In the course of 2018, it became clear that Pascale Midgley was shouldering an intolerable burden and that steps needed to be taken to strengthen the administrative structure of KUSA. In consequence, I have pleasure in welcoming two new members of staff - Kyle Farmer, who joined the team as Office Manager and Lauren Solomon, who was appointed as Assistant to the General Manager. We have already seen improvements in our IT systems and I anticipate further growth and innovation in the coming year. This should also be reflected in the upgrade of our website to improve accessibility and navigation.

Last year my report dealt substantially with the reunification of Boxers under the banner of KUSA. This task has been successfully completed and a structure put in place to guard and promote the interests of Boxers and ensure their prosperity. The merger of KUSA and the Federation of Boxer Clubs of Southern Africa (FBCSA) automatically brought all Boxers in South Africa under the international umbrella of the FCI, enabling their pedigrees to proudly display the FCI logo. It is significant to note that the merger was achieved with the minimum disruption of the management of Boxers. The KUSA negotiating team and the representatives of the FBCSA worked tirelessly towards creating an environment in which Boxers could thrive and I commend all concerned on their extraordinary efforts to reunify the breed after a period of almost sixty years.

The sale of puppies advertised on internet websites, has increased dramatically over the recent past. The relative anonymity that certain websites offer, is unfortunately being exploited by opportunists. One of the draw cards used is the “attractive” asking price, which is usually below the prevailing price which would normally be charged by well established, reputable and discerning breeders. These adverts are usually posted on popular classified type advert websites, where adverts can be placed at no charge or for a nominal fee.

There are websites one can use to inform oneself regarding current scams and how to avoid being caught out. The following sites provide in-depth information regarding past and current scams.

https://www.ipata.org/current-pet-scams

https://www.ipata.org/pet-scams

Beware of inadvertently supporting indiscriminate puppy farmers and/or scam artists that advertise on certain websites or on their own dedicated websites.

Unfortunately, there are irresponsible breeders that are more interested in making profits than in caring for their puppies’ health and welfare. Be very wary of breeders that have a wide variety of puppies available all year round and that sell “pedigreed” puppies at below average prices.