Organizational Alphabet Soup

Beginning in 1995, a bewildering proliferation of new Coton de Tulear clubs has appeared and has done much to "Balkanize" the breed worldwide. Clubs are now forming at the rate of one new club every 3 or so months. The only thing that apparently prevents the formation of more clubs is the fact that most of the letters appropriate to the breed ("C," "A," and "T") have been taken up by existing club acronyms. Here's a brief glossary of clubs and organizations of interest to Coton breed fanciers...

AKC - the American Kennel Club

Gigantic American all-breed registry and show corporation. Registers and exhibits more than 150 dog breeds (and makes more than $30 million dollars a year on its registry business). The huge corporation does not yet have a standard for the Coton, nor does it register or show Cotons in its usual shows and registry. The AKC reportedly would like to annex the Coton breed as soon as possible. Further, the AKC has recently initiated its own rare breed registry called the "FSS," the Foundation Stock Service. If the recent history of some other rare breeds repeats itself, to achieve a takeover of the breed, the AKC will either create yet another parent club for the Coton and welcome its new "independant parent club" into the AKC, or it will incorporate an existing club that "asks to be named" the breed's parent club. The CTCA is not in favor of AKC registration for the breed and is not seeking an AKC takeover of its registry.

 

For the latest on the AKC attempted takeover of the Coton de Tulear breed, please see Coton Headline News.

 

ACTA - the American Coton de Tulear Association

Created in October, 1995, by show exhibitors/breeders new to the Coton breed. The ACTA Registry, no longer extant, was first created in February, 1996. This club claimed to be "the Official Parent Club" for the breed. Club motto: "Proudly made in America." Used Petit's and Coudre's French Standard for the breed (see FCI, below). Between February and August, 1996, the President (Mrs. Kennette Tabor) and Executive Vice-president (Mrs. Pamela C. Heidinger) of ACTA were exposed sending anonymous hate mail on the internet designed to destroy the reputations of the CTCA, its members, and their Cotons. In June, 1997, Mrs. Tabor, unilaterally declared that her club would take the breed to the AKC. This sharply divided the club, and in July, 1997, a group of dissident ACTA Board Members and members formed a new club--the UCTC--to replace ACTA and defeat Mrs. Tabor's bid for AKC recognition. ACTA is now defunct.

 

For the latest on the AKC attempted takeover of the Coton de Tulear breed, please see Coton Headline News.

 

ACC - the American Coton Club

Created by the editor of the USACTC newsletter, this club boasts that it has no Code of Ethics and believes that every breeder should decide for themselves what to breed, how to breed it and how to sell their dogs. It is a very popular club for breeders who loathe the enforced Code of Ethics of the CTCA. However, the ACC works hard to look like the Coton de Tulear Club of America, even to the point of calling itself the "Coton de Tulear Club of the Americas." The ACC publishes a "list of suggestions for breeders" that it disguises with the title "Code of Ethics," a practice that can easily mislead buyers into thinking that the club has enforced rules of conduct.

 

CCCE - the French Club for Exotic Small Dogs

This Parisian club governs the Coton de Tulear and a number of other small breeds. It also holds and controls the Coton standard used by all Europeans. This club is strongly opposed to the CTCA.

 

CCCT - Club canadien du coton de Tulear

Same as the CTCC, see below.

 

CCTC - the Canadian Coton de Tulear Club

Founded in 1994 by a Canadian exhibitor and breeder. Does not register dogs. Allied closely with the ACTA. Has opposed the CTCA, CTCC, and the USACTC in the past.

 

CTCA - the Coton de Tulear Club of America

Registry and Standard founded in 1974 by Dr. Robert Jay Russell, a biologist and anatomist who first sent Cotons from Madagascar to North America in 1974. The CTCA is the original Parent Club and founding club for the breed in the Western Hemisphere and began registering Coton de Tulear litters born in North America in 1976. Today,the CTCA is the oldest, continuously operating Coton registry in the world. The CTCA represents more Cotons and owners than any organization in the Western Hemisphere. The CTCA is largely opposed to the show game and does not support AKC recognition. This web site was created by the CTCA.

 

For the latest on the AKC attempted takeover of the Coton de Tulear breed, please see Coton Headline News.

 

CTCC - the Coton de Tulear Club of Canada

Founded in 1994 by a Canadian breeder. Does not register dogs. Supports an all-French interpretation of the breed. Opposes the CCTC, CTCA. ACTA, and the USACTC. This club is now defunct.

 

FCI - the Federation Cynologique Internationale

Gigantic French-European all-breed show corporation that has, through the CCCE, a standard for the Coton de Tulear that was created by M. Petit and Lionel Coudre based upon measurements of M. Coudre's small white dogs during the late 1960s. National member clubs register and exhibit more than 350 dog breeds. Shows Cotons (since 1977) and enforces a standard in "FCI Countries." The United States is not an FCI country.

 

FIC - the Federation of International Canines

The FIC is one of many for-profit all-breed registries in the United States that specialize in rare dog breeds. Owned and operated by the owner of a security company. Dogs can receive an "official FIC Pedigree" without any previous documentation. That is, an owner need only state that his/her dog has parents named so-and-so and the FIC will issue the dog a pedigree proclaiming that it is a pure bred. FIC pedigrees (or registries using FIC pedigrees) are not recognized by the CTCA or the AKC, but are used by the ACTA. This club is now defunct.

 

ICTF - the International Coton de Tulear Federation

This club was established in 1997 by Jacques Sade, owner of Plattekill Kennel. Mr. Sade had been removed from the CTCA Breeders list in 1996 following allegations of animal neglect at his kennel. He registered his Cotons with ACTA thereafter, and late in 1997, formed his own registry. This club is now defunct.

 

NCTA - the National Coton de Tulear Association

This club was established in May, 1997, with the avowed purposed of taking the breed into the AKC. It had no Coton registry. The club was formed by Mrs. Carol Bixler, a short-lived breeder of Cotons. This club is now defunct. For the latest on the AKC attempted takeover of the Coton de Tulear breed, please see Coton Headline News.

 

UCTC - the United Coton de Tulear Club

Founded in July, 1997, by Mrs. Juli Renois and dissident members of ACTA who were opposed to the ACTA President's unilateral move to take her club into the AKC. This new club is quickly supplanting ACTA. The UCTC is opposed to AKC recognition and supports the Petit-Coudre French FCI Coton standard. The UCTC does not yet have a Coton registry. This club is now defunct. Mrs. Renois is now a member of the USACTC. For the latest on the AKC attempted takeover of the Coton de Tulear breed, please see Coton Headline News.

 

USACTC - the USA Coton de Tulear Club

Created in 1994 in Maryland by show exhibitors/importers/breeders new to the Coton breed. Registry created in 1995. This club, like the ACTA, also claims to be "the Official Parent Club" for the breed. Opposes the CTCA and ACTA. Uses Petit's and Coudre's French Standard for the breed (see FCI, above). This club is not strongly opposed to the AKC and is likely to take their registry of European Cotons (French Standard dogs) to the AKC.

 

WACTC - World Association of Coton de Tulear Clubs

Created in 1998, this organization unites several European Coton clubs (all must be FCI supporting clubs). The organization is headed by the Belgian breeder Mickie Ceriez. The exact purpose of this "super club" is unclear at this time.

Title and contents of The Coton de Tulear News & Information Network © 1996-2005, the Coton de Tulear Club of America, all rights reserved. Celebrating the CTCA's 30th Anniversary in 2006.

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