WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD!
As you can see, this does not leave a lot of discretionary income for pet food, veterinary care, entry fees, hotels, meals, and the many other things needed to be involved in the sport of purebred dogs. Economists are predicting that the average family will see the cost of gasoline alone increase between $2,000 and $3,000 this year. This is for the average family. For those of us who travel to shows, I imagine it will be higher. Just remember that these figures from the government are based on the “median” income, which means there are 50% of the people with
Numerous breeds trace their origins to the countries of the old Soviet Bloc countries. For example, the Black Russian Terrier was developed at the Red Star Kennels in Moscow during the 1930s. Other breeds with deep roots in the region are the Borzoi, Russian Toy, Samoyed, and Siberian Husky. With the expansion of clubs throughout Europe and the rest of the world, our sport today is truly universal. Technology in reproduction has allowed for the shipment of semen between breeders from all countries. Likewise, with the Internet and other improved communication systems between breeders, the importing and exporting of dogs has become a valuable asset to the sport. Many breeders both here in the United States and in coun- tries throughout the world have enjoyed the opportunity to expand their dogs’ gene pools by importing and exporting breeding animals across the globe. I had requested from the AKC some statistics for this article regarding the numbers of foreign registrations from all sources, including Russia and Ukraine, but I never received a response. So, I cannot give you the actual numbers of imports to our country. WILL WAR CHANGE OUR SPORT? We are all bearing witness to the conflict between Rus- sia and Ukraine. Both of these countries have an active dog breeder/show population of enthusiasts. Just like all of us, they care a great deal about their dogs and their counterparts throughout the world. For many years, the exchange of judges, dogs, and infor- mation between countries throughout the world has not been limited or restricted. However, the recent events have led to the banning of Russian judges and exhibitors from partak- ing in any dog events outside their own country. I have fond memories of judging in Ukraine, and meeting dog breeders and enthusiasts from that country, and it is heartbreaking to see what is going on in the country. I pray that, somehow, peace will come to the region and our dog-loving counter- parts can rebuild and return to competition sooner rather than later. INFLATION AND ITS EFFECT ON OUR SPORT Here in America, just as in other parts of the world, our sport appears to have survived the COVID phase for the moment and things are slowly returning to a somewhat normal situation. However, growing inflation will no doubt have a huge effect on our sport moving forward. Most of us use our dis- cretionary income as our source of funds for our habit or addiction to showing dogs. Unfortunately, due to inflation and other things outside of our control, it is expected that our available discretionary income may decline for the foreseeable future due to higher costs of goods and services. According to U.S. Government statistics from 2020, the average American family income is $67,463 per year BEFORE TAXES. The average family expenses listed were housing at $1,710 per month, transportation (including car payments) at $813 per month, healthcare at $500 per month (I don’t know many families that can cover their healthcare for that), $660 per month for groceries, $237 for various subscriptions, $155 for clothing, $100 for phone service, and $58 for other monthly services.
higher income levels as well as 50% with lower levels. WHAT ABOUT THE SHOW-GIVING CLUBS?
There is no doubt that inflation may create problems for exhibitors, but will it also be an area of concern for the show-giving clubs? The expenses for judges will increase just from the higher costs of airline tickets and fuel. For example, I was scheduled to judge for a specialty club this summer, and when I went to purchase the airline ticket, the fare (which is normally in the $300-$400 range) was running between $800-$1100. Needless to say, I contacted the club and suggested that they find a judge more local to the area, as I just could not see a local specialty club being able to absorb those costs and still at least break even for their show. They reluctantly agreed that it was the proper, fiscal thing to do. We are seeing a rise in motel and meal costs too. Some venues have installed COVID sanitation protocols and have also raised their rental prices. Due to the inflation factor, some exhibitors may cut down on the number of shows they attend. Some handlers may lose clients because of the clients’ lack of discretionary income. Clubs will spend more for judges or will look for those living close to their show to keep costs down. This, of course, will be depriving exhibitors of a variety of avail- able judges under whom they may have to exhibit. Ribbons, trophies, volunteer meals, superintendent fees, and other related expenses will all affect a club’s ability to continue to put on shows without losing money. WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Although it may seem like we are in a sort of doomsday scenario at times, it is comforting to know that we have survived difficult times in the past. As you can see, our world has undergone so many changes in just the last 50 years and no one can predict where we will be 50 years from now. Change, both good and bad, has been a part of man’s existence since the beginning of time. But as the song says, we still see trees of green, the red roses bloom, the skies of blue, and the clouds are white, the sun shines during the day and the moon is up there at night. We still have the colors of the rainbow and people shaking hands, babies still cry and we watch them grow. Amazingly, life goes on and we somehow survive. Through pandem- ics, war, weather, and other disasters, man always seems to work things out. Those of us who love our faithful four-legged friends will always be there for them, just as they are always here for us. Look at these times as one of opportunity. Join a local club, get more involved, and help the sport wherever you can as a volunteer. Don’t give up just because times are hard. By working together, and not against each other, we may become stronger than before when this difficult period ends. My hope for each of you is that even though things in the world don’t always seem right or fair, you can still see the beauty of our wonderful world.
96 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2022
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