Dear Members,

We have been enrolling dogs into AKC since July, 2011. Since that time we have had to make many changes in an effort to minimize future problems resulting from how we register litters and individual dogs. We hope this bulletin will clarify some of the issues we are facing and the changes we have made.

ORDER OF PRECEDENCE. If a dog is registered with multiple registries, we had to decide which registry information is of greatest importance. Since the purpose of our registry is to vet and process registration of dogs into AKC, we consider AKC to have the highest order of importance, with NAMASCUSA, NSDR, MASCA, ASDR, and IMASC following (listed in the order of importance we have assigned). However, it is also important to have as much registration information on the dog that is available.

DOCUMENTATION/PAPERWORK. We are having significant problems with paperwork coming in which is incomplete and/or without required documentation.

• We check every dog that is listed on an application to determine who the listed owners are and whether the dog is recorded with AKC/FSS. If the dog is recorded with AKC/FSS, we must have a copy of the AKC registration certificate in order to verify who the current owners are as there have been many transfers in AKC where the owners have not also transferred the dog with NAMASCUSA.
• We need copies of the parents' NAMASCUSA registration certificates for all registration processes because many of the paper copies of registration certificates are missing from the registry files.
• Forms are not completely filled out.
• Missing signatures. All owners/co-owners must sign for any registration process. All owners/co-owners of all NAMASCUSA registered kennel names being used in the dog's name must sign authorizing the use of that kennel name.  All owners/co-owners must sign for the sire and the dam on any litter registration.
• Kennel names. We honor AKC registered kennel names if they are registered for the Miniature American Shepherd breed and will protect those names as if they were registered with NAMASCUSA providing the owner(s) sends a copy of the AKC registered kennel name certificate to us. We do not honor kennel names registered only with other Mini Aussie registries.

Your process will be delayed if we need to return it to you for proper signatures or additional documentation. We are in the process of redesigning our forms to make them clearer and easier to complete.

PEDIGREE VERIFICATION. It is extremely important that we have proper documentation of our dogs' heritage. This means that we must have a copy of the registration certificate and/or a certified pedigree from a recognized registry for the dog, the parents, the grandparents and the great-grandparents. As we work on the Registry Modernization Project, we will be able to properly verify more and more pedigrees and upload copies of documents into digital files. However in the meantime, we need copies of these documents to be submitted with any registration processes because they are missing from many of the files. We cannot verify 3 generations on a pedigree from a handwritten/printed pedigree without also having copies of the documents (registration certificates and/or certified pedigrees) that officially connect those dogs together. We physically pull the record on each dog to see if we have these documents, but if we do not have these documents or they are not provided by the applicant we cannot verify the dogs' pedigree.

CERTIFIED PEDIGREES.

LITTERS. Many members have used Individual Dog Registrations (IDRs) in the past in lieu of registering the litter. However, there are many benefits to registering a litter instead of using IDRs.

• The yellow puppy papers that are issued can be used to record the puppy with AKC/FSS without registering with NAMASCUSA. This saves the new owner money and reduces the workload on our Registry.

• If you are selling your puppies as pets, the yellow puppy papers can be marked "NOT TO BE BRED" when you supply them to the new owners.
• Pet owners who have altered animals can compete in AKC companion/performance events. Your name as the breeder is listed in the catalogs when they enter an event which can be great advertising for your program. This won't happen if you don't provide the puppy papers to the new owners.

We encounter a lot of problems when you do not register your litters. We have litter mates that don't have the same date of birth in our system because the breeder did not supply the correct dates of birth. When that happens, we have to issue corrected papers at the expense of the owner once we determine the correct whelping date. Unfortunately, we have also run into situations where breeders have registered a litter and then issued IDRs on all the puppies.

NEW CHANGES (not previously advertised).

Leases - Effective Immediately. You must provide an AKC lease for an AKC registered bitch or an AKC Power of Attorney for an AKC registered stud dog. We will no longer allow NAMASCUSA leases to be done for AKC registered dogs. We do not honor leases from any other registry. If your dog is registered with another Mini Aussie registry, you need to complete a NAMASCUSA lease to be able to register any offspring with/through NAMASCUSA.

Continental Kennel Club and APRI, Effective 10/1/13 - The Board recently approved the Continental Kennel Club as a Hardship registry. However, due to members' concerns and the results of the survey that was sent out to the membership, both the Continental Kennel Club and APRI will no longer be accepted as Hardship registries. The pedigrees on any dogs coming in on or after 10/1/13 from other registries that contain a Continental Kennel Club or APRI dog within their 3 generation will stop at the point at which that dog appears in the pedigree, i.e., if an APRI dog appears in a pedigree in the second generation, the applicant dog will be considered to be a one-generation dog.

CLARIFICATION OF PREVIOUS CHANGE.

Foreign-Born Litters From MAS x MAS Breedings. Effective 9/1/13 we have stated that we will no longer register puppies from MAS x MAS foreign-born litters with NAMASCUSA. However, we want to clarify that this policy affects only litters born on or after 9/1/13. We will continue to allow NAMASCUSA registration of offspring from these breedings for litters born prior to 9/1/13.

PREVIOUS CHANGES (provided in previous bulletins). For your convenience, here is a list of previous changes:

Litters from MAS x MAS Breedings, Effective 1/1/13 -All American born litters that are whelped on or after January 1, 2013 that have two Miniature American Shepherd parents must register the litter with AKC. See information below regarding requirements for foreign born litters.

MASCA Dogs, Effective 2/1/13 - MASCA dogs born prior to February 1, 2013, can continue to Dual register with NAMASCUSA. However litters born on or after February 1, 2013, having one or two MASCA parents cannot be registered with NAMASCUSA using the regular litter application. (NOTE: We are working on a Hardship Litter Application at this time.) The offspring of one or two MASCA parents born on or after February 1, 2013, must use the Hardship registration form.

Registration with NAMASCUSA after AKC/FSS Registration, Effective 8/1/13 - If a dog is registered with AKC, without first having registered with NAMASCUSA, the dog will be ineligible to register with NAMASCUSA afterwards.

Transfers in NAMASCUSA of an AKC/FSS Dog, Effective 8/1/13 - If a dog is transferred in AKC, NAMASCUSA will record the transfer in our database, upon receipt of a copy of the new AKC registration certificate showing the new owner of record, at no cost. If the new owner wants a new NAMASCUSA registration certificate showing them as the owner of record, the original registration certificate must be submitted with the transfer information on the back completed, all required signatures and the required fee (see current fee schedule at

AKC Registration Certificates, Effective 8/1/13 - It is the official policy of the NAMASUCSA registry to require and use the AKC registration certificate/record of a dog, if it exists, for all registry processes such as, but not limited to, the determination of ownership, name of dog, etc. A copy of the AKC registration certificate is required for any dog that is registered with AKC if that dog is:

• the sire or dam of a dog being registered on an Individual or Hardship application
• the sire or dam of a litter being registered
• being leased
• applying for a club title

NAMASCUSA Registration Certificates, Effective 8/1/13 - It is the policy of the NAMASCUSA registry to require that a copy of the NAMASCUSA registration certificate accompany all NAMASCUSA registration processes and applications. This action is being taken because the historical hard copy records of the club registry are no longer with our registrar (due to the registry update project for digitizing and archiving these records) and some of the paper copies of the registration certificates are missing. A copy of the NAMASCUSA registration certificate is required for any dog that is registered with NASMASCUSA if that dog is:

• the sire or dam of a dog being registered on an Individual, Dual, or Hardship application
• the sire or dam of a litter being registered
• being leased
• requesting a certified pedigree

Full Litter Registration Application, Effective 9/1/13 - This form was eliminated. Any applications postmarked on or before September 1, 2013 will be processed under the previous rules.

Puppies From Foreign Born Litters, Effective 9/1/13 - All puppies from foreign born litters having both parents registered with AKC as Miniature American Shepherds may only use their yellow puppy papers to enter AKC and will not be issued NAMASCUSA registrations. Any applications for NAMASCUSA registration using the yellow puppy papers that were postmarked on or before September 1, 2013 will be processed under the previous rules.

Names Changes, Effective 9/1/13 - The ability for an owner to change a dog's name within the NAMASCUSA registry was eliminated. Any Name Change Applications postmarked on or before September 1, 2013 will be processed under the previous rules. We encourage members who have changed their dogs' name within AKC to notify us and provide us a copy of the new AKC registration certificate.

More changes will be forthcoming, including but not limited to elimination of some individual dog registration forms, greater emphasis on litter registrations, and implementation of a Hardship Litter Application. Some of these proposed changes may be sent out as surveys so that we can get membership input.

We know that it has been very confusing for the membership trying to keep up with all of the changes and we are in the process of updating our forms to reflect these changes. We are working hard to keep everything moving in the Registry but ask for your patience as we complete this transition.

Respectfully,

MASCUSA Board of Directors