Editorial: August 4, 2023

We have addressed this issue in a previous editorial titled “Mine, Yours and Theirs,” and we even had a Question of the Week on this topic. But now that it is official, we should again address this new “creation” from the American Kennel Club: the AKC Purebred Preservation Bank.

Of course, the obvious word missing from this newly formed bank is “semen.” It is a 501c3 not-for-profit canine genetic-material repository focused on frozen semen. This idea of breeders donating their dog’s semen to a semen bank owned and operated by the American Kennel Club “to ensure the viability of purebred dogs both now and in the future, particularly in low population breeds” was floated in 2021. On the face of it, it has a lot of merit and is worthy of consideration by breeders. Saving breeds from extinction is vital, and we all need to address this situation, as it is already a near reality in some breeds. While leaving your dog’s frozen semen to the parent club is not an easy decision to make, at least they have a vested interest in and love for the breed. But leaving the ownership (which is bothersome) and decision-making to the American Kennel Club’s employees is uncomfortable. The kennel club of old employed multiple dog people, but that number has dwindled to a precious few. Who would be making those decisions? One board member and two employees? Couldn’t the parent club retain ownership and the American Kennel Club store the semen free of charge? Nor was it stated with whom and where the semen would be stored. We are not against the idea; it just needs more clarification on where, who and when before anyone should be eager to part with the semen that represents so many years of one’s research and trial-and-error of breeding, just giving it all away without a say in the matter.

As was written in the previous editorial named above, have you made provisions for those collections after you’ve passed away? Sadly, if not properly left in writing as to the dog’s name, amount of semen in storage, location and payment information, it can be destroyed, and in other cases the ownership reverts to the people who store it for you. You must read the fine print to know your rights and those of your heirs. So we see both sides of this newly established registry. This is an important issue that needs input, so we will repeat the Question of the Week for your opinions.