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> Welcome to the Home of the Fabulous Podengo Pequeno! > PPCA > PPCA HistoryPPCA History
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Recent Changes - Splitting the breed
At a meeting Thursday, July 24, 2008, the PPCA Board voted unanimously to recommend for approval by the membership that the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno and the Portuguese Podengo Medio (and Grande) be presented to the American Kennel Club as two separate breeds, and that the PPCA apply to AKC to be the national breed club for the Pequeno and that a new sister club be formed to apply to AKC to be the national breed club for the Medio and Grande. A vote was conducted by the entire PPCA membership regarding this proposal, with all members in good standing asked to indicate via reply email their agreement/disagreement with this proposal. The period for this vote was the shorter of 30 days or until a majority of the members have voted in agreement (or when a majority of the members votes in disagreement). A simple majority of members voting is required for the proposal to be approved.
Background on the Vote
For the prior several months, the PPCA President Kip Bergstrom and Vice-President Suzanne Faria had been in discussion with Mari-Beth O'Neill at AKC's Foundation Stock Service, as well as with Vitor Veiga of the Clube do Podengo Portugues and Carla Molinari of the Clube Canicultura Portugues, on how best to present the Portuguese Podengo to the AKC.
In Europe, the equivalent organization to the AKC, the Federation Cynologique Internationale, recognizes the Portuguese Podengo as one breed with six varieties, and PPCA initially proposed to present the Portuguese Podengo to the AKC that way. The problem is that AKC does not treat varieties in the same manner as FCI does. FCI prevents the inter-breeding of varieties if requested to do so by the national breed club in the country of origin, and recognizes varieties at the group level in the judging of conformation events.
In most cases, AKC does not treat varieties in the same way. For most breeds, AKC does not track separate varieties and does not prevent interbreeding of varieties even if the parent club wishes them to do so.
In summary, advantages to splitting the sizes into separate breeds include: It will prevent the inter-breeding of the Pequeno with the other sizes and it will enable each of the two sizes to compete separately for Best of Breed and to be represented at the group level.
For the prior several months, the PPCA President Kip Bergstrom and Vice-President Suzanne Faria had been in discussion with Mari-Beth O'Neill at AKC's Foundation Stock Service, as well as with Vitor Veiga of the Clube do Podengo Portugues and Carla Molinari of the Clube Canicultura Portugues, on how best to present the Portuguese Podengo to the AKC.
In Europe, the equivalent organization to the AKC, the Federation Cynologique Internationale, recognizes the Portuguese Podengo as one breed with six varieties, and PPCA initially proposed to present the Portuguese Podengo to the AKC that way. The problem is that AKC does not treat varieties in the same manner as FCI does. FCI prevents the inter-breeding of varieties if requested to do so by the national breed club in the country of origin, and recognizes varieties at the group level in the judging of conformation events.
In most cases, AKC does not treat varieties in the same way. For most breeds, AKC does not track separate varieties and does not prevent interbreeding of varieties even if the parent club wishes them to do so.
Advantages to splitting the sizes into separate breeds are that it will prevent the inter-breeding of the Pequeno with the other sizes and will enable each of the two sizes to compete separately for Best of Breed and to be represented at the group level. Furthermore, all Podengos will be placed in AKC's Hound group, including the Pequeno, which makes up most (80%) of America's Podengo population.
The proposal was approved by a vote of 63 in favor, 7 opposed. With two-thirds of the membership voting by a 10-1 margin in favor, the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno became a separate breed and the PPCA transitioned into its present role as its parent club in America.
History : Beginnings of the PPCA
In August 2001, the first Portuguese Podengo was shown at a dog show in the United States. This was a Portuguese Podengo Pequeno Wire Coat imported from Portugal, Chicharro de Viamonte (Manny), who was presented at the American Rare Breed Association's New England Classic in Topsfield, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, informal discussions began with ARBA regarding the development of a parent breed club for the Portuguese Podengo in the United States.
During the year 2002, more purebred Podengos came to the United States and these discussions continued with their new owners and with ARBA. In the fall of 2002, Marilyn Piurek (owner of Chicharro de Viamonte) developed an application to ARBA for designation of an organization known as the Portuguese Podengo Club of America (PPCA) as the parent club for the breed in America. This application included a Mission Statement, Constitution, Bylaws, and related information. These documents were first filed with the Secretary of the State of Rhode Island to achieve non-profit status by Marilyn Piurek and Christopher L. Bergstrom, listed as initial incorporators. In January 2003, the PPCA was issued its papers as a registered non-profit organization in the State of Rhode Island.
The Constitution of the PPCA, founded in January 2003, states:
The purpose of the Portuguese Podengo Club of America is to encourage and promote quality in the breeding of purebred Podengos in accordance with the FCI standard and to support the development of local Podengo specialty clubs in those areas where there are sufficient fanciers of the breed.
The PPCA will do all in its power to protect and advance the interests of the breed and to encourage sportsman-like competition at dog shows . . . PPCA brings together Podengo lovers who share the common interest of raising, training, breeding and competing and are committed to stimulating interest in competitive public showings of Portuguese Podengos and furthering the interests of the Breed.
Parent Club Recognition
With this first key step of incorporation having been accomplished, the final application to ARBA was thereafter prepared and on January 15, 2003, ARBA was sent a letter and application requesting recognition of the PPCA as the parent breed club for the Portuguese Podengo, signed by Marilyn Piurek and listing the seven incorporating directors of the PPCA. These incorporating directors, listed by name in the letter, also referred to as founders, included Marilyn Piurek and Kip Bergstrom of Newport, Rhode Island, Judy Parker of Naples, New York, Darlene Devaney and Eliot Washor of Providence, Rhode Island, and Sue Hunt and Albert Navarro of Bellevue, Washington. Those seven incorporating directors collectively owned eight of the of the twelve Podengos thought to be in the U.S. at that time, and were expecting three litters of pups within three weeks of the letter.
On March 23, 2003, the PPCA was notified by ARBA that it was officially designated as the parent breed club bfor the Portuguese Podengo in the United States.
Charter Members
The incorporating Bylaws of the PPCA state that "single members who joined the PPCA on or before July 1, 2003 shall be entitled to the designation "Charter Member."
The 17 Charter Members and their first Podengos, including date of birth are as follows:
Marilyn Piurek: Chicharro de Viamonte 1/16/01
Judy Parker: Corvina de Viamonte, 1/16/01
Kip Bergstrom: Dieta de Viamonte 7/5/01
Darlene Devaney: Donzela de Viamonte 7/5/01
Elliot Washor: Donzela de Viamonte 7/5/01
Susan Hunt: Gelado de Viamonte, 2/25/02
Bonnie Braun: Geleia de Viamonte, 2/25/02
Jim Glenn: Agriao, 3/7/02
Misa Glenn: Agriao, 3/7/02
Eve Dupertuis: Tilla de la Myosotis, 4/20/02
Penny Schroeder: Horacio de Viamonte, 9/10/02
Cal Schroeder: Horacio de Viamonte, 9/10/02
Robert Phillips: Garcia Portobelo da Casa de Sao Domingos, 1/13/03
Dawn Phillips: Garcia Portobelo da Casa de Sao Domingos, 1/13/03
Eric Preputnick: Alpha of Bramblewood 1/18/03
Dawn Gardner: Amerigo of Bramblewood 1/18/03
Patrick Reidy: Amerigo of Bramblewood 1/18/03
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