WHAT IS ONLINE BREEDER CLASSIFIEDS (OBC)?

It is a new AKC service that helps puppy buyers locate breeders with
available AKC-registrable puppies. 
1) Breeders will be able to list AKC-registered litters on the AKC
website for $30 for 60 days.
2) Prospective buyers will be able to search for AKC-registrable puppies
by breed and state OR by breed and zip code radius.


IS THIS A NEW IDEA OR ARE OTHERS OFFERING THIS SERVICE?

No, the idea is not new.  In fact, the program is modeled on the very
successful Puppy Sales List, which has been provided by The Kennel Club
(England) for the past seven years.

In addition to The Kennel Club's program, there are over 20 independent
sites in the United States that provide a similar service as well as
seven others that are owned by competitive registries.  They list several
thousand ads.  Some classifieds list "AKC puppies" and others promote different
registries.  Many mention AKC, including references to our Parent Clubs,
local specialty and all breed clubs.  They also show photos of wins at
AKC shows and include information on championships and events.  To the
novice, these sites are easily confused as the official AKC site. 

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF OBC?

To increase AKC dog registration:  Over the past few years, the AKC has
witnessed a serious decline in registration of litters and individual
dogs. In fact, we have lost an average of 18,000 litters and 51,000 dogs per
year over each of the past five years.  
To reverse the current trend, the AKC is reaching out to the public via
our advertising campaign, website, e-newsletter, and Family Dog magazine.
Educating puppy buyers about the importance of selecting a responsible
breeder and the benefits of AKC registration AND providing them a direct
link to breeders with AKC-registrable puppies should have a positive
impact on dog registration.  
We currently communicate the message that one should seek out an
AKC-registrable purebred puppy, but we offer the public little
actionable means to do so.  This program offers a solution to that quandary.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR AKC TO INCREASE REGISTRATION? 

To maintain our leadership position on purebred dogs:  In order to do
so, the AKC must represent the majority of purebred dogs in this country.
With litter registrations declining 24% and individual dog registrations
declining 31% since 1996, it is now more important than ever for the AKC
to position itself as the authority on purebred dogs.  With the current
decline, we could lose the ability to:
a. Be the most credible source of education to the public
b. Influence trends in canine legislation
c. Expand programs related to canine health, events, veterinary
scholarships, etc.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO LIST A LITTER ON THE AKC WEBSITE?  

Breeders who:
1) Are in good standing with the AKC.
2) Have a currently registered AKC litter.

WHO IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO LIST A LITTER ON THE AKC WEBSITE?  

1) Brokers
2) Pet Shops
3) Dealers
4) Auctioneers

Litters sold in wholesale channels or acquired for resale may not be
listed.


The service is restricted to breeders with recently whelped litters who
are in good standing with AKC.   A listing will only be posted after AKC
records verify the breeder's standing.  No litter lot sales are permitted. 
Dealers, brokers, and auctioneers who acquire dogs for resale, pet shops, and
breeders who sell at auctions or flea markets may not use this service. 
The AKC will remove any listings placed by breeders who become subject to
investigation or suspension while listings are active.  

HOW IS OBC DIFFERENT FROM GAZETTE BREEDER CLASSIFIEDS?

The Gazette Breeder Classifieds, which have been offered successfully
for over one hundred years, and OBC are very similar resources.  Both have
the following requirements:  

1) All dogs offered in the advertisement must be eligible for AKC
registration. 
2) Breeders must be in good standing with AKC.
3) Dealers who acquire dogs for resale (including brokers and pet shops)
are prohibited from advertising.

OBC is more restrictive than the Gazette Breeder Classifieds because OBC
is limited to breeders who have an AKC litter on the ground while the
Gazette is open to kennel and website advertising.  
 
WHAT EFFECT WILL OBC HAVE ON BREEDER REFERRAL? 

1) Breeder Referral is Still #1:  The effect is a positive one as the
public will be informed that Parent Clubs are the primary resource for locating
information about a specific breed.  The links to Breeder Referral will
remain available from the pages on the website pertaining to puppies,
responsible dog ownership, etc.  AKC is committed to featuring the
Breeder Referral resources, with OBC functioning as a supplementary service. 

2) Improving Breeder Referral:  While OBC is developed, the Breeder
Referral resource will benefit from a series of enhancements. AKC has recently
finished collecting updated Breeder Referral information for the
convenience of clubs and the public.  Further, additional links (as chosen by the
Parent Club) will soon be added to the Breeder Referral pages, including links
to the Parent Club Breeder Directory, to Regional Clubs, and to mentors
from Parent Clubs.  

WHY IS AKC OFFERING OBC IN ADDITION TO GAZETTE AND BREEDER REFERRAL
SERVICES?

1) To help puppy buyers find AKC breeders:  Of the 2 million visits to
the AKC website per month, 1.4 million are to breed-related pages and 85% of
the searches performed on the site are breed specific, with the most popular
search terms being "terrier," "spaniel," and "bulldog."  We provide
puppy buyers with all of the educational information they need to make an
informed purchase, but we currently don't provide them direct access to breeders
with puppies available.  

2) To provide another resource for puppy buyers:  In most breeds, the
number of puppies produced by breeders in the Sport simply does not meet the
demand of the public. While Breeder Referral and the Gazette are excellent
resources, they primarily link prospective puppy buyers to breeders in
the Fancy who may or may not have puppies available.  OBC provides buyers
looking for an AKC-registrable pet with another alternative - lists of
litters already whelped and already AKC registered.

3) To educate puppy buyers: The service encourages the potential puppy
buyer to:
a. Research the various breeds before making a decision.
b. Visit the home of the breeder to see the whelping facilities, the
litter, the dam, and possibly the sire.
c. Ask appropriate questions.
d. Obtain a bill of sale. 
e. Obtain AKC papers.

4) To mitigate misuse of the AKC image:  As previously mentioned, there
are at least 27 web-based puppy sales services, including www.breeders.com,
www.pupcity.com, www.puppyfind.com, www.puppynet.com, among others.
Several have the look and feel of the AKC website, with AKC puppies for
sale, AKC illustrations, AKC title information, and breeders from AKC
clubs.

The risk of these sites is that the public is often misled into
believing these services represent the AKC, even if puppies advertised are not
AKC-registrable. The public likely confuses these services as AKC-approved
or even as official AKC sites.  Some of these sites reach as many as
67,000 potential puppy buyers per day.  By creating, offering, and promoting
OBC, the AKC will ensure that puppy buyers have access to a legitimate AKC
service, with all of the benefits of AKC educational information and
breeders who are in good standing with our policies.   


WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THE AKC DOES NOT PROVIDE THE OBC SERVICE? 

The public will continue to turn to us for information, but will go
elsewhere to locate puppies.  This trend is evidenced by:
1) 31% decline in dog registrations since 1996
2) Number of puppies advertised and sold in local papers
3) Existence and attractiveness of pet shops to the public
4) Existence and growing popularity of at least 22 other registries in
the United States
5) Existence of at least 27 web-based puppy sales services

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO HAVE ACCESS TO AKC
BREEDERS?

1) The public contacts our Customer Service department at the rate of
several hundred calls per day requesting information about finding a
puppy. If we do not help them, they will be unlikely to use other AKC services
in the future.

2) If the public continues to use non-AKC resources to locate puppies,
our influence in the realm of education will be diminished.

3) If we don't provide additional useful services, individual dog
registrations will continue to decline, the AKC's image will suffer, and
AKC will lose influence with respect to canine legislation and other
dog-related issues.

4) To encourage future participation in the sport, the AKC must take an
interest in connecting puppy buyers with AKC breeders. Most people do
not grow up in the sport; an introduction to the Fancy usually comes as a
result of obtaining one's first purebred dog. 

WHAT WILL THE BASE LISTING INCLUDE?  

o Breed					
o Breeder's Name
o Breeder's City, State, Zip
o Breeder's Phone and Email 
o Sire Name and AKC registration number (Including titles, OFA and DNA
Certifications)
o Dam Name and AKC registration number (Including titles, OFA and DNA
Certifications)
o Litter Date of Birth
o # male/female puppies available

HOW WILL PUPPY BUYERS DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE BREEDERS WHO ADVERTISE?

1) When searching the listings, puppy buyers will have access to
information about the breeder's practices, including club affiliations,
microchipping, health screenings, etc. via a Breeder Profile link.  This information is
self-reported by the breeder, but the listing will be removed if the AKC
becomes aware of any inaccurate details.

2) Puppy buyers will be encouraged to make an appointment to visit the
breeder's home to see the litter, whelping facilities, the dam, and
possibly the sire.  

3) When puppy buyers print the list of breeders, a list of questions to
ask those breeders will be included with the report.


CAN BREEDERS PROVIDE A LINK TO OTHER ADVERTISING IN THE OBC LISTING? 

No:  Breeders are not permitted to add their own website (URL) to the
listing.  


WHAT IS THE INCENTIVE TO THE BREEDER TO COMPLETE A BREEDER PROFILE?  

The incentive to the breeder is to: 

1) Provide more information to the puppy buyer such as previously
stated.

2) Receive a special notation on the Search Results page.

3) Priority position on the Search Results page (i.e. Listing appears
before those without Breeder Profiles).


WHAT WILL PUPPY BUYERS GAIN FROM SEARCHING THE OBC SITE?

1) Educational materials, including links to:
a. Parent club contact information at the beginning of the search
b. Finding the right dog 
c. Choosing a responsible breeder
d. Purchasing a puppy, including visiting the breeder's home 
e. Breed Rescue groups
f. Responsible dog ownership
g. Dogs and children

2) A list of questions to ask the breeder when purchasing a puppy: When
puppy buyers print the search results, the list of questions to ask the
breeder will be included on the report.

3) Notification that AKC does not endorse any one breeder over another. 


ARE THERE ANY LEGAL CONCERNS WITH THE OBC SERVICE? 
 
AKC counsel has researched the service thoroughly.  There are no legal
issues preventing the AKC from offering OBC.   Legal disclaimers placed
throughout the OBC pages make it clear that the puppy buyer must do his
or her own due diligence.  The following legal disclaimers will govern the
service:

1) The AKC accepts no responsibility for any transaction between the
seller and the buyer.  

2) The AKC makes no warranty or guarantee as to health, quality,
parentage or value of dogs listed.  

3) The sires and dams listed on our site are registered with AKC, as are
the litters.  Individual puppies from the AKC-registered litters are,
therefore, eligible to be registered with AKC, subject to compliance with existing
AKC Rules, Regulations, Policies, and the submission of a properly completed
Dog Registration application.

4) Information in the Breeder Profile is self-reported by the breeder.  

5) Any information that is added to the listing may only concern the
specific litter listed and may only be added by the breeder of record.  

6) A breeder who falsely advertises is subject to cancellation of such
listing.    

7) The AKC reserves the right to correct or cancel any listing at will. 

We hope this explanation of the new OBC service helps to address your
questions about the service. The AKC has carefully analyzed all aspects
of the proposed project, and has concluded that the program offers
tremendous benefits to the AKC, breeders, and the public.  Please be assured that
the AKC will remove listings placed by breeders who become subject to
investigation or suspension while the listing is active and will
research all complaints.  

If you have additional questions, comments, or concerns about this new
service, please feel free to contact Connie Pearcy, Assistant Vice
President of the AKC Internal Consulting Group at (919) 816-3558 or cep@akc.org.