^ANNOUNCEMENT

^{FCI Split from ACA President, Rita Biddle & AKC Secretary, Jim Crowley  6/99}

^{Dear Fellow ACA Members:}

^{I received the attached letter from Mr. James P. Crowley, Secretary The AKC, regarding the status of the Akita in the FCI, and want to share it with you for your information and reference. Please read it carefully. Basically, the breed will be split as follows in the FCI countries:}

^{The Japanese Akita will remain in FCI Group 5 (Spitz and Primitive);
The dog that has come to he called the American Akita will become a new breed with full FCI registration and show privileges, and will be placed in FCI Group 2 (Working). Its name will be written thusly-Great Japanese Dog (formerly American Akita). The breed standard will be the AKC Akita standard with minor changes.}

^{FCI will divide the dogs by PHENOTYPE (how the dog looks) not by pedigree. While the final details will be forthcoming after FCI approval in June, Mr. Crowley indicated in a telephone call to me that the FCI will probably use a committee structure in each country that will decide by looking at the dog which breed it is. Crowley said that Mr. Hans Mueller indicated that a litter, therefore, could contain the two breeds if some of the puppies looked like the “Japanese Akita” while others looked like the “Great Japanese Dog.}

^{Mr. Crowley also stated to me that the actions of FCI will have no effect on registration of Akitas (US born or imported) with the AKC. He also reiterated that he plans on attending our National Specialty this September in Denver.}

^{As always, I will, continue to share information on this very important matter upon receipt so that we all may stay as informed as possible.}

^{Sincerely,
Rita J Biddle
President}

^{Letter from AKC Secretary
Jim Crowley}

^{Dear Rita,}

^{This concerns the status of the Akita with FCI.}

^{I was part of an AKC committee that met with the officers of FCI at the recent Crufts show. I also briefly spoke with Mr. Awashime at the show concerning the status of the breed.}

^{Hans Mueller, FCI President, indicated that there was a proposal to be voted on by the General Committee of FCI at the World Show in Mexico this June. The proposal was to split the breed into the Japanese Akita, which would remain in FCI Group 5 (Spitz and Primitive Types) and the Great Japanese Dog (formerly the American Akita), which would be moved to Group 2 (Working Dogs divided into 3 categories: Pinscher and Schnauzer type; Molossian type [Mastiff], Swiss Cattle Dogs).  According to Mr. Awashima, the Great Japanese Dog would be a new 4th category in Group 2.}

^{Mr. Mueller indicated that the Group move was designed to avoid confusion between the two breeds and the parenthesis would be kept for an undetermined period of time so people would know the breed was formerly the American Akita. The Group situation is to be reviewed in about five years.}

^{The breed standard for the Great Japanese Dog (formerly American Akita) would be in the hands of JKC, as Japan is the country of origin. Mr. Awashima indicated that at this time it would basically be the AKC standard with some minor changes to comply with FCI requirements.}

^{The Great Japanese Dog (formerly American Akita) will immediately have full registration and show privileges with FCI. Apparently the dogs will be divided into the two breeds by phenotype. I was not able to get too much in the way of detail or actual procedures, e.g. whether this will be by photograph or by physical examination.  Presumably, full details will be forthcoming after the June vote, which appears to be a mere formality and this looks like a fait accompli. At that time, I can get full details from FCI on how this will affect exports from the U.S. and American dogs being shown in FCI countries.}

^{By the ACA National in September, all of these details should be available. As this change will be ratified in June, however, I did want to make the ACA aware of it.}