The American White Shepherd Association Constitution and Club Code of Ethics

CONSTITUTION

Name: The name of the club shall be THE AMERICAN WHITE SHEPHERD ASSOCIATION. It may be shortened to AWSA. It may also be referred to as "The Association," or as "The Club."

Purpose: The American White Shepherd Association was formed to do everything possible to protect, promote and advance the best interests and welfare of purebred White Shepherds and to continue to bring their natural qualities to perfection through quality and careful breeding practices. The Club also seeks to promote worldwide recognition and acceptance of the White Shepherd as a separate and distinct breed of working and herding dog. To this end, it embraces the following objectives:

  1. To require members to sign and abide by the Club Code of Ethics as a condition of Club membership;
  2. To urge members to embrace the official standard of the White Shepherd, as put forward by this Club, as the only standard by which the White Shepherd is to be bred and judged in the United States of America;
  3. To do everything possible to protect the breed and to prevent or stop the sale of puppies through pet stores;
  4. To work toward full and complete recognition and acceptance of the White Shepherd breed by The American Kennel Club and The Canadian Kennel Club, as well as all other kennel clubs and/or registries around the world;
  5. To hold conformation point shows according to the rules and regulations of The American Kennel Club and to award the title of AWSA CH., and to encourage the participation by members in any and all other forms of competition held by the Club;
  6. To encourage the participation of our breed in events sponsored by The American Kennel Club, The Canadian Kennel Club, The United Kennel Club, The American Rare Breed Association and all other forms of competition open to the White Shepherd;
  7. To encourage sportsmanlike behavior from its members at all times;
  8. To encourage and promote the widespread formation of independent local specialty clubs in all areas of the country;
  9. To strive to educate its members through the Club Newsletter and to educate the general public about the White Shepherd breed wherever possible.

American White Shepherd Association Club Code Of Ethics

CLUB CODE OF ETHICS

The American White Shepherd Association (AWSA) is, by its Constitution, a Club devoted to the continued protection, betterment and advancement of the White Shepherd as a distinct breed of working and herding dog. Its members believe that the welfare of the breed should, at all times, be their primary consideration. The following Code of Ethics is predicated upon this fundamental philosophy:

Section 1. General Conduct Of Members.

Remembering that AWSA exists to advance, protect and improve the White Shepherd breed,
  1. I believe and accept that the breed and its welfare is of paramount importance and supersedes any other commitment to White Shepherds, whether that be personal, competitive, or financial;
  2. I will at all times try to be constructive and instructive in my dealings with other members and with the general public;
  3. I will strive to educate all interested owners or potential owners about the breed and its needs in order to foster responsible dog ownership;
  4. I will behave in a manner that is conducive to the purposes of the Club;
  5. To the extent that my abilities allow, I will honor all written contracts and/or guarantees. I understand that failure to do so risks expulsion from the Club;
  6. I will maintain an environment of consistently high standards of care for all dogs owned by me;
  7. I will provide high quality veterinary care for my dogs throughout their lifetimes, including euthanasia if it becomes necessary, recognizing that this is one of the responsibilities of dog ownership;
  8. I will strive to conform to any and all laws pertaining to dogs in my community;
  9. I will be honest in any and all advertising that I may place for the promotion of my dogs, my breeding program or my kennel.

I will not

  1. Sell, give away or otherwise transfer dogs to any pet shop, either on consignment or outright, nor will I transfer dogs to any medical facility, animal wholesaler, auction, or raffle;
  2. Knowingly sell to unethical breeders or other persons whose intent to resell is known or suspected;
  3. Purchase any White Shepherd or any litter in its entirety for resale to any individual or commercial establishment;
  4. Falsify pedigrees, medical clearances or breeding information.

Section 2. Considerations While Exhibiting.

While exhibiting any animal owned by me at any AWSA-sanctioned show,
  1. I will act in accordance with the Constitution by always demonstrating good manners and sportsmanship both inside and outside of the show ring;
  2. I will exercise consideration to all other exhibitors and their dogs, and especially to the judges, stewards, show committee and club members, remembering at all times that my White Shepherd and I are representing our breed and AWSA;
  3. I will act in accordance with all AKC, CKC, FCI, ARBA, UKC, or SKC rules or by the rules of any other organization under which I may show.

I will not

  1. Exhibit in any Conformation class any dog that has been changed by artificial means, in any way, in appearance, gait or temperament.. This includes, but is not limited to: attempting to change or disguise the natural color or markings of the coat, tattooing or applying other substances in order to darken or fill in missing pigment, scissoring, thinning, or otherwise attempting to shorten a long coat, surgery to correct bite problems, soft ears or a gay tail, administering any drugs or other substances in order to disguise or improve a faulty temperament, or any other method that seeks to deceive the judge or other breeders and exhibitors;
  2. Knowingly enter a dog in the wrong class or enter a dog other than the one whose registered name and number the official entry form bears, in any class at any show at any time.

Section 3. Breeding and Contracts.

I understand that the purpose of breeding White Shepherds is to bring their natural qualities to perfection as stated in the Constitution. If I am the owner of a brood bitch or a stud dog, I understand that I must exercise exemplary judgment in breeding him or her. I further realize that disreputable or ignorant breeders may produce animals that are mentally, physically, genetically or temperamentally unsound. To this end,
  1. I agree to breed only those White Shepherds that conform as closely as possible to the standard of the breed as put forward by AWSA;
  2. I agree to breed only from stock that is temperamentally, physically and mentally sound and that has demonstrated no serious health problems or crippling genetic defects and that are free of disqualifying faults as listed in the breed standard;
  3. I agree to obtain any necessary medical clearances as appropriate for the White Shepherd breed, including but not limited to x-raying to check for the presence of hip and elbow dysplasia or other degenerative joint diseases, in order that I may produce the best possible quality of dogs;
  4. I agree that if I am a novice, I will consult the breeder of my dog or some other experienced breeder as to the quality of my dog before I consider producing a litter of puppies;
  5. I agree that all contracts or agreements between breeders and owners regarding stud services, sale of dogs and puppies, co-ownerships or co-breedings, guarantees regarding live litters, sales or other services should be put in writing for the protection of all involved parties;

Stud Dogs

If I am the owner of a stud dog,
  1. I will keep accurate records of all breedings and pedigrees;
  2. I will use my dog only on those bitches I feel are an asset to the breed and that display no disqualifying faults;
  3. I will use my dog only on bitches that are temperamentally and structurally sound, are free of disease or serious inheritable defects, are in good physical condition, and that are at least two years of age and not over ten (10) years of age. In addition, I reserve the right to refuse service to all bitches that have not been tested negative for Brucellosis;
  4. I will use my puppy only after he reaches the age of twelve (12) months;
  5. I will personally supervise every breeding, keep other stud dogs away from the bitch, and use only the stud dog selected by the bitch owner;
  6. I will insist that all details concerning the mating be agreed upon before the mating takes place and recognize that all such details are best written down in a signed contract for the protection of both parties. I will also supply a signed Stud Service Certificate to the owner of the bitch at the time of mating;
  7. I will allow one free return service by the same dog to the same bitch if the bitch does not conceive or does not produce a viable litter, so long as I still own the dog;
  8. I will sign the litter registration form when it is presented to me by the bitch owner but only after the litter is on the ground;
  9. If I am asked, I will do my best to assist the owner of the bitch in placing puppies resulting from a mating with my dog.

Brood Bitches

If I am the owner of a brood bitch,
  1. I will not breed my bitch before she has reached the age of twenty-four (24) months and then only if she is physically and emotionally mature enough to handle a litter;
  2. I will have my bitch tested for the presence of Brucellosis before she is bred;
  3. I will not breed my bitch after she has passed her tenth birthday, nor allow her to have more than two (2) litters in succession (i.e., back to back with no season in between), nor allow her to rear more than six (6) litters in her lifetime;
  4. I will insist that all details concerning the mating be agreed upon before the mating takes place and recognize the importance of a written contract detailing all such agreements with the owner of the stud dog;
  5. I will have any puppy that is born with a crippling defect or that is suffering from an irreversible illness humanely euthanized by a veterinarian, realizing that this is part of being a responsible breeder;
  6. I agree to provide proper medical care, diet, socialization, and exercise to the dam and her puppies and to be prepared to keep all of the puppies for as long as is necessary in order to place them in suitable homes;
  7. I will keep accurate records of all breedings and the results including the registered name and number of the sire and dam, the date of mating and whelping, the number of puppies born dead and alive, and the gender and registered name and number of each surviving puppy, if known, and the name, address and phone number of the new owner of each puppy.

Section 4. The Transfer Of Puppies And Dogs.

For each puppy or dog transferred by me, I will provide the following:

  1. Full identification of the dog including the registered name and number of the sire and dam, the litter registration number or the individual registered name and number of the dog if available, a written pedigree documenting at least three (3) generations, a complete written medical history including a health certificate signed by a veterinarian, information on any vaccinations and wormings still due and their approximate due dates, written feeding instructions, a copy of the official application form for The American White Shepherd Association and a copy of the Club Code of Ethics, and any other instructional materials deemed necessary by the seller;
  2. A written assessment of the probable quality of the dog, whether for show, breeding or pet/companion. If the dog is sold for show or breeding, the seller will furnish a written guarantee against disqualifying faults as per the breed standard;
  3. Referrals for veterinarians, groomers or trainers if the new owner desires them;
  4. A basic written health guarantee (that may be provided by the Club) that all dogs will be free of any and all communicable diseases for a period of at least 3 days after leaving the seller’s premises as well as the seller’s own guarantee against any hereditary disease(s) as deemed necessary by the seller.

As a general matter of course, I will abide by the following rules when transferring any dog:

  1. I will not allow any puppy to permanently leave my premises before the age of six (6) weeks;
  2. I will sell or place all pet/companion quality puppies and dogs on a non-breeding agreement or with a non-breeding form of registration;
  3. I will provide a written guarantee that the dog will be free of any and all communicable diseases for at least three (3) days after leaving my premises;
  4. I will encourage all new owners to take the dog to a veterinarian within forty-eight (48) hours for a complete examination and health check;
  5. I will do my utmost to place each puppy or dog in a permanent, suitable home;
  6. I will ask the new owners of any dog placed by me to advise me in the event they cannot keep the dog, so that I may either take the dog back or offer assistance in placing it;
  7. If a dog is sold for breeding, I will urge the new owners to have the dog x-rayed for the presence of degenerative joint disease before breeding. I will also urge the new owners to breed only to dogs that have achieved medical clearances for such diseases.

Section 5. Registration Of Dogs.

I understand that all records compiled by AWSA depend entirely on the accuracy of all information I may provide. Therefore, I will register every eligible dog bred, owned, or imported by me in accordance with the rules applying to records and registration of The American White Shepherd Association. Thus, I will keep records of the following information for every dog I own:
  1. The registered name and number of the dog and the registered names and numbers of its sire and dam;
  2. Date of birth;
  3. Sex;
  4. Color (and markings, if applicable);
  5. Breeder’s name, address and phone number;
  6. The name, address and phone number of the person from whom the dog was directly obtained, if different from the breeder;
  7. All pertinent breeding records of the dog;
  8. Final disposition of the dog and the date of such disposition;
  9. The name, address and phone number of the person to whom the dog was directly transferred;
  10. Paperwork provided with the dog and the date on which it was provided.

Section 6. Enforcement Of This Code.

I understand and accept that signing this Code of Ethics is a necessary requirement for membership in The American White Shepherd Association. I further acknowledge that a violation of the Club Code of Ethics may result in severe disciplinary actions, including possible expulsion, to be taken by the Disciplinary Board of the Club.

Section 7. Exceptions To This Code.

Because legitimate exceptions to this Code or parts thereof may arise occasionally, in certain cases, upon sufficient evidence and under conditions where the welfare of the breed is assured, the Board of Directors may waive any of the foregoing provisions.

By my signature on this document, I certify that I have read and understand the Constitution and Club Code of Ethics of The American White Shepherd Association. I agree to act in accordance with this Code of Ethics at all times. I understand that actions contrary to the Constitution and Code of Ethics may be grounds for expulsion from the Club.