How is ACC Different From Other Clubs?
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   Since our inception in the year 2000, people from other Coton clubs have asked how ACC is different. We describe some of the qualities which make us unique. 1. We are inclusive, not exclusive. Anyone can join who shares our philosophy of health and education, ethical behavior, and doing only what is best for the dogs and the breed. * 2. ACC supports the independent quarterly magazine American Coton Quarterly, which is published four times a year with guaranteed publication dates. American Coton provides real and timely news of events in the Coton world and includes Cotons of every persuasion. Cotons of non members are not cropped from the group photos. Unlike other "official" clubs which "include only photos of members' dogs and emphasize members who contribute to the club", we truly feature "All Cotons All the Time"
* 3. Membership is free for those who subscribe to the independent American Coton Quarterly magazine. You do not have to reapply for membership every year or have your membership continually scrutinized by an "executive board". ACC is the only United States Coton Club which regularly publishes a Membership Directory for its members.
* 4. ACC offers free health test certification as a service to the greater Coton Community. We provide quarterly updates of the entire CERF eye examination certifications as well as the CERF database of Cotons with eye diseases on our web site. * 5. ACC has an extensive North and South American and Pan-European membership. We provide news of interest from around the world. Because Coton Dogs know no club boundaries, we emphasize the happiness and welfare of the breed of dogs, not the special interests of a few breeders. * 6. Participation in ACC activities, such as email discussion groups, is open to all ACC members. You may speak freely. We encourage lively discussion and debate. Dissenters are not censored or removed from the list by the moderator for disagreeing with the moderator. * 7. We do not require ACC breeders to pay a fee to be listed as a "Code of Ethics Breeder". Our breeders list is not a form of advertisement for Coton breeders, but rather a service to puppy buyers to enable them to locate and contact reputable breeders. We believe breeders must be ethical to be successful, and for those who wish to make known their adherence to a reasonable and brief Code of Ethics, we offer a Statement of Conduct and a Breeders List. We believe that ethical behavior applies to all club members as well as to the personal relationship between breeder and puppy buyer. One of the best things breeders can do for their dogs and their customers is to remain up to date on health testing. ACC certifies the health tests and provides a service for breeders and customers by listing the breeding Cotons whose health tests have been certified by ACC. These are truly "Puppies Worth Waiting For." * 8. Not all ACC members who are breeders have applied to be ACC Code of Ethics breeders. Nevertheless we require All ACC members who are breeders to be ethical in their breeding programs. What does it mean to have an ethical breeding program? ACC defines it as breeding for the purpose of maintaining and preserving the health of the breed while producing lively and beautiful puppies of excellent temperament. Breeding multiple breeds for profit is unethical. Cotons and other small dogs are Companion Dogs. They are meant to live with the family which they adopt as their pack. Kenneling dogs outside in cages and forcing them to lead lives of loneliness for the sake of producing and selling puppies is unethical. Breeding females at the first or second heat when they are barely a year old is unethical. Breeding females time after time in consecutive heats until they are worn out and "useless" is unethical. Breeding dogs which are not fully health tested is unethical. Stealing photos off the Internet and promoting these photos on your own web site as representing your own dogs is unethical. Selling puppies as show potential or breedable whether they are or not just to make more profit on each sale is unethical. Selling puppies over the Internet without extensive and personal evaluation of the buyer and of every puppy home is unethical. Selling puppies without a contract is unethical. Failure to sell show potential or breedable puppies with a contract which specifies exactly which health tests must be done before they are bred is unethical. Everyone who applies to become a member of ACC agrees to what ACC considers to be ethical behavior and also agrees not to participate in any unethical behavior regarding any dogs.
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". |