Page 90 - Chow LIfe - 2019 Summer

AKC Gazette Excerpt

By Love Banghart
CCCI Gazette Columnist

Once a year, the Chow Chow Club Inc. organizes a and international relations within the Chow Chow
convention to celebrate the Chow Chow. Commonly community. As we find fewer fanciers in each area to
called the National Specialty, this event is far more carry on the passion for protecting and promoting
than a dog show and is open to all chow fanciers. the breed, it may well be the international network-
The schedule includes health seminars, health test- ing that will provide a solid foundation for the
ing, social events, fund raising auctions, the annual future of our beloved chows.
membership meeting and an awards banquet. The The Chow Chow Club, Inc. recognizes the chal-
event this year was held in Orlando, Florida and was lenges that exist and continues to address these
attended by fanciers from Brazil, China, Australia, challenges. A goal of the CCCI is to promote com-
Scotland, the UK, Canada, Italy, Spain, Germany, munication between Chow Chow fanciers world-
the Philippines, and several other countries. wide via their regional chow chow clubs. This will
We no longer are in a world of the "American chow", be accomplished through exchanging educational
the "English chow", the "Canadian resources regarding the Chow Chow breed,
chow", or the “Russian Chow” health research materials,
With new technology, the Chow and social media. The goal
Chow is a universal breed, as of the communication is to
most breeds are these days, enhance the chow communi-
and the CCCI promotes ties’ awareness of available
international communica- information on chow chow
tion and participation. We related issues, structure,
recognize that breed stan- health and movement;
dard changes from outside and promotion of breed-
of the USA and bloodlines ing for type and function of
from abroad will all impact the chow chow based upon
the Chow Chows in America, breed specific facts. In
and that changes in the Chow Chow meeting these goals, club members
standard in the USA will also impact breeding will be more aware and responsive to breed related
programs internationally. Education and sharing issues as they arise in geographical areas worldwide.
of valuable information worldwide is critical to
the integrity of the breed. Many regional clubs are As we move into the future, we must recognize and
struggling to exist and much can be directly attrib- share the information created by knowledgeable
uted to the declining numbers of dedicated breed- individuals and health organizations in each coun-
ers and exhibitors, declining numbers of new club try. Much of the research and survey information
members and large kennels. This may all be related may apply to multiple breeds, but is also very useful
to the economy, but affects everyone. These factors to the chow chow community. Raising awareness to
support a dedicated focus on improved national the existence of this information internationally will
certainly benefit our breed.

(This article first appeared in the May 2009 AKC Gazette and is reprinted with permission. To read the online Gazette, visit
www.akc.org/pubs.)

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