Forrest and Charlotte Lucas Receive AKC Outstanding Leadership Award

NEW YORK, Dec. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Kennel Club (AKC) presented Forrest and Charlotte Lucas of Carmel, Indiana with the inaugural AKC Award for Outstanding Leadership in Canine Policy on Sunday at the 2016 AKC National Championship Dog Show presented by presented by Royal Canin. The award ceremony took place in Orlando, Florida, following five days of canine competitions and festivities honoring responsible dog ownership and breeding in which some 5,000 dogs competed.

This new AKC award honors exceptional commitment and leadership that positively impacts canine policy, public understanding of canine policy, responsible dog ownership and the future of purebred dogs, said Sheila Goffe, AKC Vice President, Government Relations. "We are extremely pleased to honor Mr. and Mrs. Lucas with this new award."

Mr. and Mrs. Lucas are being honored for their The Dog Lover movie, released in July 2016. The film raises awareness about animal-rights fueled bias and misinformation that harms responsible dog owners and breeders.

Mr. Lucas is the founder of Protect the Harvest, a not for profit organization dedicated to protecting responsible animal agriculture, sporting activities, and animal ownership.  He served as Executive Producer of The Dog Lover. "On behalf of Protect the Harvest, Charlotte and I are pleased to receive this award from the American Kennel Club. We are proud that The Dog Lover movie brings attention to misleading television advertising that collects money from well-meaning animal lovers but uses those funds to misrepresent dog breeders and undermine animal agriculture." 

"We are excited to honor Mr. and Mrs. Lucas", said Dennis Sprung, AKC President and CEO. "They have brought exciting new attention to the threats and challenges facing dedicated dog breeders and purebred dog lovers, who are the foundation of this sport."

For more information visit www.thedoglovermovie.com.

About the American Kennel Club
Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function.  Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog.  For more information, visit www.akc.org.

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SOURCE American Kennel Club

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