2024-07 Exco Minutes - Special Meeting - Published 2024-07-17
THE KENNEL UNION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF KUSA HELD AT 13H00 ON THURSDAY 04 JULY 2024 VIA MS TEAMS
1. ATTENDANCE, APOLOGIES & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mrs YC Jefferies (YJ) (Vice-Chair), Mr MA Alberts (MA), Mrs M Hancock (MH), Mrs C Patience (CP), Mrs GB Rossi (GBR).
Staff in Attendance: Mrs P Midgley (PM) (General Manager),Mrs C Patterson-Abrolat (CPA) (Club Affairs & Communications).
Apologies: Mr RB Jenkins (BJ) (Chair)
In the absence of Mr Jenkins, Mrs Jefferies chaired the meeting.
2. MINUTES
Following closer scrutiny, it was proposed by YJ that amendments be made to the Minutes of the Exco 05-2024 meeting held on 18.05.2024.
Item 9.8 Inter-Variety Breeding
Add the following:
BJ handed the Chair to the YJ (Vice-Chair). BJ remained available to answer questions raised during the discussion.
GR enquired whether counsel had been sought from the Dachshund Breed Council of the Royal Kennel Club, since KUSA had adopted the UK standard for the Dachshund. BJ advised that he had consulted with the Royal Kennel Club’s Dachshund Breed Council, but the feedback received was that inter-variety matings were not permissible in the UK.GR asked why the Dachshund Clubs would then not rather adopt the FCI standard for the Dachshund which allows certain varieties to be crossed, to which BJ replied that the Clubs do not want the FCI standard. GR said he thought it rather strange that the Dachshund fraternity should elect to have the UK Breed Standard, yet consider themselves at liberty to vary the UK’s breeding rules.
MA suggested that the mating be approved as a once off. After discussion the request was approved by the five (5) members of Exco (excluding BJ).
The proposed amendments to the minutes were approved unanimously.
3. ANY MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES
3.1 Inter-Variety Breeding
Mr RB Jenkins (Kennel Name – Waydack) requests permission for the mating of a Dachshund (Smooth-haired) to a Dachshund (Long-haired).
Motivation attached.
Attached please also find the FCI list of permissible inter-variety crossings and the list of KUSA permissible inter-variety matings.
Following receipt of a letter from Jenny Hubbard (Fedco Chairman), seeking clarity from Exco with regards to the decision made by Exco to grant approval of the cross-mating, it was deemed necessary to call a meeting in order to respond to the letter.
Discussion ensued regarding the process that needed to be followed prior to submitting requests for such matings. The following Regulations were noted (emphasis added for clarity):
Schedule 02 Regulations 1.1 states:
1.1 The Kennel Union may also accept for registration, subject to such terms and conditions as the Federal Council may stipulate from time to time :
1.1.7 Cross-matings
Notwithstanding the provisions of Regulation 1.1.6 hereof the Executive Committee shall be empowered to establish provisos in order to permit matings of different categories of the same breeds where such cross mating is recommended by a Breed Council, where such exists or is considered desirable in the interests of improving a breed where similar arrangements have been permitted by the club in the country of origin or development of such breeds .
1.1.8 Reclassification of Recessives
Notwithstanding the provisions of Regulation 1.1.7 hereof the Executive Committee shall be empowered to instruct the Secretary to reclassify a recessive in the category of the breed of the parent which it most closely resembles, once only, on application from the owner accompanied by the fee prescribed in terms of Schedule 7.
Further, it was noted that the Federal Council’s policy is that it “will never unilaterally amend or alter a Breed Standard originating from a National Canine Organisation deemed to be the breed’s country of origin or country of development”.
It was also noted that whilst The Royal Kennel Club, whose Breed Standard has been adopted by KUSA, did not allow inter-variety matings for Dachshund, despite some inter-variety matings having apparently been approved in the past, the FCI did allow inter-variety matings to take place and it is likely that a number of dogs imported to the country are the result of such matings.
The request for dispensation was submitted to the KUSA Office and the item placed on the Exco agenda by the office as per other cross-mating requests received previously. Exco had thus taken the decision under the assumption that the correct procedure had been followed and that they were empowered to make such a decision.
Following extensive discussion on the process followed and merits of such a request, Exco decided to withdraw their approval for such a mating but noted that the application could be resubmitted providing it followed due process, namely that as the request required dispensation from Schedule 02 Regulation 1.1, it should be submitted to Fedco with all necessary supporting documentation.
Permission was granted to PM to immediately inform Mr B Jenkins and Mrs J Hubbard of Exco’s unanimous and collective decision.
4. CLOSE
YJ thanked everyone for attending the meeting. The meeting was closed at 14:10.
5. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
16 July 2024
Unless otherwise stated, all decisions taken at this meeting are based on consensus of the members present at this meeting of the Exco.