Dog Registration Papers: What, if anything, are they worth?
What could be more impressive to a prospective or current dog owner than the ability to say “my dog has papers” or “he’s AKC-registered”?
It’s a strong-held belief that having papers means a dog is “guaranteed” to be purebred or be the offspring of “champions.” For this reason, many pet stores and backyard breeders advertise that their puppies are registered, or “come with papers.”
Simply stated, dog registries keep records on dogs, period. Registries will, for a fee ($10-$80), record and maintain information such as the dog’s name, breed, color, parents, and who owns him. Papers do not guarantee the health, quality or temperament of a puppy.
A pedigree is a record of a dog's ancestors, not that the dog is purebred. Many hybrids - also called 'designer' dogs - come with "pedigree papers" but it means only that each parent may be a purebred.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is the oldest, largest and wealthiest dog registry in the nation. On its website, the AKC clearly states that it does not guarantee the value or health of a dog. It is a “registry body” and “in order for a litter to be eligible for registration, the sire (father) and dam (mother) must be individually AKC registered.”
Several years ago, investigative reporters and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) set out to prove how much fraud existed among breeders, brokers and pet stores. Staff members with AKC dogs wrote to the AKC and requested litter applications, despite having a spayed Labrador Retriever. A few weeks later the investigator received forms for a litter of Labrador puppies. Other journalists and investigators requested and received papers for animals that didn’t even exist!
Some lesser-known dog registries on the rise include the American Canine Association (ACA) and America’s Pet Registry, Inc. (APRI). Smaller registries include the United Kennel Club (UKC), International Kennel Club (IKC), Federation of International Canines (FIC) and other small, private registries. The ACA began in PA recruiting Amish and Mennonite dog breeders – breeders whom sources say were suspended by the AKC.
Global Kennel Club (GKC), another private dog registry incorporated about ten years ago in New Jersey, was believed to be nothing more than a scam. The registered agent of GKC supplied many of his own and other pet stores in New Jersey with Pennsylvania puppies that were sick or dying. Global Kennel Club was the only dog registry option made available to consumers, which by itself was questionable, but coupled with the GKC’s “Offical (sic) Certificate of Registration” (obtained from frustrated and angry consumers), it painted a highly suspicious picture. Customers paid $25 for a “certificate” that stated only that the puppy was registered with GKC.
In other words, a piece of paper with absolutely no value at all!
For more info about the AKC:
Humane Society Accuses American Kennel Club of Protecting Puppy Mills
AKC Fails to Take a Stand Against Puppy Mills
Bad conditions reported at mass breeding facilities registering puppies with the American Kennel Club
Read the HSUS 13-page report called "The American Kennel Club: No Longer 'The Dog's Champion?'"
“Papers” from canine registries like the AKC, ACA, IKC, APRI, and others do NOT guarantee the quality of the dog, nor do they guarantee the health of the dog.
These papers are often switched or fraudulently filed by the breeder or broker, making them virtually worthless.