The American Kennel Club

The most famous organization that represents purebred dogs in the United States is the American Kennel Club. Established in 1884 to advance the interests of purebred dogs, today the American Kennel Club recognizes more than 150 breeds in seven groups (Sporting, Non-Sporting, Working, Herding, Terrier, Hound, and Toy) as well as a host of breeds in the miscellaneous category.

The AKC is a nonprofit organization whose members are not individual dog owners, but breed clubs. The AKC oversees the establishment of recognized breeds in the United States, and also enforces the standards by which breeds are judged. To carry out its many functions, the AKC maintains offices in New York City (where it was founded) and Raleigh, North Carolina.

American Kennel Club 51 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10010

or

5580 Centerview Drive Raleigh, NC 27606-3390 www.akc.org

The United Kennel Club (UKC)

The United Kennel Club was founded in 1898 by Chauncey Z. Bennett. The UKC registers more than a quarter-million dogs each year. UKC is the second oldest and second largest all-breed dog registry in the United States. They are located in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The UKC, like the AKC, sponsors events of many kinds, from dog shows to a host of performance events. The UKC is made up of over 1,000 different clubs that oversee several thousand licensed annual dog events. Many of their events are very easy to enter and compete in, promoting owners to show and compete with their dogs, as opposed to hiring professional trainers or handlers.

United Kennel Club 100 East Kilgore Road Kalamazoo, MI 49001-5598 www.ukcdogs.com

The American Rare Breed Association (ARBA)

The mission of the American Rare Breed Association is to serve and protect what are considered rare breeds of dogs in the United States. This includes promoting and educating the public dog fancier about 130 or more breeds from around the world that are not now recognized by the American Kennel Club.

American Rare Breed Association 100 Nicholas Street NW Washington, DC 20011 www.arba.org

The Canadian Kennel Club (CKC)

Much like the AKC, the CKC is the primary registering body and over-seer of the sport of purebred dogs in Canada. Many Canadians who want to compete in the United States register their dogs in both clubs. Much like the AKC, the Canadian Kennel Club is devoted to encouraging, guiding, and advancing the interests of purebred dogs and their responsible owners and breeders in Canada.

Canadian Kennel Club Commerce Park 88 Skyway Avenue, Suite 100 Etobicoke, ON M9W 6R4 Canada www.ckc.ca

The Kennel Club (UK)

Founded in 1873, the primary objective of the Kennel Club is to promote in every way, the general improvement of dogs. The Kennel Club is able to offer dog owners an unparalleled source of information, experience and advice on dog welfare, dog health, dog training and dog breeding.

The Kennel Club 1-5 Clarges Street Piccadilly London W1J 8AB www.thekennelclub.org.uk

The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI)

Currently based in Belgium, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale was created in 1911 with the aim to promote and protect cynology and purebred dogs by any means it considers necessary. The founding nations were Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The Federation disappeared due to the first World War and in 1921, the Société Centrale Canine de France and the Société Royale Saint-Hubert re-created it. The new articles of association were adopted on April 10th, 1921 and on March 5th, 1968, the FCI got the legal personality by decree. Today the organization sponsors two of the world's largest dog shows: The European Dog Show and the World Dog Show.

Fédération Cynologique Internationale Secrétariat Général de la FCI Place Albert 1er, 13 B — 6530 Thuin Belgium www.fci.be