Questions and Answers about ACC
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  Q. OH, NO! Not another Coton de Tulear Breed Club? There are too many already! What are you trying to do, confuse everybody? It’s a MESS. A. Yes. It is a confused mess. There are a number of "official" clubs, and "official parent breed clubs", and the "one and only true Coton club", and on and on ad nauseum, all claiming your allegiance. But a majority of Coton owners and breeders have told us they want these four things: 1. A good newsletter to inform and amuse, and explore subjects that affect Cotons today. This includes coverage of topics that an "official" club may not want to discuss. 2. A reliable breeding registry of certified, health tested dogs. 3. Dependable services and publications to assist conscientious Coton breeders and the public to make wise choices in their Coton activities. 4. A membership directory so members can find each other, arrange play dates in their respective cities, etc. The American Coton Club™ provides these essential membership benefits and more. Above all, there is a demand for honesty and integrity in accord with the ACC© purpose. ***** The first few questions relate to an article published on the Internet on July 11, 2003 by a CTCA (Coton de Tulear Club of America) club official. * What surprised us so much (in the latest Dog Fancy Magazine) was the advertisement for the American Coton Club....They have a newsletter with their latest show wins and have sometimes featured cartoons making fun of the other Coton organizations...Very few CTCA breeders advertise in Dog World or Dog Fancy...and our club only advertises in the annual magazines. What better place for a service organization like ACC to let people interested in Cotons know where they can go to find unbiased information about the breed and the breeders? Even the president of CTCA has used Dog Fancy and the other canine publications as an advertising medium for his own kennel. Have you seen an ACC newsletter? Perhaps you are referring to the independent American Coton Quarterly magazine, which endorses ACC as a Coton club (so far the only Coton club in the U.S. worthy of its endorsement.) ACQ does not feature "latest show wins", but is rather a general interest magazine, filling the void left by the other Coton Clubs. Please look at the table of contents of all the issues of the magazine at ACQ to see what American Coton Quarterly is really like. It's loaded with health, training and grooming information, lively and interesting stories and articles and wonderful color pictorials. It is the only Coton publication that is published on a regular schedule more than once a year. It is true that if people make themselves ridiculous, ACQ will laugh. ACQ does not share a central concept of your club (CTCA) that the Coton is an "endangered species". Rather, we are of the persuasion that the Coton de Tulear is a domestic dog. ACQ does not "make fun" of Coton organizations. Coton clubs are full of intelligent, fun-loving Coton lovers. All too often the "leaders" of the clubs think it all revolves around them and their kennels. ACQ does have a sense of humor and when anyone makes himself ridiculous we will laugh. * They have a written Code of Ethics like the CTCA but are proud to claim they don't have any rules or laws in their club enforcing it. Jay Russell, President of CTCA, has stated that a great deal of his time is spent policing CTCA breeders and collecting fines for transgressions. CTCA breeders have said that Jay Russell even goes so far as to restrict which email chat lists CTCA breeders may join. ACC believes that a far better approach is ongoing education on the International Coton Breeders Forum and giving breeders responsibility for their own actions. ACC believes that all club members are responsible for ethical behavior in Coton related activities, not just breeders. ACC has in fact perhaps the most rigorous ethical code of all the U.S. Coton Clubs. ACC COE breeders have agreed, not by a meaningless signature on a piece of paper accompanied by a check to the club, but only after serious thought to the ACC COE breeder regulations. These include caring for all dogs as if they were family pets, extensive socialization of puppies, standing behind the puppies they sell for the life of the dog, and of course, registering dogs and puppies with ACC and keeping their health records up to date. This is only a sampling of why the ACC COE breeders have said they are proud to be associated with this organization. For more information click on Breeder Requirements. * Most people won't realize that a club which
bills itself as the Coton de Tulear Club of the Americas and the Coton de Tulear
Club of America are not the same thing! Our name is American Coton Club or ACC. Coton de Tulear Club of the Americas is a descriptive phrase to include the formal name of the breed and to describe our broad membership in both North and South America. Do you really think anyone interested in Cotons isn't intelligent enough to tell the difference between the clubs ACC and CTCA? Unlike parochial clubs such as the CTCA which has limited and closed registrations, ACC has dogs registered from as far north as North Pole, Alaska, and has members as far south as Argentina. The Coton de Tulear Club of the Americas is an accurate description of a popular association which began as a service organization and continues in our dedication to the purposes of health and education. ACC has adopted the FCI standard by which the Coton de Tulear is known throughout the world. * We've (CTCA) always been very open about who we are and what we are trying to do. We've never pretended to be anything or anyone we are not. The American Coton Club, in a deliberate attempt to further confuse an already confused public, cannot say the same. The best way to answer this is to present a few of the comments we receive regularly from members of CTCA, former members of CTCA and people seeking information about Coton clubs. How can I register my dogs with your club? I have waited years for registration papers from CTCA after paying my fee? My puppy buyers are threatening to sue because I cannot deliver promised registrations. Some of us CTCA breeders are getting worried about the lack of registrations and the lack of communication. What will happen to the club and our pedigrees when Jay Russell dies? Is there any way we can have an alternative with ACC? Why haven't they (CTCA) sent me my dog's papers yet? Are they too busy bashing other clubs? I'm very annoyed that my breeder paid for my dog to be registered with them & they still have not registered him. Has anyone gotten a newsletter from CTCA within the last two years? As a matter of public record, in the Dog Fancy Magazine, Issue April, 1996, there is a listing under the Breeder section for the CTCA with Laurie Spalding's name mentioned. In the same issue and section there is one for Alika Cotons. June 1997 Issue - same thing as above March, 2000 - under breeders listing for CTCA The ACC Club sounds more like a better fit for me than the CTCA Club. I have tried very hard to educate myself about the Coton breed. The more I learn the more I become confused! I acquired the Coton Book from the CTCA club. So far it has been very informative, BUT it seems very one sided as to what is OK in the Coton world of thinking.
Of course I have been looking for more info and came across your web site. It
was an eye opener. I had no idea
about all the politics. ... Thank you for your work.
Yes I did receive the most fantastic newsletter that you and your helpers put together for us. I loved poring over every page. Thank you for putting in your time and effort to make it possible. I just received the ACC first mailing and it is outstanding. Congratulations! I read it cover to cover and enjoyed all the pictures. Keep up the good work!
Just read the magazine from ACC from start to finish
and really enjoyed it! Great articles and photos.
***** and so on. Now here are some more general questions. Q. How could a new club do that? You are not an "official" or "parent" club – so what are you? A. The American Coton Club™ or ACC© was founded in the year 2000 by an association of intelligent and concerned Coton owners and breeders from within all the "official" organizations as well as independent Coton fanciers. * Q. Why do you think you can succeed when other Coton clubs have either already failed or are faltering, marred by scandals, favoritism, lawsuits, lack of newsletters, registrations held up for years, etc.? A. We are united in our desire for a practical approach to Coton affairs. Members of ACC©, like many within the greater Coton community, are directing their efforts towards education and effective, ethical conduct. ACC is a service organization. We exist to provide support and recognition for what we discern are worthy goals. We don’t view ourselves in competition with other Coton specific organizations. Our services are supplementary, rather than copies. We’re proud to be independent and free to develop a redefinition of leadership in Coton affairs. This is serious fun! Ron Hiskes is the untitled administrator and since year 2002 ACC has had a full complement of dedicated officers and Directors in a member governed non-profit corporation. No single existing Coton organization can appeal to all Coton owners and breeders in all details. It’s human nature to like variety and choice. We feel good about offering unique services. ACC selected an internal structure that makes responsiveness and accountability easy. * Q. ACC will fail. Coton fanciers disagree and sue each other. There is a history of petty behavior, subterfuge, deceit and intimidation, some of it going on at present. You will be at each other’s throats in two months. ACC is just another nasty play to wreck other people’s hard work. Why don’t you quit now? A. That’s a sorry opinion. I guess you don’t know that ACC is already functioning since the year 2000. Organizational behavior is different from purely personal relationships, unless you base a club on cronyism. Your description might be valid whenever principles take a back seat to personalities. However, you should recognize that the people supporting ACC have an ethic we call the “Coton Commitment”. Our club is about the dogs first, not the people. We have no desire to waste members’ time and money, to break trust and create uncertainty and doubt. The Coton community doesn’t need disappointment. Your disparaging comments only strengthen our resolve to persevere according to our beliefs. * Q. People aren't going to quit their clubs to join ACC. Why aren't you being realistic? Where will you get any members? A. We aren't asking anyone to give up anything. Most members of ACC are contributing members of one club or another. Some prospective ACC members are not affiliated with any official Coton clubs and register their dogs with all breed organizations, like UKC. We are already working inside and outside existing organizations for the benefit of all Cotons. No one will join us if we don’t offer unique and enjoyable services and publications. We assume that all our clubs are voluntary, aren’t they? In fact, anyone can join ACC. Officers of other clubs can join. * Q. But what are the rules? Do you have a Code of Ethics for Breeders? How will you enforce it? What are the procedures to expel members who get out of control? Don’t you care about the kind of people you are attracting? A. Well yes, and they may improve by further association with ACC members. So we plan to keep all our members and expel no one. Our rules are for the document certification – not people. Except for paying annual dues, there are no requirements, not even age limits. Q. Is this a club for Canadians and Europeans and and South Americans and everyone else? A. Yes. The American Coton refers to the dog, not a human national citizenship. We define the American Coton dog breed as Cotons descended from Coton dogs imported directly from Madagascar and the Coton de Tulear imported from Europe. * Q. Why is your membership list open? A. ACC doesn't feel the need to exercise maximum control over the membership by keeping the identities of members secret from each other. It's much easier to organize Coton parties and share camaraderie when club members are known to each other. We will not publish your name in our directory if you request anonymity, as some of our members do. Why is the entire membership of other Coton clubs kept secret? * Q. Where are you getting your financial backing? I heard that some big breeders are bankrolling you. Do you have enough money to keep going? A. Don't worry about us. You heard wrong. Although we consulted Coton fanciers inside and outside other clubs, everyone learned the details about ACC at the same time, when we went public in January, 2001. We pay our own way. We are right on schedule with our ten year plan. * Q. What is Ron Hiskes’ role in ACC? What are his motives? I heard that he was resigning as editor of the USACTC newsletter. A. You heard wrong. Ron was elected unanimously in the first legitimate USACTC election. He has been a hardworking, constructive member of that club as well as other Coton clubs, and has never been a quitter. Ron proposed remaining as editor of the USACTC newsletter. He also volunteered to edit and publish the CTCA newsletter since both clubs were (and still are) clearly in difficulty in fulfilling their obligations to the members. Both clubs chose instead to do without a timely newsletter. Ron has agreed to take on the exacting and tedious work of maintaining the ACC organization and supervising ACC publications. He also serves as a lightning rod for criticism. It would be more fair to attack ACC’s practices and policies than to impugn Ron. Love for his own dogs and devotion to the Coton breed led to Ron’s commitment to Coton-specific organizations. The ACC offers Ron Hiskes a fine opportunity to act according to his values. He looks forward to many years of serious fun in his capacity of administrator.
Q. Is the ACC a democratic club or does Ron Hiskes just run things the way he wants to? A. ACC is perhaps the most democratic of the clubs. Anyone is welcome who has an interest in matters Coton and who shares our philosophy of being open, responsive and fair minded to all. All clubs have an initial startup period to make sure the club runs smoothly. The American Coton Club, founded in the year 2000 by a group of dedicated Coton owners and breeders, elected its first Board of Directors and set forth its Constitution and Bylaws in 2003, only 3 years after its founding. Any club member, breeder or owner, is welcome to serve on the Board. Due to a steady increase in membership, over 225 families or households at last count, the Board was recently expanded. ACC anticipates an election within the next year to add three members to the current nine Board Members from the membership at large.
ACC operates differently and much more efficiently than the other clubs. Membership participation is assured by the formation of voluntary ad hoc committees to work on specific issues. Members come forward to propose projects which captivate them. The committees present their results to the Board of Directors who make policy. The officers carry out that policy. The Code of Ethics Committee has recently concluded a study and presented its results to the Board, which are shown elsewhere on this web site. The Health Committee is wrapping up a survey of all the ACC COE breeders to determine what health issues the club needs to focus on in the coming year. The Show Committee has put on several very successful Specialty Shows on the East Coast and West Coast, as well as an International FCI Specialty in Puerto Rico. The Show Committee is currently planning events for 2006 and 2007. Unlike the standard dog club, ACC fully supports UCARE, the independent United Coton de Tulear Association for Rescue and Education, rather than duplicating efforts and money to further fragment Coton Rescue.
In addition to the formal structure of the club, Ron Hiskes acts as a full time administrator for the club. Ron is neither an officer nor a Board Member, nor does he vote on issues. During the startup phase of the club, he has done nearly all the administrative work which often falls through the cracks in other clubs where well meaning volunteers sometimes don't have the time. As a result, ACC is known throughout the Coton world for its integrity, responsiveness, openness and communication to the members. The American Coton Quarterly, the premier Coton de Tulear magazine available to everyone with an interest in Cotons (see ACQ for information and contents of all back issues all of which are available), has been published continuously and on time since the inception of the club. The administrator maintains the web site and the ACC Telephone Hotline, responding to requests for breeders and information every day of the week.
ACC maintains an online ACC Breeders Forum for ACC COE Breeders who discuss matters of interest as they come up. The breeders decide how much they want to voluntarily contribute to the advertising budget for the club and share equally in a democratic fashion.
No member must travel to a specific dog show which may be 3000 miles away to participate in an Annual Meeting of the Club. ACC Board meetings and discussions are designed to be held on line as are club wide meetings. It's a true democracy instead of a democracy of those members who can afford to travel to an annual meeting to propose and vote on issues.
Q. Who is allowed to be on your Breeders List? Can your bylaws keep people out of your club? Why don’t you have a Code of Ethics? A. The American Coton Club does not function as a trade or marketing association. We don’t give Coton breeders a club brand name label. Nor do we exclude anyone in order to limit competition. We disdain discriminating bylaws or arbitrary secret membership committee decisions. Specifically, we intend never to provide a respectable cover for questionable practices. Instead of an externally imposed Code of Ethics, we offer an opportunity for continuing education in the on-line Coton Breeders Forum, a place to ask questions, give advice, share best practices and learn from others how to best benefit the breed. Obviously, individual responsibility is key; not polemics and slogans. The only workable solution to the ethical problems facing the breed is an Internal Code of Ethics within each breeder, aided by the ongoing resources and accumulated knowledge and wisdom of the entire Coton Breeding Community in the ACC Breeders Forum. Emphatically, our direction is towards information, education, and practical assistance. Notably for all Coton breeders, we provide two unique services; the on-line Coton Breeders Forum sponsored by ACC, and the ACC certified health tested Breeding Registry, as well as supportive publications for the public, such as the pamphlet “29 Questions to Ask Your Breeder” which is on the ACC web site. * Q. Oh no, not another registry. Cotons are registered in SKC, AKC-FSS, ACTA, UKC, CTCA, USACTC, FIC, FCI …, and some breeders haven’t even registered their litters or companion quality dogs with a club that lists them as COE subscribers. Why in the world would you set up another one? A. The ACC Breeding Registry does not duplicate any other registry. To be enrolled, a Coton has the special distinction of meeting the standards stipulated in a comprehensive health test done on adult dogs. Many conscientious Coton breeders already employ similar tests, and many prospective buyers appreciate the additional protection that an independent Certification Process provides. We expect the ACC Breeding Registry to benefit Coton breeders and Coton buyers alike. We believe also, that obtaining potential breeding stock from ACC Health-test certified dogs will have long term advantages for the breed. Both the ACC Breeding Registry and the on-line Coton Breeders Forum are available to all Coton breeders regardless of affiliation. We believe the registry belongs to all Coton owners and ACC makes it freely available to everyone. Q. Why does ACC have two registries? Aren't you making everything more complicated than it has to be? A. We maintain a general registry for one purpose; as a service to those who
are not affiliated with any Coton club but wish to register their dogs. If
you can provide accurate bloodline data, and would like a pedigree, we will
issue one. A special breeders' registry will fill another need. Both
registries issue pedigrees and certificates. Each document is visually
Here’s the difference: The ACC breeding registry stipulates a comprehensive health testing and survey, then documents your compliance to our standards. We follow each registrant with periodic reviews of pertinent data. An objective evaluation from an independent organization with a carefully designed protocol will enhance your standing with the public and the Coton community. If you are a “hobby” breeder, you can claim, in truth, you are doing your best for the Coton breed. * Q. I’m not a “hobby” breeder. My dogs are gorgeous multi-champion Coton de Tulear, resulting from years of careful selection and exhibition. I don’t see that you have anything for me. A. If you have an unselfish nature, you have much to offer others who also love high quality Cotons. The on-line Breeders Forum allows all ACC breeders a chance to help others who may be less experienced and less successful. * Q. You say that ACC non-members can use the registry, buy the magazine, American Coton Quarterly, and join the Breeders Forum online. What is to gain by actually joining ACC? A. ACC charter members mention feelings of deep satisfaction in creating an organization worthy of the dogs they love. The ACC coalition is proud to support a generous, helpful spirit in conducting our Coton affairs. * Q. How can I join? How much does it cost? It's free with a yearly subscription to American Coton Quarterly. To receive ACQ and become a member of ACC, send a check for $49 for the print edition or $25 for an online edition of ACQ to ACC, 3484 Waverley Street, Palo Alto, CA 94306. You will be enrolled and receive the most recent issue of American Coton within a few days. ACC is a non-profit 501(3)c charitable organization for the welfare of animals. We rely on donations to support our work. Hoping to hear from you soon. Yours truly, Ron Hiskes Administrator
Copyright 2001, 2002,
2003, 2004, 2005 by American Coton Club (ACC), The Coton de Tulear Club of the
Americas.
ACC is devoted to "All Cotons All the Time". |