Greyhound Club of America - What's Up?

Several months ago, I submitted an application for membership to the Greyhound Club of America (GCA), the American Kennel Club (AKC) parent club for the breed.  For many, many years, I have been trying to become a member of the club.  I was told that good breeders and serious fanciers of the breed are always parent club members.  Since I consider myself a good breeder and a serious student of the breed, I have been trying to join.  I've not met with any success.  They continue to deny me membership.  I believe I know why, but not a single board member has the backbone to stand up and tell me why.  Instead, they hide behind a veil of secrecy, i.e., secret ballots, etc.  They are more like a high school clique than a club for serious fanciers of the Greyhound breed.


Reasons I am a good breeder: 

1. I health screen my breeding stock;
2. I take back dogs that I have bred, any time, any reason; 
3. I rescue dogs that others have bred; 
4. I'm there for my puppy owners and others, when needed.

However, it seems that being a good breeder, a good owner, and having a love for the breed isn't enough either. Even my length of time in the breed, 15 years, which is more than some of the board members, doesn't seem to matter to the GCA.  I've added to my resume through the years. My dogs have accomplished much, including, but not limited to:

• Out of a total of 11 puppies, we have 7 conformation champions with 3 dogs not shown. This means that 64% of our puppies have attained their championship.
• We have bred 6 dual champions;
• Our dogs have amassed a total of 21 lure coursing championship titles (AKC & ASFA)
• Two dogs in our first litter were nationally ranked in breed competition.
• Three pups bred have group placements (18 placements in AKC and 2 in UKC).
• Four are multiple year invitees to the Eukanuba National Championship. One of them, Dash, was a 3 time invitee. 
• Our dogs have been nationally ranked in lure coursing (AKC & ASFA), oval racing (NOTRA), and open field coursing.
• I've handled dogs in other breeds to their championships (saluki, borzoi, harrier) and also greyhounds that were not owned by me.
• I am an AKC lure coursing judge and received my judging license in 2003.

Still, I'm not good enough to be a member.  Yet, there are members who don't even own a greyhound.  So, why?  Why am I continually being refused membership?  The only thing I can surmise is that I do not meet with their approval for reasons, petty & personal, based on personal agenda.  I can only surmise that I am being blackballed because I was one of many people who fought a prior board on their attempts to close the AKC studbook to dogs registered with the recognized domestic registry - the National Greyhound Association (NGA).  That fight occurred over several years, beginning in 2000 and ending in January 2003, when the AKC Board of Directors with a 12-1 vote lifted the moratorium on the stud book.  Since I meet all criteria, that is the only reason I can deduce.   Go figure...