Show Safe

Recent news reports have prompted a great deal of concern in the sport about how to raise awareness and protect minors from inappropriate contact with adults.

Former AKC field representative and now AKC judge Mary Dukes has long been an advocate of SafeSport, a non-profit that offers tools and resources to help identify and prevent abuse. 

Currently, all American Kennel Club field reps and members of the AKC's Registered Handlers Program are required to complete SafeSport certification.

Now, Dukes and a group of concerned fanciers including Carissa Shimpeno, Laura King, Patricia Proctor, Lindsay Fetters and Alessandra Folz have started a grass-roots movement to make SafeSport certification accessible to anyone in the sport.

"We are calling this PROACTIVE, VOLUNTARY movement 'Show Safe," Mary posted on her Facebook page, adding the following instructions:

Visit https://uscenterforsafesport.org/training-and-education/safesport-courses-for-all.

Click/tap on "Enrollment Key" and enter the following code: FNONaffiliated

Sign up for SafeSport and then in the available courses, select the 90-minute "SAFESPORT TRAINED CORE COURSE."

Cost is $20.

Those who successfully complete the course receive a certificate from SafeSport.

The Show Safe group is producing special pins that will be give to those with SafeSport certificates.