I am pleased to inform the membership, the nomination committee’s selections of candidates for the upcoming election will stand, and shall be declared elected and no balloting will be required for this election. No valid additional nominations were postmarked as of October 1, 2010 and received by the Secretary. This is as our Constitution and By Laws describe in Article IV, Section 4, c. This will of course save the club the cost of having the firm receive and count the ballots. We did send the firm $100 to reserve the firm for the services and the envelopes for the mailing. We have cancelled those services, but the firm will retain the $100 which will pay for the envelopes the secretary received from them and had prepared for the mailing to the membership.

The ATFTC Officers and Board are as follows:

President - Dr Roger S Pritchard
Vice President - Lisa Curry, Esq.
Treasurer - Susan McCoy
Secretary - Dorothy Kendall
Board Members:
Barbara Batton
Lila Fast
Lynn McKee
Janice Pardue
Charles Robinson

We do have the issue of opening the stud books with the American Kennel Club to work on this year. We have received many requests from several owners of Toy Fox Terriers who now own AKC registered dogs as well as many UKC registered dogs and they would like to be able to register their UKC dogs with AKC and have dual registered dogs. Opening the stud books would allow those who did not get their dogs registered when the AKC register was opened previously to do so at this time. You will receive in this Newsletter a Ballot to vote to do so. Please think about the pros and cons of this action and return your ballot to the Secretary with your reason for and against such a move. My personal opinion is to open the books and allow all the bloodlines available to become a part of this registry. It would be sad to later find out we have some health problems within the breed of those now registered with AKC and learn we had ways to cure the problems with dogs that were not in our registry. I just want our breed protected and not find us in a corner with nowhere to go because we limited our breeding options. Whichever way you decide, PLEASE VOTE!

The revision of the Breed Standard is another area that I am sure will reach some conclusion, by the membership this ensuing year. All comments, suggestions, and surveys have been turned over to the standard committee for their review. They will then arrive at a proposal which will be sent to the board, and then will be sent to the membership for a vote. I am sure the consensus will never please everyone, but that is the way a democracy works. Whatever the results, we will have to join forces and make it work. The written standard is a blueprint of the breed which gives the owners, breeders, etc. a written means to develop the style of dog they prefer. Often it is referred to as “TYPE” within a breed. If you are going to build a house, you draw up the blueprint of what you want the final house to look like. But remember, when the house is completed, those looking at it will see it differently through their own eyes.

The same concept applies to a breed standard. It is used in your breeding program to reach the outcome you prefer and want. Of course in dog breeding, your selections may go awry from your selections of sires and dams due to the heredity factors that are involved. Too many breeders dwell on what they don’t want and they often miss the total dog. Our breed standard is constructed to include the total dog. We all have things we don’t like and things we do like, but seldom is there a meeting of the minds for the same finished product. Many of the disqualifications are implemented to assure the breed stays in a healthy condition and that it keeps the breed being shown and bred accordingly to the standard as you have approved. Again if you have questions address them to the committee, Cindy McNeal- Clark, Committee Chair.

I really want the membership to let us know of issues they have, items they want addressed, and a camaraderie between the board and membership, like the one that was exhibited at our National this year.

Further, ideas for activities at the National are solicited and welcome. We need to have lots of things of interest concerning the dog world available for the members at the show.

We look forward to another wonderful year and with the help from the members it will happen.

Dr Roger S Pritchard, President