Do you think an open KC membership available to all would be an improvement on todays club?

I think back to my Avian days when the Parrot society was under threat re our shows, we lost the battle for our annual NEC show despite having regulated cage dimensions for each species stipulating how many birds could be housed in x sized cage.  All cages were vetted as they arrived at the door, used to take a while but worth it, any dirty or apparently unhealthy cages/birds were turned away, criteria was strict enough to ensure they didn't get in no matter which door the owners tried next. Basically there was a lot of security in a bid to control entrance and exit from any building with birds brought for showing/selling and monitoring of exchanges from cage to cage at time of purchase rooms set aside, vet on site doing Surgical sexing etc.

I'm also a herp enthusiast and again there is a lot of pressure from the likes of IRA and ANA, PETA etc all trying to put an end to our shows/sale days.  Maybe because the herp hobby is a younger persons domain I'm not sure but they certainly give the councils and activists a run for their money as yet no show/sale day has been cancelled despite lots of media coverage. Activists contacting parents of children attending a school that's booked for an event to exert pressure on the head and council with scare stories of salmonella infection risk to their children etc.

So thinking along those lines isn't it about time the KC opened its doors to the Troops not just the chosen few? Many must have realised by now the R£PCA are after our registers, they want control of dogs and showing. They see the £ signs via the registration fees etc and of course all that personal data you have to wonder how quickly they would have regulations/legislation in place to allow them to enter the property of anyone registering a pedigree dog never mind the breeders.

Yes I've always felt this. I'd like it to be like in Sweden where you must be a member to register  a litter or show a dog even.

Would appear we are the only interested parties lol

The KC has come a long way in recent years, but still has a long road to go down, opening its doors would be a great advancement - one can only hope.

Then by being a member one could ask for reform from within, instead of the constant battle from outside. 

> So thinking along those lines isn't it about time the KC opened its doors to the Troops not just the chosen few? Many must have realised by now the R£PCA are after our registers, they want control of dogs and showing. They see the £ signs via the registration fees etc and of course all that personal data you have to wonder how quickly they would have regulations/legislation in place to allow them to enter the property of anyone registering a pedigree dog never mind the breeders.

I have been saying for a very long time now that this is and always has been their intent, and JH has given them the key to the door!

Oh and don't forget they will want a yearly license fee to cover their costs for the visits and running the registers and ..... Well you can be as imaginative as you like as they will still probably surprise you and amaze you with their creativeness of things to add to the costs to charge us all.

When you say 'All' do you mean including the entire membership of PETA and the likes? Open would mean just that...to everyone.

Afraid so Toolz, we wouldn't be able to screen them out, who's to say the present membership as limited as it is hasn't already been infiltrated?

Of course if they are known they can be disallowed based on their exhibited anti pet/pedigree dog/show dog behaviour/feelings not being condusive to the welfare of dogs/pets animals.

Sorry far too few 'dog people' versus far too many political 'anti dog - anti breeding - anti everything' activists. Soon would entirely take over and restructure.
We had activists trying to overturn clubs after the PDE programme by getting the entire population of their company to sign up and vote.....almost entirely non dog owners!

> Sorry far too few 'dog people' versus far too many political 'anti dog - anti breeding - anti everything' activists. Soon would entirely take over and restructure.
> We had activists trying to overturn clubs after the PDE programme by getting the entire population of their company to sign up and vote.....almost entirely non dog owners!

This is exactly what happened at the R£PCA, their membership was infiltrated years ago, and I remember a lot of people many life long big supporters pulled out rather than be dictated to by the anti's.

Also since then it became a business where £'s mean more than animal welfare and now give them power to lobby for what ever they like.

>This is exactly what happened at the R£PCA, their membership was infiltrated years ago, and I remember a lot of people many life long big supporters pulled out rather than be dictated to by the anti's.

I remember the takeover. There was an enormous sea-change in the early 80s, from a purely animal welfare organisation to an animal rights organisation.

> animal rights organisation.

I'd call it an animal rights business I would not dignify it with a title like organisation much less charity regardless of what the charity commissioners might think.

No KC then whats our future without them? 

Many are looking to see the end of the KC and with the limited membership they have at present who's to stop them a few whispers in the right political ears and hey presto unfit for purpose bye bye KC