American Kennel Club (AKC) - include breeder facilities' living conditions and standards of care in your dog-judging criteria!

To Dennis B. Sprung, AKC President and Chief Executive Officer

We've had too many instances of puppy mills posing as responsible breeders to the outside world while the dogs they claim to love and look after, suffer inhumane living conditions and not even basic medical/health care. The latest case was that of a NJ kennel which had actually won AKC awards in the past and which was recently in the news for nearly 200 dogs rescued from its premises, some of which were pregnant, surviving in filthy conditions among dead dogs.

As a purported champion of dogs and responsible breeding, the AKC should step up and make these breeders accountable. Breeders should be made to provide photographic and other certification evidence and admit themselves to random checks of facilities throughout the year, to show that proper care and accommodations are being provided to the dogs at all times. This should be a condition of AKC membership and a criteria used in the judging of the animals that bring the breeders so much fame and fortune. This is not an unreasonable thing to expect and we the people demand the AKC stand up and make this the standard for eligibility in any contests or for membership in the AKC.