KUSA Affix and FCI Kennel Name Registration Protocol
KUSA AFFIX AND FCI KENNEL NAME REGISTRATION PROTOCOL
This Protocol serves as a guide for the registration of new KUSA Affixes (Kennel Names) and renewal of existing KUSA Affixes (Kennel Names) including mandatory registration of KUSA Affixes on the FCI International Kennel Name Register.
APPLICATION TO REGISTER A NEW KUSA AFFIX
With effect from 1 October 2024, all new applications received by the KUSA Office to register an Affix will be checked against the FCI International Kennel Name Register and, if the sequential five choices of Affix are all found to be in conflict with a Kennel Name already on the FCI International Register, the application will be rejected and the applicant requested to submit five further options for consideration. Click here to view Application for Registration of an Affix Guidelines
Should an Affix in the KUSA Office’s sequential check against the FCI International Kennel Name Register appear not to be in conflict with the FCI International Register, the Affix will be provisionally reserved for acceptance and will thereafter be submitted to the FCI for registration on its International Register.
To cover the FCI’s fees for International Kennel Name Registration, Forex bank charges and KUSA’s associated administrative costs, the applicant will be charged a fee of R350,00 in addition to the standard KUSA Kennel Name Registration Fee (refer to Schedule 07 Regulation 8. In future, applicants for new Affixes will be expected to complete a form entitled “Application for Simultaneous Registration of a KUSA Affix (Kennel Name) & FCI International Kennel Name”
Although the FCI requires that a choice of three (3) Kennel Names should be submitted for its consideration, KUSA shall submit only the Affix provisionally reserved for acceptance on the premise that the KUSA Office’s preliminary check had conceivably substantially reduced the possibility of conflict.
Only after receiving confirmation from the FCI that the Affix had been registered on the FCI International Kennel Name Register shall the Affix be accepted by KUSA for provisional registration and be published on the KUSA website for an objection period of thirty (30) days in accordance with Schedule 02 Regulation 8.3 which states: “Every Affix provisionally accepted by the Secretary shall be published once in the official Kennel Union Journal and any objections thereto shall be lodged with the Secretary within 30 days of publication.”. New KUSA Affixes registered by the FCI on the International Kennel Name Register during the prior month will be published on the KUSA website on the 1 st working day of the following month. View the current list of proposed, published and lapsed Affixes here: Affix / Kennel Names (kusa.co.za)
Depending on volumes, applications are foreseen to be submitted to the FCI in weekly batches, thereby to hopefully reduce the FCI’s response time. Allowing the FCI a response time of 30 days and, given the fact that new Affixes need to be published on the KUSA website for an objection period of thirty (30) days, the process preceding the issuing of a Certificate of Affix Registration is not expected to exceed sixty (60) days.
At the time of publication on the KUSA website, a letter of Provisional Acceptance will be sent to the applicant (Primary Grantee) confirming, one, the acceptance by the FCI of the Affix on its International Kennel Name Register and, two, the date of publication of the Affix on the KUSA website commencing the mandatory 30-day objection period. At the same time, the Primary Grantee needs to be advised that the Affix may be used provisionally, subject to KUSA’s right to cancel or withdraw the Affix registration if an objection is sustained.
After expiration of the 30-day objection period (first week of the subsequent month) a letter of Confirmation of Registration and digital copy of the Certificate of Affix Registration will be sent to the nominated Primary Grantee of the Affix.
EXISTING AFFIXES– KUSA-registered with Current Status.
Starting 1 October 2024, over the next five (5) years, it will be mandatory for all active KUSA Affixes to be registered on the FCI International Kennel Name Register.
A. EXISTING AFFIXES SUBJECT TO RENEWAL EVERY FIVE YEARS
Affix-holders (Grantees) may make application for their Kennel Names to be registered on the FCI International Kennel Name Register at any time prior to the renewal date of their KUSA-registered Affix, on the prescribed application form and upon payment of a fee of R350.00.
When a KUSA-registered Affix falls due for renewal, it will be mandatory for any Affix not yet registered on the FCI International Kennel Name Register, to be so registered at the same time as the KUSA renewal, and a fee of R350.00 will be added to the standard KUSA renewal fee to cover the registration application to the FCI.
Whether the application is made simultaneously with the renewal of the KUSA Affix, or separately in advance thereof, the Affix will be checked against the FCI International Kennel Name Register, after which the following procedures will apply:
1. Affixes not in conflict with the FCI Kennel Name Register:
KUSA will apply to the FCI for the registration of these Affixes and, upon confirmation of registration by the FCI, will complete the process of renewing the registration of the Affix. A letter of confirmation of renewal of KUSA registration for a further five (5) years and confirmation of its registration on the FCI International Kennel Name Register will be emailed to the nominated Primary Grantee, together with a digital copy of the Certificate of Affix Registration, which will bear both the KUSA and FCI logos. The letter of confirmation of registration of the Affix will also serve to confirm the registered owner(s)/ Grantee(s) of the Affix.
2. Affixes in conflict with the FCI Kennel Name Register: KUSA will apply to the FCI for the registration of these Kennel Names, bearing the extension (ZA), e.g. “BARKALOT (ZA) and, upon confirmation of registration by the FCI, process the renewal applications following the Protocol detailed under point 1. above.
The extension (ZA) will neither feature in dogs’ Registered Names, nor on the ancestry recorded on KUSA Certificates of Registration or Certified Export Pedigrees. A record will be kept on the KUSA database as to whether an Affix was accepted for registration on the FCI International Kennel Name Register inclusive of, or exclusive of, the (ZA) extension. The (ZA) extension will not form part of the KUSA Affix.
It must, however, be noted that, in accordance with the FCI Internal Rules, Kennel Names already registered by the FCI at international level take precedence over Affixes registered by KUSA at national level. Thus, should the registered owner of an FCI-registered Kennel Name lodge a complaint against the unmodified use of a similar or same Affix in South Africa , and the complaint is upheld by the FCI, the FCI would have the right to insist that the future use of the Affix in South Africa be subject to modification by the addition of the (ZA) extension when added to a dog’s registered name as a Prefix or Suffix on all KUSA and FCI official documentation going forward.
Confirmation of registration on the FCI International Kennel Name Register of a KUSA Affix with a (ZA) extension will be conditional on the acceptance that the use of the Affix going forward is subject to the aforementioned condition , which includes full and unreserved consent by the Grantee(s) to accept automatic conversion to the Affix with a (ZA) extension should an objection from the foreign Kennel Name-holder be upheld by the FCI.
B. EXISTING AFFIXES NOT SUBJECT TO RENEWAL
In the case of Affixes registered for twenty-five (25) years or more and therefore granted Lifetime Registration by KUSA, and not already registered on the FCI International Kennel Name Register, every effort will be made to contact the Affix-holders (Grantees), especially those that are still active.
The Affix-holders will be required to apply for FCI International Registration on the prescribed form and upon payment of a fee of R350.00. [“Application for Registration of a KUSA Affix (Kennel Name) on the FCI International Kennel Name Register.”]
As with renewable Affixes, the Kennel Names will be checked against the FCI International Kennel Name Register, and the following procedures will be applied:
1. Affixes not in conflict with the FCI Kennel Name Register: KUSA will apply to the FCI for the registration of these Kennel Names and, upon confirmation of registration by the FCI, process the applications following the Protocol detailed in point A1 above.
2. Affixes in conflict with the FCI Kennel Name Register: KUSA will apply to the FCI for the registration of these Kennel Names, bearing the extension (ZA), e.g. “BARKALOT (ZA)” and, upon confirmation of registration by the FCI, process the applications following the Protocol detailed in point A1 above.
NON-RESPONSIVE AFFIX HOLDERS
In the case of renewable Affixes, if, after having sent two renewal reminders, and no application for renewal of the Affix (Kennel Name) has been forthcoming, the Affix will be LAPSED and, at the discretion of the Executive Committee may, become available to other applicants in accordance with Schedule 02 Regulation 8.6.
In the case of permanent Affixes (25 years or more), if, after having sent two notices, a response to the call to action is not forthcoming within six months, the Affixes will be rendered inactive and archived (Status = RESERVED). Should the Grantees decide thereafter to request that the RESERVED Affix be re-activated, this would be possible on condition that application for registration of the Affix on the FCI International Kennel Name Register be applied for against payment of the prescribed fee.
Should the Grantees of KUSA-registered Affixes which had LAPSED wish to revive their Affix, subject to payment of the specified fee as per Schedule 07 (Subscription & Fees) for renewal of a lapsed Affix, such Grantee may apply to register the Affix with both KUSA and the FCI as per this Protocol. However, should such Affix be in conflict with a Kennel Name already on the FCI Kennel Name Register, given that it will obviously be treated by KUSA as a “new” registration application, KUSA will apply to the FCI for the registration of the Kennel Name on the FCI International Kennel Name Register with the (ZA) extension.
Published 02.10.2024