CODE OF
ETHICS
MINIATURE
AMERICAN SHEPHERDS OF CANADA
MASCAN
*PRIOR TO MEMBERSHIP APPROVAL, ALL
INDIVIDUALS MUST READ, AGREE TO ABIDE BY, AND SIGN THE MASCAN CODE OF ETHICS*
1. Records
a) Any MASCAN Member who breeds his/her
bitch or uses his/her stud for services must keep accurate records of the
following: stud services, leases, pedigrees, all litters produced, sale of all
dogs/puppies, and all exchanges involving Miniature American Shepherds for a
minimum of 7 years.
b) Any MASCAN Member who falsifies a
registration or knowingly misrepresents a pedigree must be reported to the
MASCAN Board of Directors.
2. Breeding
a)Every breeding should be planned with
the paramount intention of bettering the Miniature American Shepherd breed.
b)When choosing a stud or bitch for
breeding, Members must scrutinize the dogs pedigree, conformation, temperament,
intelligence and working potential, keeping in mind the basic principles of
genetics and the requirements of the AKC Breed Standard.
c)Members should know the status of both
dog and bitch for: Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), Hereditary Cataracts
(HSF4) and Multidrug Resistance Gene (MDR1) before being used for breeding.
d) It is recommended that all breeding
stock have yearly eye exams performed by a Licensed Ophthalmologist and be
documented clear from hereditary eye defects (with breeder option) before being
used for breeding.
e) All breeding stock must be documented
clear from Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia (optional) and Patella Dysplasia
(optional) before being used for breeding. OFA ratings Fair, Good and Excellent
are to be accepted for Hip Dysplasia and only OFA normal ratings for Elbows and
Patellas are to be accepted for breeding. PennHip is also an accepted method
for screening Hip Dysplasia. Only dogs that grade above the breed average (50th
percentile), are acceptable for breeding.
f) Members should not breed a dog or
bitch that is affected with monorchidism, cryptochidism, deafness, albinism and
any other disqualifying defect. Members should further refrain from breeding a
dog or bitch who, although free from defects, consistently produces afflicted
offspring.
g) No Member shall intentionally breed a
merle coated Miniature American Shepherd to a merle coated Miniature American
Shepherd (merle x merle breeding).
h) No dog or bitch should be bred under
the age of 12 months. A breeder should
choose both a sire and dam that have reached such maturity that they can
produce and raise a healthy litter.
i) All offspring produced should be
registered with the Miniature American Shepherd Club of the USA (MASCUSA), the
American Kennel Club (AKC), and/or the United Kennel Club (UKC).
j) Members should only breed their
Miniature American Shepherd to another registered Miniature American Shepherd
or to a registered Miniature Australian Shepherd with the intent to register
all offspring as Miniature American Shepherds.
3. Ownership
a) Members must maintain high standards
of health care (including parasite prevention and regular veterinarian care,)
cleanliness and provide adequate shelter for their Miniature American
Shepherd(s).
b) Members shall make every effort to
learn about the structure, anatomy, behaviour, temperament and other
inheritable traits of the Miniature American Shepherd.
c) Members are individually responsible
for their own compliance with their local laws and by-laws.
4. Advertising
a) Members agree that all advertising of
their Miniature American Shepherds shall be factual and honest in both substance
and implication.
b) Members agree to fully disclose; coat
and eye colour, size (height and weight), health testing (with as much
supporting documentation), attributes (training, titles, etc.) and any fault or
disqualifying traits (according to the AKC Breed Standard) of any Miniature
American Shepherd they have placed for sale or adoption.
5. Sales
a) All Miniature American Shepherds shall
be sold in good condition and health at the time of release. When a Miniature
American Shepherd has a health related illness or defect, it must be fully
disclosed in writing to the Buyer prior to the agreement of sale.
b) Members must be discriminatory in the
sale of his/her Miniature American Shepherds. Members must thoroughly screen
all prospective buyers and be concerned with the type of homes in which they
are placed.
c) Members will not sell, consign or
donate their Miniature American Shepherds to any commercial dog wholesalers,
retailers (pet stores), laboratories or raffles.
d) All Miniature American Shepherds must
be either permanently micro chipped or tattooed prior to being released.
e) Members must provide adequate written
contractual proof of sale at the time of release.
f) Members must provide a minimum of a 1
year written guarantee against all congenital and hereditary defects on all
puppies sold. With the sale of breeding stock, the Member should provide the
buyer with a contract to guarantee against any disqualifying faults according
to the AKC Breed Standard.
g) Members agree to sell all pet Miniature
American Shepherds on a strict Non Breeding Contract with Limited Registration,
unless selling to another Ethical Breeder.
h) Members shall transfer all applicable
registration papers or applications when the sale is complete, or in a timely
manner if the registration certificate is not yet available.
i) All Miniature American Shepherds shall
be sold with a minimum 3 generation pedigree containing as much information as
possible (full names, registration numbers, date of birth, coat and eye colour,
and indication of NBT occurrence.) Members shall also include with the sale;
diet and general care/training information, health record, and parent’s health
clearances.
j) Members agree that no puppy will leave
it's litter before the age of 7 weeks minimum (8 weeks old if required by law).
It is highly recommended for the health and well-being of the puppy that they
stay with their litter mates until at least 8 weeks of age.
l) All Members must be willing to take
back and find an alternate home for any Miniature American Shepherd that they
released, in the event that the Buyer is no longer able to provide proper care
for said dog.
6. Member Relations
a) Members are expected to express good
sportsmanship in all activities involving the Miniature American Shepherd.
b) Members must refrain from unnecessary
criticism of another Club Member, another's Miniature American Shepherd or
another's Kennel.
c) As a matter of ethics, all Members
pledge to help educate and promote the Miniature American Shepherd to the
general public and graciously assist the novice breeder with correct and
pertinent information regarding the breed.
7. Implementation
a) Any infraction of the Code Of Ethics
should be reported, in writing, to the MASCAN Board of Directors. Only when a
Member continues to deviate from the rules set forth in the Code of Ethics and
is not cooperative in rectifying an error, will the situation be presented to
the MASCAN Board of Directors for disciplinary actions.
This Code Of Ethics is to be reviewed again
prior to CKC recognition.
