THE COLLIE CLUB OF MINNESOTA

CODE OF ETHICS

 *      The Code of Ethics shall establish a standard of conduct to be followed by all members of the Collies Club of Minnesota, Inc., in the normal course of breeding, selling, exhibiting and judging collies.  It is difficult to cover all situations and for this reason any failure to comply with the intent of The Code of Ethics shall be handled in the same manner as a specific violation. *

 1)      Members shall abide by all American Kennel Club rules and regulations. 

 2)       Members shall maintain the highest standards of heath and care for their animals.  Animals shall not be provided as give-away prizes, or raffled, or exploited to the detriment of the breed.

 3)      Members shall have all their collie’s eyes check by a qualified ophthalmologist. 

4)      Breeding will be done with the goal of improving quality as defined by the Collie Standard and working towards elimination of major hereditary defects. 

5)      All breeding stock shall be in good health.  Bitches shall be bred only to the stud named in a written Stud Service Contract. 

6)      Owner of the bitch must give approval before any other stud is substituted.  All breeding should be witnessed by stud or bitch owner.  Artificial insemination is to be used only by prior mutual consent of owners. 

7)      All members shall refuse to deal knowingly with unethical dog breeders, dog retailers, and dog wholesalers; or to sell to any buyer where there is reason to believe the puppy or dog will not receive proper care. 

8)      All collies shall be sold in good mental and physical condition, free from communicable disease, with health guaranteed for a reasonable length of time. No puppy under seven (7) weeks of age shall be placed in a new home.  

9)      Members are required to place all pet quality dogs or dogs with hereditary faults of such nature as to make use for breeding detrimental to the breed, with a written spay/neuter contract as well as a limited registration between buyer and seller.  

10)  All financial arrangements shall be made in advance of sales or service and agreed to in writing by both parties. 

11)  All members are required to at all times take back or otherwise provide for the care and re-homing of the dogs they bred and sold to other parties thereby preventing owners from abandoning their dogs to rescues, shelters and pounds or worse yet turning them loose. 

12)  Members are required to permanently identify all dogs used for breeding purposes, preferably with microchips. 

13)  All advertising shall be honest and not in anyway misrepresentative or fraudulent. Terms such as “cheap“reasonable,“free“must sell,” and stated low prices are degrading to the breed and shall not be used. 

14)  Whether at home, traveling, at a show or motels, all members shall conduct themselves in such a manner as to reflect credit on the dog show sport and collies in particular.

15)  The Collie Club of Minnesota is concerned about the motives of unscrupulous persons who might join the club for the wrong reasons.  Anyone applying for full membership will need to have a current full member of The Collie Club of Minnesota be their sponsor and verify that they have visited the home of the applicant and can verify that they have provided good housing and care of their animals.   

 *   The Collie Club of Minnesota Code of Ethics will be made available to all members and prospective members.  Discussion of the Code of Ethics is to be included, at least annually, in club programs.  Complaints of conduct contrary to the principles of The Code of Ethics  (Guidelines) shall be handled according to Article VI of the by-laws of the Collie Club of Minnesota, Inc. *