New York, NY - Highlights from the January 2003 meeting of the AKC Board of Directors are as follows:

· The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever was approved for AKC registration effective May 1, 2003, and for competition in the Sporting Group effective July 1, 2003. There will be an open registry for the breed until December 31, 2005.

· The Agility, Obedience, and Tracking Test Regulations were amended to clarify what information must be included on a valid entry.

· The Board added the Estonian Kennel Union, The Kennel Club of Thailand, and the Kennel Association of Sri Lanka to the list of organizations with pedigrees acceptable for AKC registration.

· The supplemental registration transfer fee is to be reduced from $15 to $5 effective April 1, 2003.

· Effective immediately, the moratorium on the acceptance of National Greyhound Association pedigrees for AKC registration has been removed.

· The following Delegates were approved: Dr. James W. Kilman to represent the American Boxer Club, Inc.; Dr. Barbara Anderson Lounsbury to represent the Windham County Kennel Club, Inc.; Ms. Barbara L. Mann to represent the Dayton Dog Training Club, Inc.; Ms. Jan M. Ritchie to represent the Richmond Dog Fanciers Club, Inc.; Ms. Sylvia Thomas to represent the Kennel Club of Riverside, Inc.; Ms. Vanessa N. Weber to represent the English Toy Spaniel Club of America, Inc.; Ms. Lynne Wild-Bennett to represent the Mid-Del-Tinker Kennel Club, Inc.

· One individual from Kentucky was suspended for failure to comply with rules and regulations for record keeping and identification. Twenty-five individuals from Alabama, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Utah were suspended for refusal to make dogs and/or records available. Three individuals from Arkansas, California and Ohio were suspended for cruelty violations. Fourteen individuals from California, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin were suspended for miscellaneous violations.