KEESHOND CLUB OF AMERICA
Over 80 Years of Service to the Keeshond in America
1935 to 2017
The Keeshond Club of America has over 500 members throughout the United States that are dedicated to preserving, protecting and advancing the Keeshond breed. These members serve as volunteers in their local clubs and in KCA in many roles. They have history of achievement in training, showing and breeding these special dogs.
KCA also has affiliate clubs throughout the country that serve their local area and are a resource for new puppy owners, breeders and all Keeshond enthusiasts.
Most Keeshonden, however, are not enrolled in formal training and showing, they simply serve their families every day as companions to children, adults and the elderly making their lives more enriched with happy, outgoing and loving personalities.
All proceeds from online sales of items in the Keeshond Club of America store which can be found at www.keeshond.org - go to support the programs of KCA. These include:
- EDUCATION:
Public Education:KCA maintains a website for the use of the general public to learn more about the Keeshond breed. This includes information about training, grooming and how to obtain a quality Keeshond puppy. KCA also publishes material to help the public understand the history and purpose of the breed as a family companion, and supplies volunteers and booth material for meet the breeds events.
Breeder Education: Educational seminars are held at the national specialty to familiarize both new and experienced breeders with how to plan matings, analyze pedigrees, evaluate movement and structure and how to raise healthy puppies.
Judges Education: KCA is the official guardian of the AKC Breed Standard for the Keeshond. The club maintains the Illustrated Standard and provides copies free to new and aspiring Keeshond judges. Through it’s judges education program the club also provides speakers for judges seminars and through it’s ringside mentor program identifies individuals that are capable mentoring new judges.
- HEALTH: KCA also funds health studies recommended by their Health Committee, these projects support research studies into health issues affecting Keeshond and all dogs. Some of the projects funded in the past include the study to locate the gene for PHPT (primary hyperparathyroidism), thyroid disease study, epilepsy studies and cancer investigations. As dogs are one of the best models for the study of human disease some of this research has also advanced our knowledge of human health. The Keeshond breed, dogs and humans have all benefited from the results of this research. The KCA Health Committee also sponsors regular health surveys of the breed to monitor the health of the dogs and determine health study funding priorities.
- WELFARE AND RESCUE: It is a sad fact that not all Keeshonden are bred by responsible breeders. While members of KCA subscribe to a Code of Ethics and take back any puppies or adults that they have bred and can no longer be maintained in their homes, this is not true of some backyard breeders and puppy mills. KCA annually supports Keeshond rescue groups with thousands of dollars in cash donations that go to re-home Keeshonden that are left at shelters or abandoned. Rescue organizations also raise money on their own to support their efforts to rescue dogs and treat their health issues. In addition through the Keeshond L a national network of volunteers is in place to transport rescued dogs from shelters to new homes.