Sussex Spaniel Club of America (SSCA)

2024 Committee Chair Reports (at a glance):

• The Archive Committee Chair Eileen Tarrago states that all current archives have been transferred from Marion Kasker to Bobby Lewis. A hard copy of the 2023 National Specialty catalog has been deposited into the archives for 2023.

• The Awards Committee Chair Georgia Perdue reports committee members have refined the awards budget and process in ordering early and tightening the budgeting process. They are working with vendors for discounts and timely delivery. Starting this year, any awards that are not picked up at the National Specialty Awards Banquet will be mailed out to the recipients within five days; eliminating a waiting period to receive well-deserved recognition for their titles.

• The Breeder Referral Committee Chair Jenni Toebben reports that she has updated the Sussex Spaniel breed descriptions on the AKC webpage to more accurately reflect the description of our beloved dogs. Jenni also reported that the number of inquiries was down this year as opposed to previous years (27 versus 70 last year). She further reports the number of requests for adult dogs is higher than usual.

• The Field/Hunt Committee Chair Patricia Petraglia provides that discussions are in the works to determine the feasibility of holding a hunt test in 2025. Safety of participants and SSCA fiscal responsibility will be explored in 2025.

• The Health Committee Chair Marcia Deugan report included information that more litters of puppies were born nation-wide. The addition of some West coast litters makes for exciting and encouraging news. As for health issues, Marcia reports the normal Sussex cases, but nothing new or unexpected.

• The Judges Education Committee Chair Marcia Deugan reports 20 participants attended the Sussex Spaniel Judges Seminar at the December 2023 AKC Invitational in Orlando, Florida. Committee members Dee Duffy, Marcia Deugan, and Brenda Griffin presented at the event.

• The Judges Selection Committee Chair Patricia Petraglia reports the selection process has been transitioned to online voting from its former U.S. Mail format. In the election of 2025 and 2026 National Specialty judges there were two rounds of voting to determine our judges. Results will be announced at the Annual General Meeting during the National Specialty in Doswell, Virginia.

• The Membership Committee Chair Karen Silensky reports membership is growing with many new members including some former members that have come back into the club. These new members are bringing a wealth of experiences, skills, and talents that will enrich the Club. Most importantly they have a commitment to our Sussex Spaniels including many who are potential breeders. They will join our long-time breeders in the dedication to preserve the breed we love so much. Membership is at 141 members; this includes an addition of 17 new members this year. This growth is meaningful to the Club.

• The Public Education Committee Chair Marcia Deugan reports the AKC “Meet the Breeds” will be in NYC at the Javits Center on January 25 and 26, 2025. Marcia authored 3 AKC Gazette Breed Columns in 2024. These can be found in the April 2024 Issue (AKC-Gazette-April-2024-rev.pdf {pages 61-63}), the July 2024 Issue (July-2024-Gazette-rev.pdf {pages 65-65}), and the October 2024 Issue (AKC-Gazette-October-2024-rev.pdf {pages 59-60}).

• The Purebred Preservation Bank (PPB) Committee was established by the SSCA Board of Directors in 2024. The committee is in the preparatory stages of gathering data and conducting research through interaction with AKC’s PPB Program Manager and SSCA member, Susan Myers. Members can take advantage of the AKC Webinars on this topic. The goals are to safeguard our Sussex Spaniel genetic material, to ensure a plan is in place should the issue arise, and, most importantly, to ensure the continuation of the Sussex Spaniel breed through time.

• The Outreach Committee Chair Margaret Small provides the committee was established by the SSCA Board of Directors in 2024. The intent of the committee is to recognize the need to stay in contact with membership by reaching out and conducting a general welfare check of selected Club Membership. Many members have been contacted and find the approach positive and much needed. We as a group of members, brought together with a common thread of interest, our beloved Sussex Spaniels, are concerned and care for the welfare of fellow members.

• The Rescue Committee Chair Diane Chase reports there was no Sussex Spaniel rescue activity this year. The committee and SASS (the independent private rescue) did work together in a missing Sussex situation but It turned out not to be a rescue situation.

• The Scentinel Committee is pleased to announce the rejuvenation of the Sussex Scentinel publication. The Summer 2024 Issue was filled with news from the world of Sussex Spaniel. We’d love to hear from you on articles you’d find of interest or even add one yourself. We’ll take a look at ALL submissions and determine placement throughout the year in respective issues. Please don’t hesitate to comment on the first issue Sussex Scentinel Summer 2024 Issue.pdf by contacting our Editor in Chief, Janet Vining-Mitchell at jviningmitchell@cox.net. Thank you to all that contributed to the first return issue.

• The Store Committee Chair Eileen Tarrago reports store sales amounted to $1,026.00 in 2023; however, there have been no store sales to date in 2024. There are various products in inventory that will be made available for sale during the National Specialty in Doswell, Virginia.

• The Website Committee Chair Lee Silensky reports the Website is now complete in its vision to be informative, educational, fun and beautiful. The Board of Directors unanimously voted to remove the Members-only Area due to incredibly low usage and it was deemed fiscally responsible to eliminate it. Membership renewal and payments will be handled exclusively through the Treasurer. The website will continue to grow with the SSCA promoting our breed.

Reports from our Regional Sussex Spaniel Club family:

• The Heart of Ohio Sussex Spaniel Club report was submitted by Brenda Griffin. Brenda reports that the HOSSC is on an upswing and the club is growing! They are currently working on the revisions of the constitution and the by-laws and will soon be ready to submit these to the AKC for the first level of approval. In 2025 the committee will also be updating the club’s standing rules and position descriptions. The HOSSC’s regional specialty was held in Wauseon, Ohio on Friday October 4, 2024. It was a great success with a total entry of 35 dogs. The HOSSC awards program was suspended during the pandemic, but is now up to date recognizing their members and their dogs for the past three years.

• The Pacific Northwest Sussex Spaniel Club report was submitted by Patricia Shaw. Patricia informs us that a successful 2024 regional specialty was held at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds on September 12, 2024.

Thank you to all the Committee Chairs and our Regional Sussex Spaniel Club Representatives for volunteering their services to improve and enhance the Club and ultimately, the Breed. Should anyone wish to see specific Committee Reports, please don’t hesitate to reach and request a copy.

I am always reminded that all of us came to find the Sussex Spaniel in our own way. As we all know, it takes a special person to appreciate the uniqueness of these wonderful dogs. This year’s National Specialty has a large number of participants from around the country and this means uniting Sussex Spaniels and their dedicated, devoted, and enthusiastic owners together for another special reunion.

Respectfully submitted,

Lee Silensky

SSCA Vice President