Mission

The Kerry Blue Terrier Foundation is a nonprofit charity dedicated to promoting the welfare of the Kerry Blue Terrier breed in the areas of education, rescue, and health & genetics.

The foundation is solely funded by tax-deductible donations under Section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code.

1. Education

The Kerry Blue Terrier Foundation (KBTF) collects, publishes, and disseminates information on the breed to benefit breeders, owners, and potential owners, and ultimately the breed itself.

www.kerryblues.info

The KBTF maintains the www.kerryblues.info web site-a repository of breed information that represents the largest collection of materials ever assembled on the Kerry Blue Terrier. It currently contains nearly 600 articles on the breed, and close to 1,600 pictures and graphics, and averages 1,100 visitors per day. The site is endorsed by several national Kerry clubs.

Breeding

Kerryblues.info supports breeders with relevant and up-to-date information on improving their breeding programs, and producing superior representations of the breed. Screening tools, puppy contracts, and buyer information packets are provided to encourage responsible placement practices. The web site also assists in connecting breeders with potential buyers by maintaining a breeder directory and list of currently available puppies.

Ownership

Kerryblues.info supports responsible dog ownership by offering honestly written articles on the breed to help buyers or adopters make informed decisions, and to help owners solve problems. The web site's "Basics" and FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) have been translated into 10 languages and offer information on care & training, grooming, temperament, behavior, the breed standard, sporting events, and other relevant issues.

History

Kerryblues.info maintains a collection of historical material on the the breed, including the breed's origins and early description, its development in the U.S., its role in Irish politics and World War II, and its use in commercial advertising. The site commemorates outstanding Kerries of the past, and catalogues the many famous people who have owned them.

Events

Kerryblues.info educates the Kerry fancier on a wide variety of sporting events and encourages participation. From AKC-sanctioned conformation shows, obedience trials, and agility events to herding, earthdog trials, hunting, carting, freestyle obedience, and the Kerry's use as therapy dogs and grooming contest models, the versatility of the breed is showcased and the need for training emphasized.

Miscellaneous

Kerryblues.info provides a wide range of articles, stories, poems, jokes, and photos of interest to the Kerry community, as well as links to other web sites containing related information.

Kerry Blue Terrier Newslist

The KBTF owns the highly popular Kerry Blue Terrier Newslist (KB-L), developed in 1995. KB-L currently lists over 600 subscribers and averages approximately 15 posts a day from Kerry fanciers worldwide. Topics cover all manner of issues of concern and interest to owners & breeders, and the vast majority contain educational content, with little to no "chat," as fanciers share their knowledge, expertise, and experience.

Kerry Blue Terrier Publications

The KBTF publishes materials to benefit breeders, owners and potential owners, and other Kerry fanciers in an effort to advance & protect the breed, provide assistance in the care & training of Kerries, and promote the well-being of Kerries everywhere. Printed materials include, or will include, information packets for breeders to disseminate to their puppy buyers, general breed informational brochures that accurately describe the pros and cons of owning a Kerry, pamphlets on solving common behavior problems and providing proper care and handling, and future books that highlight the unique characteristics of the breed.

2. Rescue

The Kerry Blue Terrier Foundation (KBTF) is dedicated to the rescue of any Kerry in need, including, but not limited to, Kerries found in animal shelters or pounds, those relinquished by their owners, those left homeless by deceased or incapacitated owners, those found by others as strays, or any Kerry in an emergency situation in need of assistance. To accomplish this goal, the KBTF provides a variety of assistance to:

national and regional Kerry Clubs to support their ongoing Rescue work,
breeders who need help placing their own rescues,
owners in need of temporary or permanent solutions to resolving issues that lead to homelessness, or to placing their Kerries,
shelters in identifying an impounded dog as a Kerry Blue Terrier,
anyone seeking assistance in ensuring the welfare of a Kerry.

Rescue Support

National & Regional Kerry Clubs.

The KBTF acts as a liaison with national Kerry Blue Terrier Club Rescue Chairmen and their appointed regional Rescue Coordinators, and Rescue Coordinators appointed by their regional Kerry Clubs to ensure the rescue of every Kerry in need. It provides, or will provide, the following assistance:

Toll-free Rescue hot line (800/532-2890) for use by those who have or are aware of Kerries in need of assistance.
Email & phone assistance-to help owners resolve issues with their Kerries to prevent them from becoming Rescue dogs, and to help with the logistics of executing a rescue.
Web site listings-a listing of currently available Kerries awaiting adoption.
Screening & placement tools-adoption questionnaires, adoption contracts, and more.
Transportation-pick-up and delivery of a Kerry in need, wherever possible.
Pro-active search on national and regional shelter web sites for impounded Kerries misidentified as other breeds.
Financial assistance-provided for large-scale rescues that no single club can finance alone.

Breeders

Recognizing the lifetime responsibility of every breeder to each dog bred, the KBTF offers breeders prescreened contacts for possible placements, written tools (including screening questionnaires and adoption contracts) to help them properly screen homes and place Kerries, and transportation assistance in returning a homeless dog to them.

Owners

The KBTF works with owners in resolving issues that could lead to homelessness-such as behavior problems, health problems, unsuitable living conditions, and other situations detrimental to the well-being of the Kerry-and provides assistance and/or access to appropriate resources and qualified professionals.

Shelters

Recognizing that many (if not most) Kerry Blue Terriers are misidentified in shelters, the KBTF publishes and disseminates a pictorial guide to identifying a Kerry Blue to help shelter personnel recognize the breed in all its guises--shaved, neglected, undocked, of poor conformation, and so on.

Rescue Operations

The KBTF rescues any Kerry in need of intervention who is not serviced by a Kerry Club, and provides veterinary care, foster care, evaluation, rehabilitation, training, placement, and follow-up, according to the KBTF's established Rescue Policy.

3. Health & Genetics

The KBTF actively supports research in those areas of health and genetics that are known to commonly afflict the Kerry Blue Terrier, including, but not limited to, autoimmune disorders, hip dysplasia, hermaphroditism, degenerative myelopathy, thyroid problems, eye disorders, and those cancers that frequently occur in the breed. KBTF support includes funding studies done by respected researchers of other nonprofit organizations, and entertaining health & genetics studies or RFF (Request For Funding) applications.