AMBOR closes its doors!

AMBOR, the American Mixed Breed Obedience Registry, has closed it's doors this week. According to Wikipedia...

AMBOR was founded in 1983 in New Prague, Minnesota, to provide a competitive venue for dogs not recognized by purebred registries such as the American Kennel Club. At that time, they provided rules under which dogs could compete to earn obedience titles in the same way that most purebred dogs could compete in their purebred clubs.

By 1990, AMBOR had negotiated an agreement with the Illini Obedience Association, host of the prestigious Gaines obedience trials, to allow AMBOR-registered dogs to participate in these top-level competitions.

Eventually, AMBOR worked out mutual agreements with the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA), the United Kennel Club (UKC), and the North American Dog Agility Association (NADAC), so that AMBOR dogs could also compete in the other organizations' obedience and dog agility trials. The agreements expanded the venues for these organizations, all of which already allowed all dogs, purebred or not, to compete.

As of June 1st, 2006, NADAC will own AMBOR. According to early information, AMBOR's agility and obedience programs will remain with AMBOR.

AMBOR allows not only mixed breeds to compete at its events, but also purebred dogs who cannot be registered for whatever reason with the American Kennel Club, the UKC, or the Canadian Kennel Club.

AMBOR, unlike the Mixed Breed Dog Club of America, does not hold conformation trials, which evaluate a dog's appearance and physical characteristics. However, like virtually all dog clubs that accept mixed breeds, it requires that its member dogs be neutered, discourages the crossbreeding of dogs, and does not accept wolf hybrids as members.

As of this morning the AMBOR website was vacant. Mary Lynn Dawson, AMBOR Coordinator, indicated on their Yahoo Group this morning...

"It is with great disappointment that I announce that AMBOR will be closing its doors. We have made attempts to find someone to take the organization over but have found no one. I feel I have done everything I can do to make the organization become what I had envisioned when I took it over almost 2 years ago. There are just a handful of you out there that support AMBOR... But there is no growth or new interest."