Joint Statement by Boerboel Associations

[Johan Swart]

STATEMENT BY THE SA BOERBOEL BREEDERS’ SOCIETY (SABBS), ELITE BOERBOEL BREED ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (EBBASA), BOERBOEL INTERNATIONAL (BI), AND THE KENNEL UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA (KUSA)

 

Topic: REGISTRATION OF BOERBOELS IN TERMS OF THE ANIMAL IMPROVEMENT ACT, NO 62 OF 1998

 

Date: 12 July 2012, 09:00

 

Organisations involved in the registration of Boerboels were invited to a meeting with the Registrar of Animal Improvement in Pretoria on Wednesday 13 June 2012, to discuss the suspension of the registration of the SA Boerboel Breeders Society (SABBS) in terms of the Animal Improvement Act, No 62 of 1998.

 

The Registrar called the meeting after Boerboel International (BI), the Elite Boerboel Breed Association of Southern Africa (EBBASA) and the Kennel Union of Southern Africa (KUSA) objected to the SABBS registration granted on 10 April 2012.

 

The following is a summary of the rulings made by the Registrar:

 

• The Registrar requested the Boerboel organisations to appoint an independent chairman to facilitate discussions in a common forum in which the four existing South African registries of the Boerboel Breed will be represented on the registration of Boerboels in terms of the Act. He expects feedback within 8 weeks from the date of the meeting.

 

• The suspension of the registration certificate of SABBS will stay in force, pending the outcome of the consultation process with the objective of reaching agreement on one Boerboel Breeders Society and a common constitution.

 

• The Animal Improvement Act allows for consideration of other Registering Authorities, but will eventually only allow one Breeder Society and one Registering Authority per breed.

 

• If no agreement is reached, the Registrar may refer the matter to the Minister of Agriculture for the appointment of a commission of enquiry.

 

The Registrar urged the parties concerned to act in the interest of the future of the Boerboel breed. The suspension of the registration of SABBS also has implications on the import and export of Boerboels. In terms of the Animal Improvement Act, this may only be done on the authorisation of the Registrar, and he may take steps to prohibit any Boerboel exports at any time.

 

Released for and on behalf of:

 

The South African Boerboel Breeders Society (SABBS)

Elite Boerboel Breed Association of Southern Africa (EBBASA)

Boerboel International (BI)

Kennel Union of South Africa (KUSA)

[Gary and Regina Humphrey]

So, what does this mean for the US Boerboel Breeders?  Are we considering this a good thing for the breed or limiting?

[Johan Swart]

Hi Regina, I believe that it will be a good thing for US breeders (if the negotiations are successful). The Act determines that "genetically superior animals" must be identified and only offspring, semen and those animals themselves may be exported. It will stop the dumping of inferior animals onto buyers who cannot see what they are buying and will force breeders to consider genotype as well as phenotype. I believe the Act will initially result in a "drought" of exportable dogs but once the database of "genetically superior" animals is populated, exports will proceed but the quality of the exports will be higher.