THE INTERNATIONAL SHILOH SHEPHERD ALLIANCE
The International Shiloh Shepherd Alliance (ISSA) is a large group of breeders united under the core concepts of education, research, and the promotion of our unique breed, the Shiloh Shepherd.
We believe that education is all-important not only for you, who might consider adding a Shiloh to your home, but for our breeders, who enjoy a breeder training program and combined support from ALL of the breeders in our community. We believe in pursuing research into health and behavior, and in utilizing the latest breakthroughs in genetic science to bring you the healthiest dogs possible.
ISSA is a non-profit organization in process of registering at the state level. We anticipate our registration to be accepted by the state of Oklahoma by December. After that, procedure is in place to apply for full Federal recognition as a 501(c)3 Non-Profit, ideally finalized within the following three months.
Both Club and Registry are part of the same non-profit organization. All monies taken in, be they via club dues and private donations, or via orders for certificates or reports, go into the ISSA treasury to run the day-to-day business and to pursue programs in breed health, education, and promotion as defined by our Constitution. ISSA seeks to provide absolute transparency in these matters, and will make an annual financial report available to our membership.
ISSA FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS
The ISSA Board – Structure and Officers:
The ISSA Board is the overall governing body of both Club and Registry. All Registry personnel, though given powers within the Registry organization, are still appointed by and accountable to the Board.
All ISSA Board members are voted in by the membership, not appointed. Currently the Board is an “Interim” Board, structured to serve for one year while we finalize details of both the greater non-profit status and day-to-day procedures. The current Interim Board members are:
- Vanessa Dutton, President
- Maya Jerome, Vice President
- Anne Becker, Secretary
- Shani Gadwaw, Treasurer
- Zwanet Boer, International Advisor
- Bridgit Amstrup, Member Coordinator
- Anita Rados, Registry Liaison
At the first National Specialty and Annual Meeting held by the club, a new Board will be selected for the standard three-year term set out in the ISSA By-Laws, and triannual elections will be the norm after that.
For descriptions of each Board position’s responsibilities, please see our By-Laws, up soon.
About the ISSA Registry and Wardens:
As mentioned in the Club description, the Registry is part of the Club and subject to oversight by the Board of Directors. All Registry personnel, though given powers within the Registry organization, are still appointed by and accountable to the Board. The Registry itself is owned by the non-profit organization, the International Shiloh Shepherd Alliance, Inc.
As with the Board, for the first year we have appointed Interim Wardens and currently one Registrar. Two out of three Wardens must agree for a breeding proposal to be approved, and they have many other duties besides. The current Interim Wardens are:
- Vanessa Dutton
- Maya Jerome
- Anne Becker
Once the Interim period is over and a new Board elected to a three-year term, the Board may choose to retain, add, or replace Registry personnel as needed.
How do I join the ISSA club?:
We do have the ability to accept personal checks for memberships! Email our Member Coordinator, Bridgit Amstrup, at shilohshepherdalliance@gmail.com. Bridgit will email you the application for you to print. You can fill it out and return it with your check enclosed to our PO Box: Shani Gadwaw, ISSA Treasurer, PO Box 288, Waynesboro PA 17268.
A year’s membership is $25; a household (two people living in the same household) membership is $40; a three-year single-person membership is $60; and a three-year household membership is only $100.
Our Treasurer is Shani Gadwaw and she will be logging your dues. Our Membership Coordinator is Bridgit Amstrup and she oversees all incoming applications and enters members into our member database. Their contact information can be found on our CONTACT sheet online (insert link).
For Shiloh Shepherd fans in Europe, information about our sister club in the Netherlands can be found at sscn.nl. You can access their Contact form or email info@sscn.nl to join.
What are the benefits of membership in the ISSA club at this time?
Currently, members gain access to our Club Facebook group where they get to give early feedback on our programs and web pages as we create them. Our members also get the opportunity to work on committees to help us create new educational materials for online and expos! Our President gives periodic updates to the membership on our progress as we get our Club programs into place. We're working on Forums for our members as well, and we consistently strive to involve them in what we're up to.
If you join now, what you will get is a front seat and a voice in creating an organization that you want to be a part of. Our by-laws make provision for empowering our members to promote the breed, and even to get Club support for hosting Shiloh-related events for our membership. Our Board is very invested in hearing member feedback. We want to hear your ideas for the club!
Can I be a member of more than one Shiloh Shepherd Club? For example, both SSDCA and ISSA?
Yes! You can join us if you’re a member elsewhere, but you may not run for office or serve on committees if you have a dual membership. Also, be aware that your other club may have different rules about this—you may want to check to make sure you won’t endanger your standing with them.
What if I own a dog registered with the ISSR, and want to join the club, but I don’t want to register my dog with ISSA?
That is absolutely your decision and you are free to join our club! If you want to bring your dog to events like Expos, picnics, or seminars, or to shows as a spectator, please do!
If you decide that you would like to show in our Specialties, then you would need to register your ISSR dog with us to do so. ISSA Specialties are intended for ISSA dogs.
Likewise, if you decided that you would like to breed your ISSR dog within ISSA, you will need to register them with ISSA. Please be aware that if you choose to do so, you will no longer be allowed to breed within the ISSR, per that organization’s rules.
What if I have an ISSR-registered dog, but I do want to breed it within ISSA?
We ask you to agree that in registering your dog with ISSA, you will no longer breed to Shiloh Shepherds registered in another registry. Please understand that to do so will result in losing ISSA papers for your dog and also, if applicable, losing your status as an ISSA Licensed Breed or Breeder-in-training.
You should also be aware that by the rules of the SSDCA and ISSR, registering with us will revoke your dog’s breeding rights and nullify its ISSR papers.
What if I have breeding rights or frozen semen on an ISSR stud that will not be registered with ISSA?
In order to utilize an ISSR stud that you do not own, you will need to demonstrate that you have the right to use it, granted by the owner of the dog or of the semen (if frozen). You will also need to complete as much as you can of the normal ISSA registration process for the dog in question, in order to get it into our database.
Can you give me an outline of the ISSA registration procedure?
ISSA has done away with separate registrations for puppies and adults. Instead, all dogs get the same registration certificate, and their registration number stays with them from their very first days until the end of their lives, never changing.
The first step is for our breeders to submit a Litter Registration form to the Registry to have new dog records and registration numbers created for each puppy. After the puppies are sold, the breeder will collect the owners’ information and the registered name for their pup, and will submit the Dog Registration form to complete the rest of the dog record. The Registry will mail both digital and paper copies of the Certificate of Registration to the owner, and a digital copy to the breeder. The dog is now officially registered!
Since we know that registration is not the end of the story with our dogs, we have created an easy way for both owners and breeders to submit updates on their dogs to the Registry: the Dog Record Update form. This includes things like height and weight updates, completed health testing, any titles earned outside of the show ring or any changes in health status.
In order for a dog to be used in our breeding program, the owner or breeder must submit the appropriate health and temperament testing using the Dog Record Update form. The test results can be submitted as each is completed, or all at once, as desired. When these are complete they must submit a Breeding Certificate Request form to the Registry. The Breeding Certificate is required in order for a dog to exercise breeding rights within our organization.
For more information you can touch base with our Registrar, Margaret Baumgarner, at ISSAregistry@gmail.com.
How do I register my ISSR dog with ISSA? Do I have to pay for papers all over again?
No, you do not have to pay. The Club will cover the costs of printing and mailing your new certificate! There is, however, a bit of work to do for us to register your dog.
First, you will need to fill out and submit a Dog Registration Form (contact us at shilohshepherdalliance@gmail.com to recieve instructions) with a digital copy (scan, or legible photo) of your previous registration attached. You will also need to attach two photos of your dog in a standing position: one taken from the side, and one from the front.
For breeding dogs, health and temperament testing results need to be submitted separately for this beginning step, and this is done using the Dog Record Update form. Breeding dogs MUST submit this information to get their Breeding Certificates. When all information is submitted, the owner or breeder fills out and submits the Breeding Certificate Request form.
If your dog is a pet, you can choose to log any specific information (height and weight updates, health information or testing completed) by filling out the Dog Record Update form for the appropriate tests. Any data you have the time to give us is very much appreciated, as it helps us make better breeding decisions to have all of the background on related dogs.
What if my dog has earned points toward their Championship or National Awards from the ISSR this year—if I register with ISSA, what happens to those points?
The ISSA uses the same criteria for Championship points as the ISSR, so, as long as you can provide copies of your win sheets, we can and will carry over points from the month of August, 2016, to the ISSA National in October 2017.
What about any points my dog may have accrued toward its Championship from shows prior to August 2016?
If you can provide copies of your win sheets, we will gladly utilize them in figuring out your dog’s current point total and inform you of how many points and/or major wins it needs to achieve its Championship.
What do I need to do if I want to become a Shiloh Shepherd Breeder with your organization if:
1) I have never been in a breeding program before?
Our Breeder Training Program is currently under development. We are planning to involve most of our full breeders and all of our existing LBITs in helping to construct this program and in testing it. If you join us now, you can be among the first to give us feedback!
2) I was an LBIT in the ISSR?
Our Licensed Breeding Training program is currently under development, as noted above. If you join, you can be one of the people helping to develop and test it!
When the program becomes operational, you can go through the full course or, if you feel you have a full grasp of the concepts, you may instead choose to skip instruction and take the test (but you will be taking the course if you do not pass!). Once you pass the testing and fulfill the requirements of our program, you are eligible to become a Licensed Breeder.
3) I was a Licensed Breeder with the ISSR?
Any Licensed Breeders from the ISSR are eligible to join ISSA and retain their full status. Apply for membership on the Club level and then contact the ISSA Board of Directors.
4) I was a Licensed Breeder with a different (non-ISSR) organization?
Currently we are not accepting applications to join our program from established Shiloh Shepherd breeders allied with organizations other than the ISSR.
Will you be merging your gene pool with other Shiloh Shepherd registries?
No. Our issue with the ISSR was that we felt the rules of the organization we loved were not being followed. In this new organization, we seek to recreate the high standards and tight breed regulation we believe in, while preserving the unique sense of breeder unity we enjoyed about the ISSR. Merging with another registry or club would not support this vision.
What were your reasons for leaving the ISSR?
You can read our Exit Letter here. In short, we felt that the actions of the organization’s leader undermined the ideals, regulations, and reputation of the ISSR. When our efforts to make things work failed, we decided that trying to recreate the organization we loved was preferable to quitting the breed. The ISSA is our attempt to regain the high standards, tight breed regulation, and breeder unity that we loved about the ISSR.
What is your timeline to complete the remaining policies and forms, and to have all procedures in place?
Our goal is to complete everything by the time the Interim Board switches to the tri-annual Board. That election will happen at the first ISSA National Specialty, tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2017.
- You can go back to the Alliance page here.
- You can go to our Breeders page here!
- How is a Shiloh Shepherd different from a German or King Shepherd? Read about it here.
- Read about our genetic diversity study with UC-Davis here!