Editorial: October 29, 2021

The resurrection of the International Kennel Club of Chicago is a rare bird indeed, like the phoenix rising from the ashes. The show has seen everything from its glory days as one of the most important shows in the dog-show world to part of a cluster held in the suburbs of Chicago. One of the handful of remaining privately owned kennel clubs, it has been for sale for some time. Before Lou Auslander passed away, he let it be known the club was for sale, but price seemed to be the sticking point. The heirs of the last owners Seme and Lou Auslander have now sold the club to three individuals, all from Illinois: Ken Murray certainly needs no introduction, as he is a former professional handler and now judge who also is president of a local kennel club. D. Scott Pfeil is a breeder and exhibitor of several Sighthound breeds, a group judge and cluster chairman for the Windy City and Cool Clusters. Erika N. Wyatt, an attorney, is the delegate and vice president of the American Sloughi Association who also hold positions in the Chicagoland Hound Association and is the seminar coordinator for the Windy City Cluster. Each owner brings a unique talent to their endeavor.

In years past there were many privately held kennel clubs. Today just a handful remain active. Among those privately held kennel clubs are San Francisco’s Golden Gate Kennel Club, the Detroit Kennel Club, the Silver Bay Kennel Club and the San Mateo Kennel Club.

Given the positive feedback following the announcement of new ownership, it seems to have the overwhelming support of the fancy. Following the inventive creativity of the Westminster Kennel Club and collaborative Morris & Essex Kennel Club dog shows, this infusion of new blood, new money, and new thoughts and ideas can create a show from the bottom up. Their boundaries are limitless. In this age of repetitive cluster dogs, we look forward to International creating a new benchmark and re-establishing Chicago as “must attend” event.

A major anchor Midwest dog show that has support from around the country has been absent for some time. Dog News joins this new trio and those enthusiastic fanciers in support of this new venture, and we wish them the best of luck. So let’s not disappoint Frank Sinatra, who sang, “Chicago, my kind of town.”