Kennel Club has ‘Concerns’ About Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club

Further to our clarification yesterday that K9 Magazine ‘did not omit information‘ regarding the Kennel Club’s position following the decision by the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club to expel Margaret Carter from its committee, we have learned today that the Kennel Club has reiterated that it still has ‘concerns’ about the decision.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel club issued a statement on October 13th which sought to give clarity to their reasons for expelling Margaret Carter and made particular reference to the ‘extensive advice and support’ the club had received from the Kennel Club in the preparations for the Special General Meeting where Margaret’s expulsion was decided.

However, K9 Magazine has today learned that the Kennel Club has since reiterated its concerns about the decision reached by the Cavalier club:

The Kennel Club does have concerns about the CKCS Club’s decision to remove Margaret Carter from the committee, as we made clear in our statement (attached). We fully support her quest to improve the health and welfare of the breed.

However, our statement also makes it clear that the Kennel Club supports the good work that the CKCS Club has done over the years, to progress the health and welfare of the breed

The statement above was provided to the owner of the popular Cavalier King Charles forum CavalierTalk.com.

This leaves a rather confused situation.

If the Kennel Club consulted extensively with the CKCS club prior to the meeting which resulted in Margaret’s expulsion, was it not discussed at any level between the two groups as to whether the Kennel Club would be ‘concerned’ if Margaret was voted out?

It seems the CKCS club has been geuinely shocked and surprised to see the Kennel Club come down so firmly in support of Margaret Carter.

Secondly, if the Kennel Club remains concerned at the decision reached by the club, will they be expressing this concern directly to the members who voted Margaret off the committee? How will the Kennel Club be communicating its concern at one of their own breed clubs acting in a ‘concerning’ way?

It seems that there is a state of confusion. The Cavalier Club is surprised to hear of the Kennel Club’s concern and is at pains to point out:

Following the KC statement, Caroline Kisko has given assurances that the Cavalier Club continues to have the full support of the Kennel Club.

How can the Cavalier club have the ‘full support’ of the Kennel Club if the Kennel Club itself is providing statements to other parties reiterating its ‘concern’? This makes no sense at all. What it does look like, to an outsider looking in, is that there is a concerted effort from the Kennel Club to try and appease two parties, both of whom have completely differing views. The CKCS club obviously wishes to tell the world and its members that it has the ‘full support’ of the Kennel Club. Yet Margaret Carter’s supporters are being told by the Kennel Club that it has ‘concerns’ about the decision reached by the CKSC club. Those two positions do not correlate.

Attempting to run with the fox AND the hounds is a practice likely to end in disaster. Eventually both sides end up confused, mistrusting and it becomes harder than ever to establish a true position.