ABBA CODE OF ETHICS
The Alapaha Blue-Blood Bulldog Association (ABBA), In Keeping With Its Aims Of Encouraging The Development Of A High Quality Genius, Has Adopted The Following Code Of Ethics To Promote And Foster The Highest Standards Among Breeders And Owners; And To Encourage Cooperation In The Improvement, Advancement And Protection Of Our Breed. All Members In Good Standing Of The ABBA Shall Subscribe To And Uphold This Code Of Ethics.
Members Shall Bear In Mind That A Code Of Ethics Is More Than A Set Of Rules; It Is A Commitment To A High Standard Of Practice In Owning, Fancying And Breeding. Adherence To The Spirit Of Such A Code Is As Important As Adherence To Its Laws.
1. MEMBER RELATIONS
1.1. Members Shall Be Aware At All Times That The ABBA Exists To Protect The Breed And That These Aims Are To Be Uppermost In The Minds Of Members In All Their Activities In The Breed.
1.2. Members Will At All Times Display Good Sportsmanship And Conduct Themselves In Such A Manner As To Reflect Positive Credit Upon The ABBA And The Breed.
1.3. Members Shall Refrain From Unnecessary And Unconstructive Criticism Of Another Person’s Dog And From Personal Attacks Upon Fellow Members.
1.4. Novices Are Encouraged To Seek The Advice And Assistance Of More Experienced Owners And Breeders And The More Experienced Shall Assist The Novice In Solving Problems And Share, For The Good Of The Breed, The Benefits Of His Or Her Knowledge.
1.5. In All Questions Of Ethics, Covered Or Not Covered By The Code, The Individual Member Shall Act Solely In The Best Interests Of The Breed, And The Membership As A Whole Shall Aid Any Fellow Member In Upholding These Interests.
1.6. Members Agree To Educate The Public And Represent The Breed Favorably At All Times.
2. TREATMENT
2.1. All Alapaha’s Owned By, Or In The Care Of, Members Shall Be Given A Proper, Healthy Environment, Nutrition And Care At All Times. No Member’s Dog May Be Treated In An Inhumane Manner, Subjected To Cruel Or Unusual Punishment, And/Or Mentally Or Physically Abused. Nor May They Be Subjected To Any Conditions Likely To Eventuate In Unnecessary Danger To The Animal’s Health. No Member Shall Have More Dogs Than He Or She Has Facilities To Adequately Keep. Breeders Shall Protect Their Alapaha’s Against Breedings Which Are Not Carefully Planned.
2.2. Members Shall Be Diligent In The Handling Of Their Dogs In Public Places And Shall Do So In A Manner As To Minimize The Risk Of Trauma Or Danger To Any Human Being Or Other Animal.
2.3. Members Recognize Their Responsibility To Protect The Name And Reputation Of The Breed And Shall Not Allow Their Dogs To Roam At Large, Unsupervised, Nor To Become A Public Nuisance Nor To Become A Public Trust.
2.4. Members Agree To Train Their Dogs In Basic Obedience.
2.5. No Alapaha Shall Be Euthanized Unless It Is For A Compelling Reason And In The Best Interest Of The Dog. Owner Convenience Shall Not Be Considered A Compelling Reason.
2.6 Sprayed & Neutered Dogs are not eligible to compete in ABBA Conformation Show’s or Competition Events. Sprayed & Neutered Dogs Can Be Registered As Pets Only.
3. SALES
3.1. A Breeder Shall Be Discriminating In The Sale Of His/Her Pups And In The Type Of Home In Which They Are Placed. No Member Shall Engage In Wholesaling Litters Or In Individual Sales Or Consignments Of Pups Or Adults To Pet Shops, Dealers, Catalog Houses Or Fundraising Events, No Matter How Charitable.
3.2. A Breeder Shall Accept Responsibility For The Welfare Of The Pups Produced By Him Or Her For The Life Of Those Dogs, And Shall Be Available To His Or Her Buyers For Whatever Reasonable Aid And Assistance They May Need. ABBA Members Shall Help And Support Their Fellow Members In Fulfilling This Obligation.
3.3. A Breeder Should Provide, And Buyers Should Ask For, Adequate Written Contractual Proof Of Sales And Guarantees. No Promise Should Be Made Orally Which Is Not Later Put Into Writing. (At A Minimum, Such A Contract Should Provide For Terms Of Refund Or Replacement, Between Seller And Buyer, Due To Severe Genetic Health Problems Such As Hip Dysplasia, Demodex, Etc.).
3.4. Breeders Shall Ensure That Each Puppy Buyer Receives An ABBA Certified Pedigree Application Within 120 Days Of Purchase, And Shall Also Encourage Participation In The ABBA Sponsored Events.
3.5. It Is The Ethical Obligation Of Breeders To Guarantee Pups Produced And Sold By Them To Be As Represented.
3.6. All Pups Leaving The Breeder Shall Be At Least Eight (8) Weeks Old.
3.7. If Verifiable Proof Is Shown That A Breeder Is Having Dishonest Interaction With Buyers They Can Have Disciplinary Action Taken Against Them, Ranging Anywhere From Fines To Having Breeding Privileges Revoked.
4. ADVERTISEMENT
4.1. All Advertisement Of Puppies And Adult Dogs, Written Or Oral, Shall Be Factual And As Forthright As Possible In Both Substance And Implication.
4.2. Advertising And Promotion, Written Or Oral, Shall Be Confined To The Aspects Of The Breeders Stock And Shall Not Degrade The Stock Of Other ABBA Members.
4.3. The Breeder Shall Be Cautious In Discussing The Show And/Or Breeding Prospects Of Any Puppy For Sale, Lest He/She Imply A Guarantee Of Success Which Cannot Be Assured.
4.4. All ABBA Certified Breeders Shall Include In Each Advertisement The Statement: “ABBA Registered.”
5. IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT
5.1. All Suspected Infractions Should Be Reported To The President In A Written Complaint All Complaints Must Be Signed By The Complaining Party.
5.2. Within (10) Days Of Receipt The President Shall Make A Preliminary Determination Of The Validity Of The Complaint. If The President Determines The Complaint To Be Valid, The President Shall Then Determine Whether The Issue May Best Be Resolved Through Mediation. If The Issue(S) Involved Is Amenable To Mediation, The President May Assign The Case To The Chair Person Of The Governance Committee For Mediation.
5.3. If The President Decides The Case Is Not Suitable For Mediation, Or If The Chairperson Of The Governance Committee Or The Parties Refuses To Mediate The Matter Within Ten (10) Days Of Assignment, The President Shall Send A Copy Of The Complaint To The Board Member Most Geographically Accessible To The Subject Of The Complaint.
5.4. The President And The Assigned Board Member Shall Immediately Select Two (2) Non Partisan Persons To Assist In Investigating The Complaint.
5.5. Except In The Case Of Suspension Or Expulsion, The Committee Shall Have Full Authority To Investigate, Adjudicate And Impose Discipline.
5.6. The Investigation Committee Shall Immediately Contact The Accused Party. The Name Of The Complainant Shall Not Be Released Without Permission From The Complainant. A Photocopy Of The Complaint Shall Be Provided To The Accused With Name Of Complainant Omitted. Once The Investigation Is Undertaken, Both The Complainant And The Accused Shall Refrain From Harassment Of The Other. Any Violation Of This Shall Be Reported To The Committee And May Be Considered A Violation Of The Code.
5.7. The Accused Party Shall Have A Maximum Of Two (2) Weeks To Respond To The Charges. Upon Receipt Of The Response The Committee Shall Have (1) One Month In Which To Determine The Truth Of The Complaint And Submit Its Findings To The President. The Committee Shall Include In Its Report An Assessment Of The Severity Of The Violation And A Recommendation As To The Penalty And Manner Of Rectifying The Violation.
5.8. The President Shall Notify, Within (10) Ten Days, Both Parties To The Complaint Of The Results Of The Committee’s Investigation. If A Violation Has Occurred, The Violating Party Shall Be Apprised Of The Terms Of Discipline.
5.9. Lack Of Response From The Accused Party To The Complaint Shall Be Considered “Nolo Contendere” And The Committee Shall Impose Penalties On That Basis.
5.10. Penalties:
A. In The Case Of A First Offense Members Shall Be Given One (1) Month In Which To Correct The Violation In Keeping With The Recommendation Of The Investigating Committee And Proof Of Such Correction Shall Be Submitted To The Committee. Further, The Secretary May Be Directed To Remove The Name Of The Member From The Member Breeder List For A Period Of Six (6) Months. Reasonable Monetary Penalties May Also Be Levied, If Appropriate (But Not To Exceed 100 X The Current Single Membership Dues Fee).
B. In The Case Of Repeated Or Flagrant Violations, The Committee May Recommend That The Case Be Submitted To The Board For Action On Suspension Or Expulsion.
C. In All Cases The Name Of The Member, The Nature Of The Violation And The Conditions Of Discipline Shall Be Published On The ABBA Website.
D. Lack Of Compliance With The Terms Of Discipline Shall Be Considered A Flagrant Violation And Shall Be Submitted To The Board.
5.11. For Purposes Of Information, The President Shall Send To Each Board Member, A Copy Of The Original Complaint, All Responses, Correspondence And Papers Connected To The Investigation, Along With The Committee Report.
5.12. Nothing In This Section Shall In Any Way Preclude The Board Or Any Individual Member From Taking Stronger Action As Provided For In The Bylaws On Discipline.
5.13. Since This Process Has Been Established In Part To Prevent Harmful Gossip, Any Member Who Indulges In This Sort Of Gossip Rather Than Reporting The Alleged Violation For Investigation Will Be Judged In Willful Violation Of The Code And Will Be Subject To Discipline.
6. BREEDING REGULATIONS
6.1 Anyone Breeding Alapaha Blue-Blood Bulldogs Bears A Great Responsibility To The Future Of The Breed. Persons Breeding Their Alapaha’s Should Match Stud And Bitch Based Upon: Temperament, Conformation, The Individuals And Their Bloodlines, And Basic Accepted Principles Of Health And Genetics. To This End, The ABBA Has Established Breeding Regulations Which Are Incorporated In This Code By This Reference. It Is The Responsibility Of All Persons Involved In The Breeding Of Alapaha’s To Know And Adhere To The Provisions Of The Breeding Regulations.
6.2 No ABBA Registered Alapaha Should Be Bred Before An Appropriate Mature Breeding Age. Thus, No ABBA Registration Will Be Issued For A Stud Used Before The Age Of 10 Months; And 14 Months For A Bitch.
6.3 No ABBA Registered Alapaha Should Be Bred To Any Other Breed Of Any Kind.
6.4 No ABBA Registered Alapaha Should Be Dual Registered With Any Other 3rd Party Organization (Registries That Require No Proven Alapaha Heritage Like The ARF, ACA, UCA, URBA, IOEBA, OREBA, NKC, CKC, DRA And WWKC).
6.5 Breeding ABBA Alapahas To Dogs Of Any Other Kind Of Breed Or To Alapaha’s That Are Not ABBA Registered Are Grounds To Have Breeding Privileges Suspended Or Revoked.
6.6 All Genetic Defects Found In Litters (I.E. Crank Tails, Wry Jaw, Cripple Ness, Deafness, Blindness, Entropian, Skittishness And Etc.) Shall Be Reported To The ABBA Registrar With The Litter Registration As “Pet” Quality Non-Breedable (Spayed Or Neutered).
6.7 Dogs With Pump Handle Tails, Defined As Having One Break With The Tail Reaching The Hock Will Have Full Registration And Breeding Rights But Will Be Considered As Having A Flaw In The Show Ring.
6.8 If A Breeder If Found To Have Falsified Breeding ( IE: Mixing With Other Breeds And Registering Pups As Alapahas, Registering Pups From Different Litters In Another Litter, Lying About Parentage) The Breeder Will Have Disciplinary Action Taken Against Them Ranging Anywhere From Fines To Having Privileges Revoked.
6.9 All Dogs Born On Or After January 1, 2009, Used For Breeding Must Have A DNA Profile From DDC
6.9(A) Any Dog That Has Not Been Registered By The Age Of 24 Months Must Have A DNA Profile From DDC Submitted To The ABBA To Receive Registration. This Will Be Effective Oct 1st, 2011
7. EXCEPTIONS
The Board Of Directors Or The Membership As A Whole May, Upon Sufficient Evidence And Under Certain Stipulations, Where The Good Of The Breed Is Protected, Waive Any Of The Foregoing Provisions. Members Are Urged To Bring To The Board Any Problems That Confront Them In Their Efforts To Comply With The Code.
GO ABBA
&
RESEARCH BEFORE BUYING!.
