AKC Community Achievement Award Highlights AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day

$1,000 Presented to AKC Affiliated Clubs Hosting Exceptional AKC RDO Day Events.

The fourth quarter Community Achievement Awards will solely honor AKC clubs holding exceptional AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day (AKC RDO Day) events in September 2009. AKC RDO Day aims to educate first-time dog owners about the responsibilities of dog ownership and help current owners enhance their relationships with their pets.

For the fourth quarter only, any AKC-affiliated clubs, AKC-recognized federations and their members who host an AKC RDO Day event in their community are eligible for nomination. In order to qualify for the award, the club must hold its event in the month of September. Nominations for the AKC Community Achievement Awards are accepted year-round, however, due to the fact that the 4th quarter awards are dedicated solely to AKC RDO Day, nominations for RDO Day events will not be accepted for consideration for the three remaining quarters. Up to three honorees are named each quarter. Award recipients will receive a certificate and a check for $1,000 payable to the club or federation’s public education and canine legislation efforts.

The following clubs won $1,000 for their Responsible Dog Ownership Day Efforts in 2008:

Greenville Kennel Club, SC
Recognizing that they are an ambassador for purebred dogs in their community, members of the Greenville Kennel Club with AKC RDO Committee Chair Chuck Floyd set the goal of introducing their community to a wide range of AKC activities and to educate and positively influence all of the dog-loving attendees.

Local city officials proclaimed September 27th to be “AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day” in Greenville. The club worked with local groups such as the Greenville County Recreation Department and other dog clubs to offer many events intended to introduce the public to dog sports such as agility, rally, obedience, AKC CGC, working dog sport and drafting demos. The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office also demonstrated drug seizure and apprehension exercises, and Greenville Technical College shared their Grooming and Small Animal Care programs with demonstrations of proper nail and coat care.
The Greenville Kennel Club made sure their community was informed of its AKC RDO efforts by promoting it in a variety of ways. They posted ads on Craigslist, announced the event on the local radio station, appeared on a local morning

Trap Falls Kennel Club

TFKC attracted nearly a thousand community members to its AKC RDO Day event. The club offered a Parade of Breeds; agility, obedience and Schutzhund demonstrations; AKC CGC testing; AKC-sanctioned Obedience and Rally matches; grooming and microchip clinics; and contests such as “Best Kisser,” “Best Trick” and “Best Tail Wagger.” To make it easier for spectators to navigate the event, the club created a program listing the club, vendor and sponsor information as well as a booklet describing the breeds attendees would see in the Parade of Breeds.

TFKC also extensively recruited participant groups from their community, including the Milford Police Department and Connecticut State Police K-9 Unit, who demonstrated how dogs entered and exited vehicles and how they search for specific items. They also invited national AKC RDO Day sponsor Invisible Fence Brand, Therapy Dogs Incorporated, the Trumbull Animal Group and Natural Choice Pet Foods to staff booths and offer information to the public.

The club appointed a publicity chairperson to actively promote the event and attract spectators. They received an “AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day” proclamation from the First Selectman of Trumbull, Connecticut as well as coverage in the Connecticut Post, Trumbull Times, Fairfield Sun, The Review and local radio and TV stations.

Upper Potomac Valley Kennel Club

When the Bedford County Humane Society approached AKC Board Member Dr. William Newman about working with the AKC, Dr. Newman suggested that they join the local Upper Potomac Valley Kennel Club in hosting an AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day event. The UPVKC immediately accepted the initiative, scheduling obedience, agility and AKC CGC demonstrations, as well as dog/owner look-a-like and silliest pet trick contests and a children’s essay and coloring contest. The club also began teaching a shelter employee about the AKC Canine Good Citizen® program in hopes that the designation would help more dogs be adopted.

The goal of both the UPVKC and the Bedford County Humane Society was to educate the public about responsible dog ownership and to promote the health and happiness of the dogs in their community. Their publicity efforts resulted in pre- and post-event newspaper coverage in the Bedford Gazette and the Bedford/Blair County Shopper’s Guide, mentions on a local radio station and a television appearance. The Bedford County Commissioners also proclaimed September 27th as the area’s official “AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day.”