Onondaga Kennel Association

Code of Ethics

I.   Canon of Ethics:

1. Each member of the Onondaga Kennel Association has an obligation to protect the interests of his breed by conducting himself in a manner designed to reflect credit on himself, his breed and on the Onondaga Kennel Association.


2. Each member who contemplates breeding a litter, or who allows the use of his stud dog to the same end, shall direct his efforts towards producing dogs of exceptional quality, temperament and condition.


3. No member shall engage in false or misleading advertising or misrepresentation of his breed; nor shall he malign his competition by making false or misleading statements regarding his competitor's dogs, breeding practice or person.


4. It is considered to be unethical for any O.K.A. member to sell dogs to any pet shop or any wholesale dealer in dogs, or to knowingly sell to any breeder who sells to pet shops or in any way aid and abet the sale of any dog through a pet shop or lottery.


5. Each member of O.K.A. is encouraged to consciously guard against dog over population by accompanying the sale of any dog sold for express purposes of “pet only” with a sales contract that includes a spay/neuter provision or A.K.C. non-breeding registration.


6. A reputable breeder will maintain the best possible standards of health and care for his kennels.

II.   Responsibilities of the Breeder:

The Breeder shall:

1. Be familiar with his breed standard and breed only those specimens which conform to it.
2. Be familiar with A.K.C. rules concerning record keeping, registration and sale and transfer of dogs, and abide by those rules.
3. Use for breeding only dogs which are healthy and free from serious congenital defects characteristic of his breed or breeds.
4. Produce puppies only when he has the time and facilities to provide adequate attention to physical and emotional development until such time as they are sold.
5. Not breed a bitch more often than two out of three seasons, unless the seasons occur every nine months or more; only if she is in robust health, and never at the time of her first season, unless the season occurs after twelve (12) months of age.
6. Refrain from further use of a bitch or stud that has produced any serious inherited defects detrimental to the animal’s well-being, such as blindness, deafness, lameness, or impairment to the vital functions, and produced like results with a different mating partner.

III.   Responsibilities of the Seller:

The Seller shall:

1. Keep accurate records showing dates of immunization, types of vaccines used, dates ofworming, etc.; registration and pedigree records and furnish these records with the sale of each puppy.
2. Be willing to cover all sales with a written contract, listing registration numbers of both sire and dam and litter registration number of dog if available; conditions of sale, description of quality of dog, health certificate, and full description of dog, including a three (3) generation pedigree.
3. Request that a newly purchased dog be examined by a veterinarian (at buyer’s expense) with in forty-eight (48) hours of sale. If the dog is to be returned to the seller, a written health record, with reasons for return, must be furnished by the examining veterinarian within the forty-eight (48) hour period.
4. A dog showing serious deviation from the standard, rendering it unsuitable for breeding, can be sold only if surgically altered. Registration papers will be withheld until proof of surgery is furnished. Sales contract will state reasons for withholding papers.
5. A dog showing serious deviation from the standard, rendering it unsuitable for breeding, can be sold only if spayed/neutered. Registration papers will be withheld until proof of surgery is furnished. Sales contract will state reasons for withholding papers.
6. Will provide registration papers with each dog sold unless the reasons for not providing such papers are clearly stated in each sales contract.
7. Apprise the buyer of growth potential and breed particularities.

IV.   Responsibilities of the Stud Owner

The Stud Owner shall:

1. Not offer at stud a dog showing a serious inherited defect which is characteristic in the breed, structure or temperament. Likewise, owners of stud dogs shall not accept for breeding any bitch, the reproduction of which is likely to be detrimental to the breed.
2. Shall not breed a bitch under one (1) year of age and not before a bitch’s second season. (See IIE).
3. Shall refrain from breeding a bitch owned by a party known to have dealing with pet shops, wholesale dealers or lotteries.
4. Shall make every effort to apprise the owner of the bitch of the responsibilities involved in the raising, proper care and placement of puppies resulting from this breeding.

V.   Enforcement:

See Article VI, section 2, 3, 4 of the Constitution.