Date: October 30, 1998

From: JAMES P. CROWLEY
American Kennel Club
(212) 696-8234 Secretary Fax:(212) 696-8329

To: Mrs. Rita J. Biddle
President Akita Club of America, Inc.

Dear Mrs. Biddle:

This is a follow-up to our recent telephone conversation. I have enclosed a list of registrations for the past ten years for both dogs and litters. We can segregate the imports, but it will take time. If I get any of the data in the next couple of days. I will forward it to you.

With regards to dividing one breed into two, I can only address it in terms of precedent, based upon what we have done with other breeds in recent years, If the Board of the ACA determines it wishes to proceed, I would be glad to assist in preparing an actual proposal to present to the AKC Board. It would be a good idea to do this before the membership actually votes on it to be sure that it is something AKC would approve.

If there is a division (I will use Japanese Akita and American Akita as the question of names has not been analyzed), the predominant American Akita would continue as is, except it could no longer be interbred or shown with the Japanese Akita. The first step of a proposal to divide would be a definition of the new breed. The concept of dividing by pedigree would be doable. I assume that any Japanese imports brought into the country from Japan after a defined date would be Japanese Akitas. The same would be true of any offspring of these dogs resulting from matings with dogs having pure Japanese import lines.

The question of American-Japanese Akita interbreeding is more complex. Logically, as the basis of the request is to avoid interbreeding. any of these dogs should remain American Akitas. However, if ACA wishes to propose something different, i.e., dogs with 3/4 or 7/8 Japanese pedigrees being considered Japanese Akitas, AKC would certainly consider such a request. There should, however, be some rationale presented other then trying to meet minimum numerical requirements. Once a criteria was established, it would be applied to all dogs without exception and it would not be up to each owner to decide whether their dogs should be American or Japanese Akitas.

The initial status of a new breed would be contingent on a number of factors.

A national breed club: In the past where there has been a division in a breed, the existing Parent Club has become the Parent Club for both breeds (Norwich and Norfolk Terrier, Smooth and Wire Fox Terrier). In the case of the American and English Cockers, eventually a new Parent Club was formed for the latter with the concurrence of the former.

Sufficient numbers: This criteria has varied over the years. Currently, we expect something at least in the mid-hundreds, 600-700 for full status. If the numbers fall below that, the breed could be placed in the Miscellaneous Class as a registerable breed until there were sufficient numbers as well as genetic diversity. The dogs should go back to several different lines. Again, depending on numbers, time in Miscellaneous could be as little as a year or several years.

Sufficient distribution, To demonstrate sufficient interest in a new breed, there should be a reasonable geographic distribution with many different owners and breeders in different parts of the country.

An acceptable breed standard, In the case of a split, the original Parent Club would have the responsibility of preparing a standard "to define precisely the true type the breed of purebred dogs." Each breed should have something in its type that distinguishes it from any other breed.

Several other questions arose at the last National meeting. First of all, there would be a possibility of an Open Registry period during which unregistered dogs bred in the U.S, could become registerable based upon a pedigree from a creditable registry. If the registry is based in Japan, this could only be done with the concurrence of JKC as they have an exclusive reciprocal agreement with AKC. This would have to be evaluated if proposed to AKC.

If you have any other specific questions, please let me know and I will try to respond before your meeting. I will be traveling on 11/8 and in the AKC Board meeting on 11/9-10, so after next Friday, won't be reachable until Wednesday, 11/11.

Sincerely
Jim Crowley.