Clubs Invited to Hold Educational Events For AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day

The American Kennel Club (AKC) is pleased to announce that the third annual AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day will be held on Saturday, September 17th (the day the AKC was founded in 1884). The goal of the initiative is to educate first-time dog owners about the responsibilities of dog ownership and help current owners enhance their relationships with their pets.

All AKC-affiliated dog clubs are encouraged to participate by holding public events in their communities anytime during the month of September. All clubs and organizations wishing to hold an AKC RDO Day event are asked to fill out the online response form by August 1, 2005. The first 500 who confirm the details of their event will receive a resource-filled packet including posters, brochures, sample press releases and many more materials that will assist them in putting together an entertaining and informative event. All events will be listed on the AKC web site, searchable by state, beginning on July 1.

On Saturday, September 17th the AKC will hold flagship events in New York City and Saturday, September 10th in Raleigh, North Carolina, where their offices are located. Included will be activities such as AKC Canine Good Citizen tests, Obedience/Agility/Rally demonstrations, ID clinics, breeder referral and rescue information, raffles, games and many more entertaining and educational events.

“Holding an AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day event is a great way for fanciers to reach out and demonstrate what dogs and the people who love them bring to a community. Hosting an event can help a club raise their visibility with local legislators and news media as well as establish themselves as a resource for the public to learn about training, locating reputable breeders, AKC dog shows and so much more,” said AKC spokesperson Gail Miller. “We hope that our clubs will join us and help demonstrate all the ways that the purebred dog fancy positively impacts the public.”