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Petition closes June 30, 2026

Call for a Special Convention of Delegates

The ASFA Provisional Breeds Committee requests that Member Club Liaisons formally petition for a Special Convention to vote on a proposed amendment to Article X of the ASFA Constitution establishing a Dual-Registry Automatic Recognition Pathway for additional sighthound breeds.

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About the Amendment

New Path C — Dual-Registry Pathway: a breed recognized as a sighthound by both the FCI (Group 10) and the UKC (Sighthound & Pariah Group, with an official standard identifying it as a sighthound) is verified into Provisional status — no fee, no discretionary Board vote.

Automatic full recognition — after the same two-year Provisional period required of all breeds, Path C breeds gain full recognition automatically (titles/points applied retroactively), unless the Board refers the question to Convention by a 2/3 vote taken 90+ days in advance.

Modernizes Paths A & B — strikes the undefined term "accredited" from Path A, harmonizing it with Path B, and raises the application/petition fees from $100 to $500 (fully refundable if not accepted) to reflect committee and Board review costs.

Lowers barriers for rare breeds — reduces the owner-petition threshold in Paths B and C from ten owners to three, helping rare sighthound breeds initiate the recognition process.

How This Works

1

Clubs sign this petition

One authorized club delegate or officer from each of 17 of 49 ASFA member clubs in good standing (1/3) must formally sign — consistent with the delegate confirmation process in Article IV, Section 2. A separate club officer must confirm each submission. The petition states the proposed date, location, and purpose of the convention.

2

Corresponding Secretary calls the convention

Upon receipt of the signed petition, the Corresponding Secretary sends written notice to all clubs at least 30 days prior. The proposed date must be at least 45 days from the date of the petition. No other ASFA business may be transacted at this convention.

3

Convention vote

Quorum = majority of member clubs. Adoption of the proposed amendment to Article X requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of delegates present and voting at the Special Convention of Club Delegates. (ASFA Constitution Art. XI, Sec. 1–2)

Read the Full Amendment Text & Rationale

Today, Article X requires every candidate breed to pass a discretionary two-thirds Board vote for Provisional status and a discretionary two-thirds Convention vote for full recognition — even when a breed's sighthound status has already been established by the international registries ASFA's own Running Rules already recognize: the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), whose Group 10 exists specifically to classify sighthounds, and the United Kennel Club (UKC), whose Sighthound & Pariah Group serves the same function.

The proposed Path C (Dual-Registry) pathway replaces that re-litigation with ministerial verification for breeds recognized as sighthounds by both registries — while preserving the same two-year Provisional observation period, retroactive titles and points per existing Section 3, and a Board safety valve (a 2/3 Board vote, taken 90+ days in advance, can refer the question to Convention in exceptional cases). Breeds already in Provisional status that meet the dual-registry test are credited their time already served.

Existing Paths A and B — the current Convention-vote procedures — and Section 5 (revocation) remain fully intact for all other breeds. The amendment also strikes the undefined term "accredited" from Path A, raises the Path A/B application and petition fees from $100 to $500 (refundable if not accepted), and lowers the owner-petition threshold in Paths B and C from ten owners to three.

Full Motion Text — Article X Amendment (Google Doc)

This Petition Formally States

Purpose

Consideration of and vote on a proposed amendment to ASFA Constitution Article X — Dual-Registry Automatic Recognition Pathway for Additional Sighthound Breeds

View Full Motion Text

Proposed Date

TBD — at least 45 days from petition date

Location

Zoom (virtual meeting)

Per ASFA Constitution Article XI, Sections 1–2 and Article IV, Section 4 — no other Association business shall be transacted at this Special Convention.

Club Petition Signature

Liaison + confirming officer required

Pulled from the official ASFA Member Club directory — listed alphabetically by region. Don't see your club? Select "Other" and contact the committee.

Confirmation sent here

Confirming Club Officer

Per ASFA Constitution Article IV, Section 2, a separate club officer must confirm this delegate submission. This person must be different from the Club Liaison named above.

Certification: By signing below, I certify that I am the authorized club delegate or officer of the named ASFA Member Club in good standing, and that this submission constitutes my club's formal signature on the petition for a Special Convention of Club Delegates — as provided under ASFA Constitution Article IV, Section 2 (delegate confirmation) and Article XI, Sections 1–2 (petition for and adoption of constitutional amendments) — for the sole purpose of considering and voting on a proposed amendment to ASFA Constitution Article X (Dual-Registry Automatic Recognition Pathway for Additional Sighthound Breeds).

Typed signatures submitted through this form are legally binding electronic signatures under the U.S. Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. § 7001 et seq.) and carry the same legal effect as a handwritten signature — consistent with ASFA's existing practice of conducting Board business, including votes, by email.

Date:

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Questions about the petition? Contact the ASFA Provisional Breeds Committee: bisbeemmichele@gmail.com