News and updates

Please be advised that the DOGS NSW office will be closed from 3:45pm on Thursday, 19th September and will reopen on Monday, 23rd September at 9:45am. DOGS NSW Office will be closed on Friday 20 September.

This temporary closure is due to maintenance work being carried out on the power supply near the office by Endeavour Energy.

During this time, if you need to submit any applications, please send them via email to [email protected]. These applications will be processed on Monday 23rd September.

In September's edition of DOGS NSW Magazine an incorrect date was placed on page 2 of the gazette for the Annual General Meeting.

The date should have read WEDNESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2024.

DOGS NSW apologies for the error and any inconvenience this has caused.

At the May 2024 Board meeting, the Board resolved as follows:-

THAT all NSW Judges, including Junior Handler Judges, submit a Working With Children Check (WWCC) number annually when paying for their Judges renewal with DOGS NSW.

This requirement also applies to sporting and performance discipline Judges.

As a result of this change, we have implemented an updated Judges Declaration as well as updating the National Database. You will find the following updated declaration when renewing your membership.

The Judges Declaration now reads:-

I declare that I am physically fit and capable of judging in accordance with the Rules and if required I am prepared to undergo a medical fitness test and/or vision test at the discretion of the Member Body of Dogs Australia.  

I confirm that I currently hold a valid Working With Children Check [please send your Working With Children Check by email to the Office which includes your WWC number and expiry date to [email protected]).  

I further accept that my Member Body may at its absolute discretion refuse to grant any renewal of licence and may cancel or suspend for any period. Your membership renewal payment confirms that you have acknowledged and accepted this declaration.

If this applies to you, we encourage you to action this requirement and let the DOGS NSW office know of your updated status as soon as possible. 

You can apply for the WWCC via the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian (click on the link below). Once you have obtained your WWCC, please email a copy of your clearance, which includes your WWCC Number and expiry date, to the DOGS NSW Office at [email protected]

You will be required to confirm this check with DOGS NSW every year when you sign your declaration. Please ensure you are always up to date with this paperwork.

Please note that Dogs Australia's website has been updated with two versions of the Judges Contract as they have become aware of issues where some members are experiencing problems when trying to digitally sign the document. The digital signature feature in this form will only work when using “Adobe Reader”. It will not work with generic PDF readers. For Mac and iPhone, please install the Adobe Reader app otherwise you will see a cross-out symbol.

The first version of the form retains the feature to be digitally signed whereas the second version has had this feature removed and will require a manual signature.

Both versions are clearly labelled and can be accessed here. 

Please find below a listing of the confirmed qualifying dog shows for Crufts 2025, which has been forwarded to the Kennel Club.  They can also be viewed on the Dogs Australia website by clicking here. 

•  Australian Capital Territory (DOGS ACT) - Canberra Royal Championship Dog Show – 23 to 25 February 2024
•  Western Australia (DOGS WEST) – Dogs West Classic, 1 to 3 March 2024
• Queensland (DOGS QUEENSLAND) – Beaudesert Kennel Club Dog Show, 6 October 2024
• Queensland (DOGS QUEENSLAND) - Advance Pacific International Show, 21 September 2024
• Queensland (DOGS QUEENSLAND) – Dogs Queensland Festive Fiesta Show, 31 December 2024
•  Northern Territory (DOGS NT) - Royal Darwin Show, 27 to 29 July 2023
•  Northern Territory (DOGS NT) - Royal Darwin Show, 25 to 27 July 2024
•  New South Wales (DOGS NSW) - Sydney Royal Show, 22 March to 2 April 2024
•  New South Wales (DOGS NSW) - Spring Fair Dog Show, 1 September 2024
• South Australia (DOGS SA) - DOGS SA Winter International Championship Show – 30 May to 2 June 2024
•  South Australia (DOGS SA) – Royal Adelaide Show – 31 August to 8 September 2024
•  Tasmania (DOGS TASMANIA) – Royal Launceston Show – 10 to 12 October 2024
•  Tasmania (DOGS TASMANIA) – Royal Hobart Show – 23 to 26 October 2024
• Victoria (DOGS VICTORIA) – Royal Melbourne Show – 27 September to 5 October 2024
•  Victoria (DOGS VICTORIA) – Dogs Victoria Summer Spectacular – 29 to 30 November 2024

Part II-Show, General – Section 1 - Additional Clauses 1.5A & 1.5B

1.5A      At all times an exhibitor shall be responsible for cleaning up and the removal of droppings left by the exhibit.  This includes any grooming waste within the environs of the event, including vehicle and camping areas. (08/24)

1.5B      The use of high velocity dryers/blowers within the ring areas is not be permitted. (08/24)

Part VII – Regions-Meetings, Office Bearers & Related Matters

Currently reads:

Office Bearers

1.3  The Office Bearers of each Region shall be a Chairman, a Deputy Chairman, a Show Secretary, a Secretary and Treasurer.

The position of Secretary and/or Treasurer may be held by the same person.

All Office Bearers must be financial Members of DOGS NSW.

Be amended to read:-

Office Bearers

1.3  The Office Bearers of each Region shall be a Chairman, a Deputy Chairman, a Show Secretary, a Secretary and Treasurer.

The position of Secretary and/or Treasurer may be held by the same person.

All Office Bearers must be financial Members of  DOGS NSW and preferably reside in the Region for which they hold the position of Office Bearer.

Please click here to view the full amended Regulations.

We would like to alert you of a scam email that is being sent to members. Scammers are pretending to be from DOGS NSW with no body text, encouraging the recipient to open an attachment.

Please note that this type of email is a Scam Email and has NOT BEEN SENT FROM DOGS NSW. We encourage members to always check the source of the email before completing any action.

We have included a screenshot example of a scam email that has been sent recently. If you hover over the 'DOGS NSW' link in the 'from' section, you will see that the email address is actually from: [email protected]

PLEASE CHECK and DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHMENT!

Members are advised that there is an upcoming change to the show levies, effective January 1, 2025. For the first time in many years, we will be increasing our show levies to ensure the continued growth and sustainability of DOGS NSW. 

DOGS NSW faces a challenge of remaining financially viable whilst adjusting to the changing demographics of our organisation. Our goal is to create revenue opportunities that support us through this process and beyond. The decision to make this increase allows us to align our pricing model with other states and, more importantly, it will allow us to make strategic and operational investments in the business. 

CURRENT & PROPOSED LEVY STRUCTURE: 
•    Conformation Shows: Currently $1.00 per entry, increase to $2.00 per entry 
•    Sporting Events: Currently $0.50 per entry, increase to $1.00 per entry 

WHY ARE WE INCREASING THE FEES?
1.    Long Overdue Adjustment: Our show levies have not been increased since 2007, which is an exceptionally long time to be running on the same cost structure. This adjustment is necessary to keep up with rising costs and to continue providing high-quality services and events for our members. 

2.    Investment in Our Future: We need to invest in our own property and infrastructure to secure the future of DOGS NSW. This will ensure that we have the necessary facilities to support our growing community and to host larger and more prestigious events. 

3.    Funding Community Awareness: Our aim in the coming years is to lift the profile of DOGS NSW in dog communities and in discipline sports. The goal of expanding awareness into these areas is to ensure that we are growing our membership, and that our voice is heard amongst misguided welfare organisations that seek to limit breeding practices.

COMPARISON TO OTHER STATES
To provide context, here is a comparison of show levies across different states:

* Inclusive of Advertising

As you can see, even with the increase, DOGS NSW will still have one of the lowest show levies in the country, offering our members exceptional value while ensuring we can maintain and improve our services. 

We believe that these changes are necessary for the continued success and growth of DOGS NSW. Your support and understanding are appreciated as we implement these adjustments. 

Thank you for your continued support. 
DOGS NSW

A typographical error has occurred in the Notice, in the August 2024 Magazine, for Notices of Motions for the 2024 RNSWCC Annual General Meeting.  That Notice states:-

NOTICES OF MOTIONS for the above meeting must be in the hands of the Company Secretary no later than:  4.00pm, Friday 11 August 2024.

11 August 2024 was a Sunday.

Consequently, the Board has approved an extension for submission of Notices of Motions to Friday 23 August 2024.

THE ROYAL NSW CANINE COUNCIL LTD
Board of Directors Elections 2024

Each financial Member of the RNSWCC Ltd, in accordance with the Articles of Association, whose membership is financial as of 1 August 2024, is entitled to vote in their Region. The five positions are to be elected from the Metropolitan, Hunter, Illawarra & South-East, Northern and Southern Regions for a three (3) year term, retiring at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting held more than 30 Months thereafter.

VERO VOTING FAQs

WHO IS VERO VOTING?
Vero Voting is an independent Australian company that specialises in planning, management and delivery of independent enterprise agreement votes, ballots, elections, and AGMs. They have worked with small and large companies such as Reserve Bank of Australia, Bendigo Bank and KPMG. Dogs West, Dogs Victoria and Dogs Queensland, have all used this service and process successfully.

HOW WILL VERO VOTING GET MY DETAILS?

Vero Voting asks for a voters list from DOGS NSW. This voters list will contain details of each eligible voter, whose membership was financial at 1 August 2024. They use the voters list to manage access to their voting system, and to contact you with voting information. 

WILL VERO VOTING CONTACT ME IN THE FUTURE?

Once a ballot, or election is over all personal details are deleted in line with their internal security policy. The only way you will be contacted from Vero Voting is if you are on the voters list for a ballot or election in the future, in which case your details would be provided to them at that time. 

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW I VOTED?

No. Vero Voting only conduct secret ballots, elections, and AGMs. Every ballot, election, or AGM vote entered into their system is anonymous. Your personal information enables authentication and is not associated with your vote preference.

WHAT IF WE HAVE A JOINT MEMBERSHIP. DO WE RECEIVE TWO VOTES?

Vero Voting will send you a vote for each person on the joint membership. If you share an email address, both votes will be sent to the same email address.

I CAN'T FIND MY LOGIN DETAILS TO ACCESS THE VOTE

Voting instructions and login details are sent directly by Vero Voting. If you have received an email, SMS, or letter from Vero Voting, please check it for your login details. If you have misplaced this information, check your email spam or junk folder, or please ring the Vero Voting support line on 1300 702 898.

HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY ELECTRONIC VOTE WAS SUCCESSFUL?

When you have conducted your vote, Vero Voting will send you a receipt either via email or SMS.

WHEN DO I RECEIVE THE RESULTS OF THE VOTE?

Vero Voting will send the Declaration of Results to the Company Secretary of DOGS NSW at 9.00am on Saturday, 12 October 2024. The results will be announced immediately after that time via the DOGS NSW website and other media platforms.