Page 150 - ShowSight - September 2019
P. 150

                Lines from Linda
BY LINDA AYERS TURNER KNORR
  DR. CARMEN BATTAGLIA LEADS
AKC DETECTIOND
r. Carmen Battaglia is a multifac- eted leading
gentleman of the dog world. Widely admired for his enormous impact on the sport his contribu- tions are endless. With Masters and Doctorate degrees from Florida State University he is recognized worldwide as a researcher, lecturer and author. He has served on the staffs of Emory University, Florida State
University, DeKalb College and the University of Tennessee Space Institute. Dr. Battaglia’s research on puppies, Early Neurological Stimulation, and the risks of bloat have been published in profes- sional veterinary journals. This is just one example of over 60 arti- cles and many books we have authored.
The German Shepherd Dog Club of America has chosen Car- men to represent them as their AKC Delegate for the past 26 years and the AKC Delegate Body has repeatedly elected him to serve on the AKC Board of Directors. Other roles have included serving as President of AKC Reunite, and serving on The National Genetics Committee, The Canine Health and Education Committee and AKC’s Committee for the Future. He judges more than 40 breeds and is highly regarded for a program he developed called Breeding Better Dogs.
Carmen and his wife Nancy are Georgia residents. There he served as Chairman for the Study Group on Vicious Dog Legisla- tion. His committee’s recommendations have been used as model legislation in several states.
As Chairman of the AKC Detection Dog Task Force, Dr. Batta- glia just wrapped up the three day American Kennel Club 2019 U.S. Detection Dog Conference in Durham, North Carolina. Attendees included persons involved in national security from government, law enforcement, business leaders, educators, breeders, trainers, etc.
As our changing world brings fears of terrorism involving explo- sives, drugs and mass shootings, the need for trained detection dogs in America and abroad has sadly increased tremendously. For more than 50 years our country has depended on importing these work- ing dogs from European breeders. According to the US Depart- ments of Defense and Homeland Security 90 percent of working dogs used for security come from overseas breeders. Worldwide security threats have increased the need in other countries as well creating great shortages of dogs. Worsening the crisis, the best dogs are being kept abroad and not being available to us.
To respond to this crisis, Dr. Battaglia says, “As the largest dog registry in the country, and an advocate for breeding for type and function, we want to use our expertise and resources to col- laborate, raise awareness and educate breeders with the goal of finding practical solutions to this shortage.”
Through the AKC Detection Task Force, Dr. Battaglia shared the following information on what breeders and Patriotic Puppy Raisers need to know.
In 2016, the US Senate held three hearings about the security of our airports, borders and infrastructure. Following these hearings,
DOG TASK FORCE
  148 • ShowSight Magazine, SepteMber 2019
“PERHAPS YOU
WOULD BE
WILLING TO
RAISE ONE
PUPPY TO
PROTECT OUR
COUNTRY.”
DR. CARMEN BATTAGLIA
 










































































   148   149   150   151   152