A Reporttothe mediaonPoodle RescueMr. Jack MacGillivray, President,Poodle Club o AmericaMrs. Sally Poindexter, PresidentPoodle Club o America Rescue Foundation

November 11, 2008

Tis inormation packet is being sent to various media groups in hopes o educating the public on our breed, thepoodle.Recent news coverage o President-elect Obama’s statements about getting his daughters a new puppy has sparkedmuch opinion throughout the dog community. His daughter mentioned a goldendoodle and we are hoping to edu-cate not only the Obama’s but the public through the media to the truths about this type o dog.Te past has shown us that when a dog is popularized, especially a purebred dog, the over breeding o those dogs ris-es signicantly; cases in point include dogs appearing on television shows such as “Frazier” which eatured Eddy, the Jack Russell terrier, “Lassie” the collie, and “Rin inin,” the German Shepherd and also dogs appearing in lms like“Beethoven” which eatured a Saint Bernard, “101 Dalmatians,” and Old Yeller, in which the dog was most likely ayellow Labrador. Sometimes, when a celebrity popularizes a certain type o dog, there is a renzy to have one like it.For example, it is well-known that iger Woods has a labradoodle and think o how many photographs there are o tiny dogs carried in emale celebrities’ handbags . In the rush to be ‘en vogue,’ many people do not take the time toeducate themselves about the traits o such breeds or mixed breeds and the shelters and rescue groups become ull o the unortunate castos.No matter what breed o dog the Obama’s may choose, it will become a coveted breed throughout the country andthereore, a rescue group’s nightmare. Te past has demonstrated that many people will buy them on impulse andcast them away just as quickly. Unscrupulous people over-produce these breeds, and then cash their checks and walk away. A vicious cycle then ensues with dogs caught in the middle as suppliers ll demand rom an uninormed pub-lic. Tousands o dogs are euthanized each year because o economic problems in the household, because the ownerhas died or become disabled, because o divorce. o add to the burden o shelters and misortune o these aecteddogs because a particular breed o dog is ‘popular,’ because iger has one or because the dog is a cute ashion accesso-ry is a tragedy. My hope is that the Obama amily will research any and all breeds that they may be interested in andthen nd that breed o dog through a rescue group or a shelter. Any all-breed rescue group in the United States willbe happy to assist them in nding the right dog or their amily. Any shelter will welcome them with open arms. Itis our job as breed clubs to educate the public about each and every breed.Te Golden Retriever Club o America and the Labrador Retriever Club o America stand rmly with the PoodleClub o America to stop the cross-breeding o our breeds. We spend countless hours educating the public to thedangers o cross-breeding. Tere is no organization dedicated to these crossbreeds, and thereore, our three clubsspend much o our time rescuing the dogs that the many unscrupulous producers do not stand behind.I ask that you please take a ew moments to read the attached inormation and become educated about our belovedbreed, the poodle. You will also see the devotion that our Club has to our breed and our rescue program on our website, www.poodlecluboamerica.org. Te website is ull o inormation on our breed and you will clearly see thehistory o our breed club and how dedicated people have worked to keep our breed strong and healthy. In addition,by choosing “Poodle Rescue” you can see a sample o the many hundreds o purebred Poodles available or adoptionin Rescue in the U.S.I the Obama amily decides on a poodle, we would be most happy to assist them in their search or the perect dog.Tank you or your consideration,Sally PoindexterPresident, Poodle Club o America Rescue Foundation

Why a Poodle?

According to the AKC, the Poodle is the eighth most popular breed registered in the UnitedStates, but Poodle owners believe that there is no better breed, period.Te Poodle was originally bred to retrieve water owl and they retain characteristics suchas webbed eet and a dense, water-repellent coat that make them suitable or that task still today. With their superior intelligence and gregarious personalities, however, Poodles soon ound a placein the home as companions.Tere are three Varieties o Poodle: the oy - a dog less than ten inches tall at the shoulder;the Miniature - a dog more than ten inches but less than teen inches at the shoulder; and theStandard - a dog more than teen inches at the shoulder. Although there are three dierent sizeso Poodle, the Breed Standard or each is the same - “that o a very active, intelligent and elegant-appearing dog, squarely built, well proportioned, moving soundly and carrying himsel proudly...the Poodle has about him an air o distinction and dignity peculiar to himsel.” When asked “why a Poodle?,” the late Anne Rogers Clark oten replied: “Tey are Labradors with college educations. Ater a day o retrieving, your Lab wants to curl up in ront o the replace and take a well-deservednap. A Poodle wants to be your ourth at the Bridge table and tell naughty stories!”Poodles excel at all types o dog sports. In Conormation competition in the AKC, the Stan-dard and Miniature Poodles are exhibited in the Non-Sporting Group and oy Poodles are exhib-ited in the oy Group. All three varieties o Poodles can also be seen competing (and winning!) inObedience, in Rally, in Agility, and in racking ests. Standard and Miniature Poodles may com-pete in dry-land hunting and water retrieving trials but alas, oy Poodles are not permitted in theseactivities at the present time.

Why Purebred Rescue?

Every dog breed, rom Aenpinschers to Poodles to Yorkshire erriers, has a Rescue organiza-tion devoted to their particular breed and these various purebred rescues are scattered all across theUnited States. Te Poodle Club o America (PCA) is very proud to claim over 60 groups and many individuals devoted to Poodle Rescue. Anyone wanting to nd more inormation about helpinga Poodle in need o Rescue has two very easy ways to do so: either through the American KennelClub (AKC) website or through the PCA website. Sally Poindexter, Chairperson o PCA Rescue,handles many o the initial contacts that come through the PCA website. Sally has ound that when asked, the person inquiring about a Rescue Poodle oten states that the reason they are inter-ested in a purebred in rescue is because they have researched the breed and appreciate its qualitiesand characteristics and want to help a dog in need. A discerning public seems to understand thatthere is a dierence between designer dogs and cross-breeds and purebred dogs in terms o tempera-ment, structure, genetic health and other things that are o concern to pet owners.

What about those Labradoodles?

Labradoodles were rst produced in Australia in 1989 through an experimental breedingprogram sponsored by the Royal Guide Dog Association. Te goal o this breeding experiment was to produce a dog more suitable or disabled individuals with allergies than the typical LabradorRetriever. Te Association believed that by crossing the steady temperament o the Lab with the