Thursday, January 02, 2020

The AKC Continues to Swirl Down the Bowl.



In their 2018 annual report (the latest) the AKC doesn’t mention total registrations AT ALL. That’s called whistling past the grave yard.

If you read the AKC balance sheet, you will see that their pension liabilities exceed their total assets. They’re broke, but staying afloat on the cash flow of investment income (which was declining in 2018).

Bottom line: Though Americans have more dogs than ever before, the AKC continues to swirl down the toilet bowl, never looking at its core business model.

Though there are fewer vegetarians in the US than there were 20 years ago, we are told the AKC’s failure is due to the mysterious “Animal Rights” movement.

  • Never mind the fact that that there are chicken and hamburger places on every corner.
  • Never mind that dog food is sold in every grocery store and the fact that the Congressional Sportsman's Caucus is one of the largest on Capitol Hill.
  • Never mind that there are multiple stores a short bicycle ride from my house that sell guns, cross bows, deer feeders, and hunting and fishing licenses.

Animal rights? Really?

Maybe that’s a thing if you are located in downtown Manhattan (101 Park Avenue) where folks don’t mow lawns, own cars, or hunt and fish.

Which raises a question: Why is an organization that is going broke located in downtown Manhattan?  Why are they paying New York salaries and rents to ... check notes... run a canine registry that could just as well be run from Minnesota, Mississippi, or North Carolina?

3 comments:

Claire Coppola said...

The AKC is headquartered in Raleigh, NC. Their network of field reps attend EVERY AKC dog show in the USA.

The AKC museum has been open in NYC for ONE YEAR, a city that the AKC left as TOO EXPENSIVE headquarters real-estate years ago. The AKC museum over the past recent years was in the St Louis environs. Very poorly attended due to a rural / suburban location way outside of ST Louis city center and not near the Purina show grounds.

i've been to both museum locations. NYC museum admission runs from Adult
$15.00 to $10 for seniors, students & military veterans & $5 for children under 12 . The exhibits in this 2 story museum vary and the collection of canine 'art' is extensive and constantly rotating. It is intended to be a cash-flow positive and educational museum for ALL dog lovers. The museum has solicited and received funding from Parent Clubs and All-Breed Clubs who hold AKC shows. being 1/2 block from Grand Central Station with extensive train service, it is in a perfect spot for a quick canine pick me up in the center of Manhattan, especially during Westminster Week in February. is it a money maker for the AKC? i dont' know and maybe too soon to tell in this City of MANY museum goers.

another point... i too am sorry that individual dog registration stats have not been published annually for many years. i am a serious BREEDER of AKC registered dogs for the past 20+ years. I'd like to see for myself the statistics, which i can surmise are in decline. It is my practice to register all my puppies on behalf of the owners after they sign a detailed contract at the time of purchase.However, I personally know AKC breeders who do not want ANY of their puppies other than the ones competing for titles registered unless and until they are neutered at an appropriate age. Partly, this is to limit the breeding of the offspring without health testing or examination under show judges for quality of the offspring and also to limit the sales of & by 'unscrupulous" puppy buyers becoming breeders who do not health test or champion their "precious?" breeding dogs.
i respect your points, however the implication that the Museum is the center of the AKC is false and regarding the blog article on registrations - just want to say there are many factors to be considered, only one of which i mentioned.
Thank you.

Anonymous said...

When I was a kid (I'm 34) I remember how everyone advertised their dogs as purebred and AKC registered. I still see plenty of people doing that, but nowhere near as often. I feel like it started with the "designer breeds." Mutts are cool too. So, now, most people don't care if their new puppy is an AKC dog. No need for dog breeders to brag about their puppies having AKC champion bloodlines or whatever. Breed cute enough puppies, and people will pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for them.

If I want a new dog, I'll just go on Craigslist. Lots of people buy expensive puppies and after 2 or 3 months, want to get rid of them. My two beautiful huskies cost me $50. I wonder how much their owners originally paid?

PBurns said...

Claire Coppola, please LOOK IT UP.

The AKC is headquartered in NEW YORK CITY and has been since the beginning.

It was previously headquartered at the Wool Building at 52 Madison Avenue (beginning in 1961), and before that at 221 Park Avenue from 1920.

The AKC is paying about $120 a square foot for over 60,000 square feet of space ($7.2 million) of which very little is the Museum of the Dog.

AKC data operations are in North Carolina where they occupy about 75,000 square feet at under $25 a square foot ($1,875,000).

In short, they are spending 3.8 times more on NYC real estate that North Carolina.

Along with the steep NY city prices for real estate are the steep salaries and benefits that come with a NYC location.

There is NO reason for the AKC to be in NYC other than that's where it's always been. There is no business plan at the AKC -- and it shows.