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Chairman’s bi-AGM report
November 2005

I am pleased to report, on behalf of the General Committee, on the activities of the Kennel Club since its Annual General Meeting in May 2005.

I make no apology for repeating that the Kennel Club objectives remain as follows:

"To raise the relevance of the Kennel Club in the eyes of the public at large, dog owners and those who take part in canine activities so as to be better able to promote in every way the general improvement of dogs.

This objective to be achieved through:

Ensuring that the Kennel Club is the first port of call on all canine matters.

Recognising the importance of canine health and welfare.

Popularising canine activities focusing on the retention of existing participants and the attraction of new.

Achieving a widening of the Kennel Club membership base.

Encouraging the development of all those concerned with dogs through education and training.

Encouraging more people to provide input into the Kennel Club’s decision making process."
Our performance across all of our activities has not diminished and the following report confirms that the Club continues to move towards the achievement of its overall objectives.

REGISTRATION & COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES

Registrations and Transfers

Registrations are up by 4.7% for the first nine months of 2005, as compared to the same period in 2004. This follows increases of 13.6% in 2003 and 5.8% in 2004.

Registration Service Levels

The Client Services team in Aylesbury has maintained its high service levels across all areas during another period of growth and increased requests from customers. During the period May to September 2005 around 110,000 calls were handled through the call centre. The call answering rate once again increased in comparison to the same period in 2004.

Petlog

In the period May – September 2005, a total of 183,000 registrations were added to the Petlog database, representing an increase of 3.2% on the same period last year. There have been a further 16,000 registrations with Petlog Plus over this time, representing a 15.6% rise on 2004.

Kennel Names/Affixes

At a recent meeting the General Committee agreed finally to replace the ‘Affix’ title with ‘Kennel Name’. This change has been made gradually over the last two years as the new term has greater meaning for those new to the world of dog breeding. It is also more widely used by other kennel clubs, including the American and Canadian KCs.

A newsletter for holders of Kennel Names was introduced earlier in the summer and received largely positive feedback. It is planned to increase the ‘scientific’ content in the next issue in order to give breeders up to date information on the advances we are making in the genetics field.

Companion Dog Club

The Companion Dog Club continues to grow at a steady pace and now has over 4,000 members who receive regular communication from the Kennel Club and have the opportunity to take part in competitions and activities.

GOVERNANCE

Shows and Events

The various Sub-Committees, under the secretaryship of the Shows, Trials & Awards Department continue to meet regularly and a number of positive initiatives are being progressed.

Question Times

The most recent Kennel Club Question Time took place during the annual YKC Camp at Brooksby College in Melton Mowbray. This meeting provided a constructive means for the Kennel Club to address issues posed on all aspects of its work from YKC members, their families and other dog enthusiasts.

Canine Events Conference Group

Market research ‘focus’ groups of exhibitors were held at some Championship Shows. The purpose of these was to gain further in-depth understanding of the role played by dog shows in the lives of participants/exhibitors. The results are now being analysed to help with future planning.

Kennel Club Stand at Events

The Kennel Club stand continues to be present at a variety of events both in the UK and overseas. A rotation system has been introduced for attendance at General Championship Shows in order to ensure a fair regional coverage. The improvements to the stand have been well received and have provided a better working environment for all concerned. It is felt that this service to exhibitors is much appreciated.

Kennel Club International Agility Festival

The Kennel Club’s own International Agility Festival was held at the East of England Showground on 13 and 14 August. Competitors entered from all the Home Nations, Ireland, Channel Islands, Belgium, Holland and Japan. It was a great success and plans are well under way for 2006. We are grateful to Arden Grange, which has again agreed to be the principal sponsor, and interest has been expressed by teams from Canada, America, Finland and Spain as well as the countries that competed this year.

Kennel Club Training Board

Six trainers have been appointed to deliver the Kennel Club Show Management Seminar across the UK. The Judges Development Programme Seminars, aimed at giving additional training to judges who are already approved to judge more than two breeds in a group, have continued to take place and some groups are now on the second round of breeds.

Show Executive Sub-Committee (SEC)
Championship Status

There will be a new General Championship Show, hosted by the Boston & District Canine Society, in 2007. Also in that year, four new breeds – Basset Fauve de Bretagne, Glen of Imaal Terrier, Portuguese Water Dog and Australian Cattle Dog – have been awarded Championship status.
There will be 25 new sets of CCs in 2008, resulting in a net gain of 18 sets. The allocation for the vulnerable native breeds will be held at 2007 levels.

Spectators’ Dogs

The SEC Sub-Committee proposed that spectators’ dogs should be allowed into shows, at the discretion of the show society, as did the WTOA. This is entirely optional and is aimed at enabling societies to encourage new owners to attend shows with a view to participating in the future.

Benching Working Party

The Benching Working Party made its report to the SEC, and the General Committee has approved its recommendations, including increasing the minimum mandatory bench size for Schnauzers and removing the restriction on the length of time that a dog may be allowed off its bench at shows.

Working Trials Obedience and Agility Sub-Committee (WTOA)
Agility Regulations

A thorough review of Agility Regulations has been implemented and agreed following extensive consultation, and will become effective from 1st January 2006. Changes include renaming the dog categories to Large, Medium and Small dogs, and the introduction of a requirement for dogs to be officially measured to confirm their height category. Medium Dog Championship Status has also been introduced and work is ongoing to review the definition of classes.

The Regulations and Judging Procedure Seminars have been in force for over a year and have been well received. The second seminar for Agility judges on Course Building and Judging is nearly complete and will be discussed at the Annual Accredited Trainers Seminar in November prior to being launched.

The Kennel Club Award of Merit Obedience Certificate

This new certificate will be launched in January 2006 to encourage newer competitors to begin to take part in Obedience. The Kennel Club Award of Merit for Pre-Beginners and Beginners will be awarded to dogs that have lost 10 points or less overall in Pre-Beginners or Beginners Classes at Open or Championship Shows.

Obedience Excellent Qualifications

This initiative will be launched on 1st January 2006 and is designed to reward consistency. Points will be gained for the top four places at Championship or Open Shows and a sliding scales of points is required to receive the "Excellent Qualification".

Heelwork to Music Regulations

The Heelwork to Music Regulations have now been effective for over three years and are currently being reviewed.

FCI World Dog Agility Championships

A UK team competed once again in the FCI World Agility Championships with one of the large individual dogs gaining third place.

Judges Sub-Committee

The Judges Sub-Committee’s main responsibilities remain the consideration of questionnaires from judges nominated to award Challenge Certificates at Championship Shows for the first time, A2 judging list applications and the review of evaluation and observer reports. There has been a change of policy on consideration of complaints about judging performance, as these are now accepted whether supported by a breed club or not. In 2005, the Sub-Committee has been instrumental in the revision of the Group judges’ approval policy and has considered, amongst other issues, matters surrounding judges and sponsorship.

Field Trials Sub-Committee
Gundog Working Tests

The Kennel Club annual Gundog Working Tests took place at Belvoir Castle in May. In addition to Retriever and Spaniel tests, a very successful Young Gundog Handlers event open to all Gundog breeds was held in collaboration with the Young Kennel Club. It is planned that this will remain as a regular event in the Kennel Club calendar.

J Regulations

A complete revision of the J Regulations was undertaken during 2004/5, and the completed document was approved in October for publication.

Judges Working Party

The Judges Working Party (Field Trials) was set up in 2005 to begin a programme of education for Field Trial Judges. The initial plans have been circulated and a number of assessors have been invited to participate in this initiative with an excellent response. The programme will be launched formally in 2006 with further development to follow.

Working Gundog Certificate

The Kennel Club held a Preliminary day at Harewood Estate, Leeds by gracious permission of the Earl and Countess of Harewood. Following the launch of the pilot secondary stage of the Working Gundog Certificate during the last shooting season, 30 people were successful in gaining this certificate. The General Committee Chairman and Vice Chairman were in attendance at the CLA Game Fair in July to present the certificates.

Breed Standards and Stud Book Sub-Committee (BSSB)
Breed Standard Amendments and New Breeds

During the latter part of this year, the Breed Standards and Stud Book Sub-Committee has written a new standard for the Japanese Akita Inu, which will be separately recognised from January 2006. Also achieving recognition from January 2006 is the Korean Jindo. The BSSB has considered applications for transfer of breeds from the Imported Breed Register to the Breed Register and it has been agreed that the German Longhaired Pointer and the Pyrenean Sheepdog will transfer on 1 January 2006.

Other BSSB Matters

Other matters considered by this sub-committee included the imposition of restrictions on Rottweiler and English Springer Spaniel colour registrations, and the declassification of the Norwegian Lundehund under Regulation B3.b., in that no registrations have been received for the breed in the last ten years.

The European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals Study Group
The Kennel Club’s European Convention Study Group continued to hold meetings with representatives of breeds which could be adversely affected by the convention. Furthermore, a meeting open to press and government officials was held earlier this month to present the work to date of the Kennel Club and breed clubs in emphasising and amplifying health issues.

CANINE HEALTH

Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme

Recruitment of members has now gone over the 1,000 mark and all of the indications are that the Scheme is working successfully. The New Owner feedback forms are being received in large numbers and, almost without exception, the responses are complimentary.

All breed clubs have been contacted for their views on the future development of the Scheme. They have been asked to comment on a new list of breed-specific health check requirements and recommendations, as well as being asked to suggest any further improvements that they would like to see. The deadline for the return of comments has now passed and it is hoped that a revised set of requirements and recommendations under the Scheme will be presented for Committee approval before the end of the year.

Provisional approval has been given for the creation of a new post of Kennel Assessor under the Scheme. This person will be able to monitor Accredited Breeder establishments as well as being able to visit and assess members’ premises where concerns have been raised about their suitability for rearing dogs. A standard set of criteria is being developed, against which establishments can be measured. Again, a draft of these criteria will be presented for Committee approval before the end of the year.

Kennel Club DNA Profiling Service

The DNA Profiling and Parentage analysis service is continuing to progress well. In general the level of service offered is good, but there is still some room for improvement. The keenly-awaited computer programming that will allow easy and straightforward electronic transfer of much of the information between the Kennel Club and the Fulfilment Centre is close to completion and this will greatly streamline the process and make it far less demanding on staff time.

Kennel Club DNA Testing Schemes

Three new Official DNA Testing Schemes have been approved by the Kennel Club; Congenital Stationary Night Blindness in the Briard, Von Willebrand disease in the Irish Red & White Setter and Fucosidosis in the English Springer Spaniel. A fourth proposal, for a Scheme for progressive retinal atrophy in the Miniature Longhaired Dachshund, is currently being assessed. The rate of new disease identification appears to be on the increase, with six new genes being identified by the Animal Health Trust in the last six months, and we can expect to see a significant increase in applications for

Official Testing Schemes

The CLAD Control Scheme in the Irish Setter started in July. This means that the Kennel Club will not now register any Irish Setter unless it is proven to be clear of CLAD, either by direct DNA testing or by virtue of it being hereditarily clear; no carriers of CLAD will be registered.

Joint Veterinary Screening Schemes with the British Veterinary Association

The KC/BVA Hip and Elbow Dysplasia Schemes and the KC/BVA/ISDS Eye Scheme have continued to see increased submission rates. Kennel Club representatives are now routinely part of the working parties for these Schemes and this continues to aid communication between the Schemes and the Kennel Club and its customers.

KC/BSAVA Scientific Committee Pure Bred Dog Health Survey

The findings of the Health Survey, funded by the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, are to be reported in two sections, firstly, those findings related to mortality data (i.e. ages at death and causes of death in all breeds) and secondly, morbidity data (i.e. the occurrence and frequency of specific diseases in all breeds). An initial report, that has been circulated to breed clubs, relates to mortality data and discusses findings across all breeds.

Breed specific summaries are still in the process of being produced and these will be made available as soon as we receive them. These breed specific summaries will show the ages at death and main causes of death for each breed. A scientific paper covering this aspect of the work has now been submitted for publication. Further reports on the analysis of the morbidity data will be prepared and circulated as soon as they become available.

Vulnerable Breeds

The Kennel Club’s Native Vulnerable Breeds Group and the British and Irish Dog Breeds Preservation Trust have continued to collaborate throughout the year. The Native Vulnerable Breeds were showcased at Crufts and Discover Dogs, with parades of the breeds in the main ring. In addition, the Preservation Trust promoted the breeds at the CLA Game Fair, the Wag and Bone Show and the Midland Game Fair. Two surveys were conducted throughout the year to gauge the views of both clubs and breeders involved with these breeds and their results will be used to formulate future plans. When these have been developed, all of the clubs will be approached to see if they wish to continue to be associated with the project after Crufts 2006.

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare Bill

Over the past six months, the Kennel Club has produced and circulated to interested parliamentarians, various briefings on the Animal Welfare Bill. Meetings have been held with the Minister responsible, Members of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee and civil servants at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to discuss issues contained within the legislation, such as tail docking and electric shock collars.

The Kennel Club continues to lobby the government to take a pro-choice stance over the issue of tail docking, especially since its Breed Standards provide descriptions of traditionally docked breeds with undocked tails, ensuring that these dogs can be shown with or without tails. As no conclusive evidence exists to prove tail docking is harmful to puppies when performed by a veterinary surgeon in the first few days of life, the Kennel Club has called on the government to either commission further research or keep current legislation intact.

Tail Docking and Dew Claws

As requested by Defra before the Animal Welfare Bill was introduced, the Kennel Club has put together a Regulatory Impact Assessment on how much it would cost the industry; the breeder and the seller, if a) docking and b) dew claw removal by lay-people, were outlawed under the Animal Welfare Bill. The Kennel Club’s response has stressed the potential losses – particularly to breeders – of any changes in the law.

Electric Shock Collars

Following the General Election the Kennel Club launched a press and lobbying campaign for Defra to keep its promise to undertake research on the harmful effects of Electric Shock Collars. The Kennel Club provided a form of words to supportive members of the public so that they could lobby their local MPs to increase the pressure on Defra, and was heartened that so many did. The Kennel Club has continued to remind Defra of its promise in subsequent meetings and provided it with research papers and case studies proving the harmful effects of using electric shock collars.

The Bill currently fails to outlaw the sale and use of these products despite the fact that numerous scientific studies and case studies point to the conclusion that their use can amount to an abusive and cruel method of training.

Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act

Since the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act received Royal Assent in April, the Kennel Club has been working with Defra and other animal welfare organisations on the accompanying regulations, particularly those relating to stray dogs and dog control orders. Since the Act transfers the responsibility for stray dogs from the police to local authorities, the Kennel Club is working with Defra to ensure that this happens only after an appropriate transfer of funds takes place, so that local authorities have the resources to deal with stray dogs on a 24-hour basis, put into place a code of practice to limit the number of dogs they put to sleep, and take responsibility for all strays, regardless of their state of health.

The Kennel Club is also lobbying Defra to ensure that dog control orders (likely to cover dog fouling, the keeping of dogs on leads, the exclusion of dogs from certain public areas, and the maximum number of dogs that one person may walk at one time in public areas) will only be invoked by local authorities following full consultation with dog owners.

International Canine Forum

The International Canine Forum website is developing, allowing for Public Affairs departments of kennel clubs in the UK, France, Germany and Sweden to keep up to date on other European countries’ legislation, which could impact on their organisation’s activities. The site also allows the public to see where each kennel club stands politically and get involved in its campaigns where appropriate.

Westminster Dog of the Year

In October, the Kennel Club co organised, with Dogs’ Trust, the thirteenth Westminster Dog of the Year Competition, which attracted entries from all three of the main political parties, as well as several members of the House of Lords. The event provides a platform for the Kennel Club to discuss the issues outlined above with interested parliamentarians and was hosted by last year’s winner, Vera Baird MP.

Susceptible Breeds

Following the success of the ‘Susceptible Breeds’ seminar, which was held in 2004, two ‘Handling the Media’ seminars were held in May and June 2005. The seminars were open to all breed clubs to send a representative and consisted of information on conduct before, during and after contact with the media. All the clubs were asked, following the seminars, to put forward a media representative to the Press Office. This information is still coming in, providing a comprehensive list of media friendly breed experts.

MARKETING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Internet

A major project to redesign and improve the Kennel Club website is currently being undertaken. Both staff and external users have been involved in the consultation process to ensure that the new website meets the needs of its users and it is expected to be launched in 2006.

The team is also involved in the development of an Online Litter Registration system for the Kennel Club. It is being developed initially to allow Accredited Breeders and Kennel Name holders to register their puppy litters online if they so wish. This process will speed up the current labour intensive paper-based system and will hopefully encourage breeders to visit the website on a regular basis.

Other work for the main Kennel Club website is the development of a specific (password protected) 'Members’ Area' which will enable Kennel Club Members to register their details online and upon successful registration entitle them to access details of forthcoming events, general meetings, facilities available, etc.

The Kennel Club site remains a very popular resource for information with over one million searches on the Puppy Sales Register already this year. Petlog continues to perform well and the site hits have steadily increased almost every month in 2005. Interest in the Safe and Sound Scheme is growing steadily with an average of 28,000 hits on its link each month.

Merchandise and Brand Licensing

The Kennel Club produced the second Christmas Catalogue in September this year. In an attempt to gain greater loyalty and increased donations, it was decided to donate profits from the sale of all the items presented in the catalogue to the Kennel Club Charitable Trust. The publication has a circulation of some 150,000 dog owners and it is hoped that it will not only raise much-needed funds for the charity, but also improve awareness.

Responsible Dog Ownership

The Responsible Dog Ownership campaign continues to raise awareness for the three key issues of dog fouling, dog training and pet identification. 2005 has seen the campaign develop, working with the PDSA’s PetCheck programme to reinforce the delivery of the key messages, with campaigns taking place in Gloucester, Taunton, Sunderland, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Hull, Rotherham, Surrey and Berkshire.

National Microchipping Month

The third National Microchipping Month was held in June and was promoted to over 6,000 animal welfare groups around the country. The objective of the month was to promote microchipping as the preferred method of permanent identification. Over 450 event kits were requested for the campaign and more than 170 events and promotions featured on Petlog’s online event calendar.

Information Guides

The Kennel Club range of Information Guides introduced in 2004 has proved extremely popular with both professional organisations and members of the general public alike. The collection has been reformatted and expanded during the year in order to meet demand. These guides are available to send to interested parties in both print and electronic format, and can also be downloaded from the Kennel Club website. Permanent display stands have been supplied to the three Mypetstop centres across the UK to enable the guides to be professionally presented in these key outlets.

The Leader Newsletter

Two editions of the Leader newslette have been distributed in 2005. These have been tailored to meet the interests of Club/Registered Society Secretaries, Veterinary Nurses and Local Government representatives, as well as a new version for the Welfare sector.

The Leader provides relevant editorial content for each sector, including news from the Kennel Club and the world of dogs as a whole. Each edition also gives the different audiences the opportunity to request Kennel Club literature and to provide comments using a new feedback form.

EDUCATION AND EVENTS

Wag and Bone Show

The 2005 Wag and Bone Show was held in August in Windsor Great Park. The Show was a great success, with the gate increasing by over 50%, resulting in an increased donation to the Kennel Club Charitable Trust. Those attending were predominately pet owners and the event provides an excellent platform for the Kennel Club to promote its services to a wider market.

Scruffts

Following the reassignment of the Scruffts brand from Masterfoods to the Kennel Club, 15 Scruffts heats were held throughout the year in aid of the Kennel Club Charitable Trust. These heats have proved very successful, particularly the heat held at the Wag and Bone Show, and the winners will compete for the title of Scruffts Family Crossbreed Dog of the Year at Discover Dogs this month.

Young Kennel Club (YKC)
Membership

The Young Kennel Club has seen an excellent increase in membership over the past twelve months. The current paid up membership stands at over 3,000.

National Training Camp

A record number of 104 members and their families attended this year’s National Training Camp, which was held at Brooksby College, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. For the first time, Gundog training was included on the syllabus and generated a good level of interest from both members and parents. In addition, two European visitors attended the camp. Birgette Van Der Kamp-Moers from Holland trained Obedience and Jenny Widebeck from Sweden attended as a young observer and helped to train Agility.

In 2006 the YKC plans to channel its resources into providing wider training opportunities for members, with training weekends planned in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Newark in addition to the week long National Training Camp.

Outward Bound

The Outward Bound development initiative was once again offered to members between the ages of 16 and 24 during August. Twelve members aged 16-17 completed a course focused on teamwork, confidence, sportsmanship and communication skills, and a further twenty members aged from 18-24 participated in a course based on problem solving, leadership and project management.

Shaun McAlpine Award

The Junior of the Year competition was relaunched as the Shaun McAlpine Award. The Shaun McAlpine Award is the highest award for members of the Young Kennel Club, encouraging young people to embark on exciting, challenging and fun activities within the canine world. The award is based upon personal and social development and is not a competition against others.

YKC Gundog Test

As previously mentioned, a YKC Gundog Test took place for the first time at Belvoir Castle in May. The event offered an opportunity for members interested in Gundog work to show their paces and will now become a regular competition for youngsters within the YKC.

Good Citizen Dog Scheme
Statistics

The Scheme has once again seen a considerable growth both in dog training courses being offered and participants taking part. The Scheme totals now stand at 35,000 Puppy Foundation, 85,000 Bronze, 22,000 Silver and 8,500 Gold passes. Organisations taking part in the Scheme now total 1,600, which include 253 local councils and 520 Listed Status clubs.

Examiner Assessment

The Scheme continues to promote its Examiner Assessment programme, which aims to educate and recognise dog trainers and scheme enthusiasts that wish to become potential examiners.

Now in the third year, these assessment courses set a quality standard for examining levels and help to provide consistency throughout the country. As part of the course, a written and practical assessment has been designed at each level, which tests each candidate’s understanding and underpinning knowledge of the Scheme requirements. In 2005, there have been ten courses held in the Midlands, Bristol and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Seminars

Two seminars were conducted in April and September at Clarges Street and 80 delegates attended these.

Listed Status Clubs

Listed Status Training Clubs continue to grow and now totals 520 organisations. This has a significant influence on the rising number of Good Citizen courses at all levels. The total number of Listed Status Clubs now exceeds the number of KC Registered Training Clubs by over 100.

Safe and Sound

The Kennel Club ‘Safe and Sound’ Scheme (SAS), which promotes the safety of interaction between children and dogs for the protection of both continues to attract interest. There have been more than 500,000 hits (225,000 to date in 2005) on the SAS site and a great deal of interest from schools, parents and children. The Scheme is now planning to add another section to its website providing advice for parents.

CLARGES STREET

Art Gallery
Exhibitions

An exhibition entitled The Fox Terrier in Art has been running from May until November, and contains over 40 exhibits, which provide an invaluable insight into the world of Fox Terriers, their history, development and future. The exhibition has received much praise and has been well supported by members of the Fox Terrier Club.

Dogs in War – A travelling exhibition

After the success of the ‘Dogs in War’ exhibition held at the Kennel Club in 2004, a smaller, travelling exhibition has been designed, with the John MacDougall Visitors Centre at the Animal Health Trust providing the first venue. It is hoped that the exhibition will be sent out to other organisations such as public libraries, museums and town halls. The Library & Collections Service will produce marketing packs to assist in the successful promotion of this facility. It is hoped that this venture will not only be educational but attract new audiences to the Kennel Club.

Donations & Purchases

The Club has recently acquired several additions to its art collection. A splendid example of the work of George Earl, depicting five individual head studies of five popular breeds was purchased from the William Secord Gallery. Donations to the Kennel Club Gallery include a painting of the Newfoundland ‘Ch. Wanitopa Madame Butterfly’ bequeathed by Ms Juliet Leicester-Hope and an example of Rosamund Olfield’s work, an oil painting depicting a Labrador ‘Snipe’, donated by Mrs Jane Wood. Other donations include a series of prints by Edwin Megargee presented by Mr Steven Green.

Kennel Club Arts Foundatio

A formal Trust Deed has now been finalised, using external legal advice. The formalities are now being executed (i.e. signed by the six initial Trustees, and a bank account being opened with £1,000 in the name of the Foundation) before submission to the Charity Commission. This is expected to be achieved before the end of the year.

Events

The Art Gallery has hosted a number of functions including several private dinners, press launches, and the judging of the Kennel Club Dog Photographer of the Year Competition 2005.
After introducing a ‘by appointment’ policy the Gallery has also been made accessible as an additional meeting room and as a result has played host to an assortment of in house meetings.
Tours

A total of ten tours of the Kennel Club have been conducted so far this year. Tours were advertised to Members, Associates and the public, and have been running since September 2004.

Picture Library
Website

A further 1,500 images have been added to the Picture Library site, launched in April 2004. The site now holds over 4,000 images with more being added daily. The database receives over 35,000 hits a day.

Kennel Club Dog Photographer of the Year Competition 2005

The Picture Library has been working alongside the Press Office with respect to the Dog Photographer of the Year Competition 2005. The competition received almost 250 entries. The winning photograph, depicting a Terrier at play, along with runners-up, will be displayed at Discover Dogs and within the Kennel Club Art Gallery in December