To enforce the USCA Aggression Policy, Level 2 Sanction of a 1 year ban from all USCA Events on Baxter vom Sakral, AKC # DN47325601, owned and handled by USCA Member Cherie Flores.

EB Ballot: #15-21

EB Ballot: #15-21 – To enforce the USCA Aggression Policy, Level 2 Sanction of a 1 year ban from all USCA Events on Baxter vom Sakral, AKC # DN47325601, owned and handled by USCA Member Cherie Flores.

Motion by Nathaniel Roque Director of Judges, Seconded by Gary Mcgillivary, DAL, To enforce the USCA Aggression Policy, level 2 Sanction of a 1 year ban from all USCA Events on Baxter vom Sakral, AKC # DN47325601, owned and handled by USCA Member Cherie Flores.

Background information:

Based on the USCA Aggression policy an incident of dog aggression against another dog or person shall be reported to the Director of Judges and presented to the USCA Judges Committee for review and determination of any sanction.

The USCA Aggression Policy is a progressive discipline policy but also allows for an incident to be escalated to a higher level of sanction if determined to be serious. Level 1 is first time offense and is a written warning and the dog must repeat a BH (per the IGP rules). Level 2 is 1 year suspension of the dog from entering any USCA Event and the dog must repeat a BH, also the handler may be suspended or written sanction. Level 3 is a Lifetime suspension of the dog from all USCA events and handler suspension for up to 1 year. If for any reason the act of aggression is determined to be very serious, there are injuries involved or the complaints seek a higher level of sanction the incident may be escalated to a level 2 or 2 by the determination of the Judges Committee.

The USCA Judges Committee recommends to the EB to impose a Level 2 sanction of 1 year on the dog and no suspension to the owner / handler Cherie Flores. She will receive a written warning regarding this incident and if any future incident with any dog she is handling or owns has another aggression incident it could lead to suspension.

The incident: at the Northwestern Region Conformation Show on 3/20/21 judged by USCA Judge Heidi Theis during the dental examination the dog (Baxter vom Sakral) attacked his handler Cherie Flores, biting her in the left upper body and working his way to her arm. Witnesses to this were the handler, Judge Theis, RBW Christina Clay, USCA Secretary Michele Clubb, RD Diane OBrian, USCA Member Chris Campbell.

Statements were received by all listed above as well as a previous owner Rich Rosen. In the statements / reports of the incident it was reported that the dog was resistant to showing its teeth and with little warning then immediately attacked its handler Cherie, biting her upper body and working its way to her arm only releasing because he was being choked off by Cherie.

Due to the statements from the Judge, RBW and Secretary all were similar in describing it as a very violent attack that could be considered for a level 3 Lifetime Ban of the dog and suspension of the handler, they described the attack as going on for “a couple of minutes and being extremely scary, deliberate on the dogs’ behalf and vicious”. In statements from the owner, Chris and Diane all who have been around the dog and have worked on training the dog and preparing the dog for the examination they all felt the dog is not overly dangerous and should be allowed to continue to show and trial.

The brief history of this dog is the previous owner Rich Rosen sold the dog while young because of serious aggression towards him and an incident where the dog attacked and bit his wife. The owner Cherie admits that she has worked very hard to manage the dogs’ aggression problems and that it is always a big part of her training program with this dog. The dog has shown at various USCA Trials Championships, Shows and been on the Universal Sieger Team. Because of the owner Cherie’s honesty and accepting responsibility for the incident the USCA Judges Committee did not feel a sanction against her for this first incident was warranted. But because of the severity of the incident and the suggested sanction from others for a lifetime Level 3 ban the Judges Committee discussed and then decided on recommending to the EB for a level 2 sanction of 1 year suspension on the dog.

It is the USCA Judges Committee opinion that any act of aggression should be taken seriously for the safety of our membership, the general public, liability towards USCA and that it is the responsibility of USCA as the leading German Shepherd Dog Organization in the United States to uphold the standard of the working German Shepherd Dog. Aggression towards another dog or stranger is a serious concern but towards its owner / handler is more so an expression of a possible dangerous dog and it is our responsibility to act on an incident of this type.

If this motion is passed the information will be passed on to all WUSV Member Clubs to also enforce and for their safety and liability.

VOTE RESULTS

MOTION CARRIED MAY 16, 2021