Dogs NZ - Presidents Blog

 The 2025 Executive Council held its first full meeting at the Auckland Exhibition Centre on the 26 th and 27 th of July.    Full details will be published in the minutes in due course, and I don’t want to pre-empt them, but I like to release as much information as I properly can in this blog as soon as possible.   Below are some items about what was discussed and decided.

  Members who are planning events are reminded that they are unwise to go ahead with arrangements such as contracting judges or booking venues based on tentative discussions with office staff.    Approvals are not final until they have been obtained through correct processes as defined in the relevant rules and published protocols.    Memories of telephone conversations with office staff are not sufficient authority for pre-emptive actions.   If communications are not written, they did not happen (Judge Judy).

  ACOD 2026 venue and date tba.   The Director Secretary is currently investigating potential venues and a date will be selected once a suitable venue is found, according to whether the selected venue is available on the traditional date.

  In an email to the President, Lisa Slade questioned the intended policy of digitising all Dogs New Zealand documentation supplied to members, suggesting that some, such as pedigrees, were of such importance to the recipients that they should be sent as printed documents rather than pdf.   Executive Council discussed this idea and agreed with it.   Pedigrees and all types of championship certificate will continue to be provided in hard copy as at present.  

  Ringfenced money untouched.   Executive Council has investigated the management of the money from the sale of the former NZKC building in Prosser Street and can confirm that neither it, nor the investment income from it, has been used for any purpose except reinvestment back into the fund.

  Complaints about unhealthy or dangerous conditions in other peoples’ kennels should be addressed to the Ministry of Primary Industries or the SPCA .   Unlike Dogs New Zealand, these agencies have the resources and lawful authority to take effective action.

  Rules-based Future.   Executive Council agreed at their July meeting that our modus operandi will be rules-based.    Too many bad habits have crept in to Dogs New Zealand over the years with things being done based on phone calls to mates in key positions, and things allegedly said in unrecorded conversations months before.   Going forward, communications that aren’t on record will not be recognised, and activities will need to be complaint with the relevant rules and conducted according to any recognised protocols.

 Question from David Bishop The LNI working group was tasked by the former EC with finding sites suitable for a new event centre, and from this Business Plans were developed for each of Foxton Racecourse; and Ashhurst Domain [adjacent to the Manawatu Canine Centre open air grounds]. The Ashhurst reserve site I believe had very strong support from Palmerston North City Council which wanted to co-build a multi sports usage centre with Dogs NZ, and had ample reserve land being river edge terrace for a sports building, to have associated parking and space for camping. This proposal was side-lined in favour of Mansfeild which came out of the blue so to speak. Question: Will the Ashhurst business case be put forward as part of your next blog advising of it in full detail, and seeking members to work up this proposal with Council into a fully costed project development? A: I must clearly state that the search for a LNI venue is effectively over.   This was implicit in the Dog World...

  Question from Sarah Sowman: Thank you for the information provided with regard to options and requirements for our replacement lower north island venue. Greatly appreciated.   For clarity, please can you advise ...  Is the information around the working group terms of reference etc (as described on page 6 of the July edition of NZ Dog World ) printed to explain the previous arrangements that were in place - or is a new working group to be established?   Otherwise is there to be no working group, and do individual members / clubs investigate possible venue scenarios?   A: The Terms of Reference that were published were the original ones, intended to show readers the thoroughness of the instructions that were given to the Working Group, and for the information of anyone who wanted to make any new suggestions. The Working Group was disestablished by the outgoing Executive Council, at my request, and if any new suggestions are received that meet the ...

 Be Nice to the Sponsors We are fortunate to have such good sponsors in Pro Plan and PD Pet Insurance, and such helpful account managers as Miranda for Pro Plan and Jacqui for PD Pet Insurance.  When you deal with them, please make a point of letting them know how much we appreciate them and their companies. Currently, for example, Pro Plan is giving us considerably more product than the contract requires.  Over and above that, they sometimes give us even more, in the form of product with approaching use-by dates.  Because there’s no time left to get it distributed and sold, they pass it to us as a bonus.   To learn that Miranda has been emailed and abused over the age and type of product that was effectively a gift over and above a generous prize of current product, was a disappointment, and a poor reflection on the member. Unfortunately, I see a small but steady stream of less egregious, but still disappointing, examples of disrespect, like show organiser...

 Question from Bill Murdoch 2:  The Annual Report had reference to the pending court case against DogsNZ in July? What date is that down for? A: 21 - 23 July.  Please note that if the result goes against us there will likely be a Non-disclosure Agreement imposed in respect of the amount of any settlement.  The cost of a settlement will be borne by our insurers.  

 Question from Bill Murdoch 1:  When will the 2025/26 budget forecast be made available to members? A: As soon as possible, but it won't be before the next EC meeting on 26/27 of this month.

 Asking me Questions It’s not possible for readers of the blog to initiate discussions, only to respond to my posts.  If you’d like to ask me a question, please email it to me at president@dogsnz.org.nz with the heading “For the blog.”  I’ll post it with my response, and the blog discussion can run from there.

 Behaviour at Shows and Beyond Congratulations to Lavina Diamante for her article in the July Dog World about behaviour towards judges.  It needed to be said, and in fact there’s a whole discussion about behaviour that we should have, because the issue goes beyond just judges and exhibitors. Social media are (‘media’ is plural, before any grammar nazis jump on me) a long-standing sore point, and you will have seen that the incoming EC decided not to even try to influence behaviour there, in line with the decision of the 2023 ACOD.  If people have so little pride that they’ll let the world see the bitchy and petty side of their natures that’s very sad, but not really our business.  Anyone who is aggrieved by something that’s said can choose whether to respond – on a better level, let’s hope – ignore it, or take action through their lawyer. Some of the behaviour we see at shows really is disappointing too, and this bears on the subject of gaining and keeping new member...

  Meeting with sponsors The Director Secretary and I had a very good meeting with both Pro Plan and PD Pet Insurance on 4 July.  I was impressed with the genuineness of their desire to look after our members’ interests and to develop the relationship between their companies and Dogs NZ.  Strategy was the focus of the meeting and hearing their plans for the next few years was positive and very exciting. It’s not for me to reveal too much of their plans but I can tell you that they are both going to give us valuable technical assistance in improving our website in the not-too-distant future and PD Pet Insurance has some brilliant initiatives coming up to add value to puppies sold by our breeders.

  Meeting at Manfeild. I had a very good meeting with Paul Cocks, the new Manfeild CEO, along with Julia Sanson, our contact there, on Thursday 3 July. They consider us very important clients and I was impressed with their keenness to look after our interests.   We discussed the relationship we’ve developed, and the issues that have arisen.   I’ll be writing a detailed article for Dog World in which I’ll set out details of costs and how they’re made up, but for now, here are the major points. The floor will be renewed within the term of the current contract, and we will be consulted about the surface.   The minimum standard they’re aiming for will be the same as the concrete currently around the edge.   Because the job will cost some millions of dollars and the three main Manfeild stakeholders, the Manawatu District Council, the Feilding Industrial Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and the Manawatu Car Club, need to provide the funding, the job won’t ...

  Email Address My email is president@dogsnz.og.nz   It's taken a few days to set it up, hence the delay. If you still have my old one, starting odnzkc... please delete it.  That was what I used last time I was president and it's been my personal one for all the years since.  It's so full of rubbish now I can't fnd anything in it.