thousand (1,600,000) dogs. Since then the Registry has been loosing about six percent (6%) a year until 2008. In 2008, the Registry lost 12%. The loss doubled for 2008 from the previous years. The AKC registered approximately a little over 700,000 in 2008. So far in 2009, the Registry has lost another 14% and will probably register between 600,000 & 700,000.

The registrations are still the AKC’s main source of income. The registry needs to stabilize where it is and then hopefully start growing again.

AKC has a challenge for AKC Breeders. They have a registration contest going on for the Parent Clubs where the members of the Parent Clubs sign up online with AKC for registering your puppies. You can do this if you want and they will track what you do. The real issue here is that the Registry needs to stabilize and then hopefully grow again. The current economy is not helping registrations for 2008 and the current year. The AKC reported that approximately 44% of the puppies from breeders that participate in AKC dog shows do not get registered. If these puppies were registered, it would stabilize the registry and possibly increase it some.

AKC needs our help. Please try to register all of your puppies that you turn on the litter registration. The best way to make sure that they get registered is for you to mail the individual registration forms in or do them online. You can include the cost of the registration in with the puppy. Please help if you can. The AKC needs your help.

Carl Holder, President