|
> About PPPCA > PPPCA HistoryPPPCA History |  | |
©All materials are copyright protected and may not be used without permission of the author.
History : Beginnings of the PPPCA
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.
Parent Club
During the year 2002, more purebred Podengos came to the United States. In the fall of 2002, Marilyn Piurek (owner of Chicharro de Viamonte) developed articles of incorporation for 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 filed with the Secretary of the State of Rhode Island to achieve non-profit status by Founders 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. With this first key step of incorporation having been accomplished, the final papers were prepared and filed on January 15, 2003, PPCA as the parent breed club for the Portuguese Podengo, signed by Marilyn Piurek.
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.
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
Podengo Firsts in America
Here is some of the early history of Portuguese Podengos in the USA, a list of "Firsts":
First purebred Podengo Pequeno Smooth Coat in America: Zara do Casal de Pauves, owned by Lucia Moura of New York and brought to the United States in 1995
First purebred Podengo Pequeno Wire Coat in America: Chicharro de Viamonte (Manny) brought to America in 2001 and owned by Marilyn Piurek and Kip Bergstrom
First purebred Portuguese Podengo litter born in the United States: Alpha and Amerigo de Bramblewood, bred by Judy Parker of New York and born January 18,2003
First Portuguese Podengo to achieve Champion status in the USA: Chicharro de Viamonte (ARBA/2001 and Rarities/2003). He is also the first American Podengo to be exhibited abroad (Portugal/2003).
These are statistics from just our first few years. Kudos to all of our Podengos and the good work they have done representing the breed so handily!
Recent Changes - Splitting the Breed, Name Modification and Revised Bylaws
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 voted in disagreement). A simple majority of members voting is required for the proposal to be approved.
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 PPCA formally requested that AKC split the Pequeno from the Medio and the Grande as a separate breed. In anticipation of AKC doing so, PPCA transitioned into its present role to focus on the Pequeno. In July 2009, by a majority vote of the membership at a duly called meeting, the PPCA name was modified to PPPCA -- Portuguese Podengo Pequeno Club of America. Shortly thereafter, PPPCA revised its Bylaws to conform more closely to the AKC template and these were affirmed by the vast majority of members voting and became official on September 10, 2009.
Official Information on PPPCA Club Status
As the officers and board of directors of the PPPCA, we feel it is helpful at this time to communicate with PPPCA members and supporters about the decision by the American Kennel Club to designate another club as the AKC parent club for the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno in the United States. It will be no surprise to anyone that we strongly disagree with the decision of the AKC Board to designate a new startup club made up of a splinter group from the PPPCA as parent club. AKC's selection process is not transparent, but it is clear that, on the merits, the PPPCA has best represented the breed in the past and is best prepared to represent the breed in the future. The PPPCA is proud of its organically grown membership roster, more than 80% of whom own and live with a Pequeno, and its activities on behalf of the Podengo since the club was formed in 2003. One clear positive to come from the many activities leading up to the AKC decision is our merger with the American Portuguese Podengo Pequeno Club. Our membership roster is committed to work together for the good of the Pequeno and we look forward to doing just that in the coming years.
The PPPCA is and will remain what it always has been -- an independent club of people who love these healthy, happy little hounds. We plan to continue our activities without pause to protect and promote the breed. The move to the AKC Miscellaneous class in January 2011 brings plenty of new and exciting opportunities to show our dogs more widely, but the club has never been solely about the AKC. It has always been about the Portuguese Podengo and it will remain so. We'll be working for the breed with the AKC, UKC. ICKC and FCI and others as we have in the past. And we hope to continue to attract new members who are likewise interested in the Podengo Pequeno. We'll keep our breeder referral program in place and we'll keep our code of ethics as a part of the core of this club. And we'll continue to maintain the most popular website on the Podengo Pequeno in the world, to conduct judge education seminars, encourage our members to compete in performance and conformation events, and conduct an annual National Specialty, which we expect will continue to be the best attended in the U.S. In short, we will continue to do all of the things we did before this decision. We hope you will continue to support the PPPCA as it supports the Podengo Pequeno by renewing your membership. Thank you for your support!
|
| |
|
|
