Rita Biddle, President ACA
12523 S. Forest Hill Rd.
Eagle, MI 48822
(517)626-6844 or 335-5301
fax- 626-6272

November 20, 1998

Mr. Toyosaku Kariyabu, Honorary Chairman
Japan Kennel Club, Inc.
1-5 Kanda, Suda-Cho, Chiyoda-Ku
Tokyo 101-8552
Japan
Re: Second World Akita Congress in Hamm,
Germany on November 8, 1998

Dear honorary Chairman Kariyabu:

We hope your journey home was safe and pleasant and that all is well in Japan.

Please accept our sincere appreciation for your kind and generous invitation to attend the Special Akita Show and the Second World Akita Congress in Hamm, Germany the first weekend in November.

The Special Akita Show provided a wonderful showcase for the European Akitas. The Congress offered the FCI countries, as well as England and America, the opportunity to hear your history of the Akita and your plans for the future of the Akita in the FCI countries.

1t was our honor and pleasure to have the opportunity to address the Congress. As the country, having the overwhelming majority of Akitas in the world, we wanted the Congress to hear our concerns and questions regarding splitting the Akita into two breeds in the FCI countries. We also wanted to review for the Congress the AKC requirements for splitting a breed in America which, as everyone knows, is a complicated process involving several steps and time.

It is our understanding that the JKC will develop a comprehensive proposal to be submitted for review and approval by the FCI Standards Committee, Scientific Committee and the General Assembly by June 1999. While many details need to be worked out, the framework of the proposal is that the FCI will grant the "American Akita" (the new breed) full breed status, that it will be placed in the Working Group with the Japanese Akita remaining in the Spitz Group, that the existing AKC/ACA Akita standard will be adopted as the standard for the new breed except for some minor changes and that the split into two breeds will be based upon pedigree. Certain modifications to the existing Japanese Akita standard might also be proposed (e.g. changing the ratio for the nose to stop to occiput from 2:3 to 1:1). We also understand that you are to propose three names for the new breed to the FCI. If our understanding on these matters is not correct, I would appreciate being informed as we intend to share this information with the membership of the ACA.

As I emphasized in my remarks to the Second World Akita Congress and as both Mr. Lisker and Dr. Kaluzniacki have also unequivocally stated on numerous occasions, the ACA respectfully requests and urges you to name the new breed the "American Akita". As you have noted, America is the country of development and patronage for the type of Akita which was sent to our country from Japan. We have worked very hard to develop our Akita from this imported stock into a breed that is not only beautiful but also sound in mind and body. We firmly believe that is not only fair and just, but also historically accurate to name the new breed the "American Akita". Any other name would be a denial of both the contributions America has made to the development of the Akita and the historical Japanese heritage which you have documented in your recent book. We know that you have a keen, logical mind that recognizes these facts and a heart that respects our feelings.

We have cooperated with you and have not objected to your proposal to split the breed in the FCI countries. We look forward to continued mutual cooperation as we address the future of this wonderful breed in the FCI countries and America.

We also hope you will decide to name the "new breed" the American Akita. We would be forever grateful and much honored for your recognition of the Americans' contribution to, and love of, the Akita.

It was most pleasant to see you again and to be able to participate in the Congress.

Hoping to hear from you soon, I remain...

Sincerely yours,
Rita J. Biddle

cc: ACA Board and ACA Delegate to the American Kennel Club, Inc.
Mr. James P. CrowIey, Secretary, American Kennel Club, Inc.
Dr. Jean-Maurice Paschoud, President de la Commission des Standards de la FCI