Crown & Collar Institute awards, seals, certificates, badges, and title codes are designed to represent earned, documented, review-based recognition.
These materials may only be used after Crown & Collar Institute has officially granted recognition and entered the award, title, or status into the Crown & Collar Institute registry/program record system.
We’re not for everyone. That’s intentional.
Recognition Must Be Earned First
Crown & Collar Institute certificates, digital badges, seals, title graphics, and recognition language may not be used before recognition has been officially granted and recorded.
Membership, Founding Member Access, directory listing, application submission, or participation in the guideline pathway does not automatically give permission to use award badges, seals, certificates, title codes, or recognition graphics.
What Crown & Collar Institute May Issue
Award Certificates
Formal certificate-style recognition documents showing the awarded recognition area, recognition level, title code, record type, and issue date.
Digital Badges
Website and social media badges that may be displayed by breeders, programs, professionals, or contributors after recognition is officially granted.
Recognition Seals
Platinum-style seals for approved award levels, professional honors, breeder recognition, working-canine prospect recognition, genetic restoration recognition, or breed health review.
Title Code Records
Official abbreviated title codes used inside Crown & Collar Institute records, pedigrees, kennel profiles, dog records, litter records, pairing records, program profiles, and award summaries.
Verification Links
Public verification links or record references that help families, breeders, and professionals confirm whether a recognition claim is current and accurate.
Certificate Information May Include
- Crown & Collar Institute name
- Award or recognition name
- Recognition level
- Title code
- Record type
- Breeder, kennel, dog, litter, pairing, program, or professional name
- Breed, where applicable
- Issue date
- Expiration or renewal date, if applicable
- Verification record number, if available
- Good standing status, where applicable
- Crown & Collar Institute disclaimer language
Digital Badge Information May Include
- Award name
- Recognition level
- Title code
- Crown & Collar Institute seal or badge design
- Verification status
- Record number or verification link where available
- Year issued
- “Awarded by Crown & Collar Institute” language
Approved Badge Use
Approved Crown & Collar Institute badges and seals may be displayed on breeder websites, kennel profiles, social media, puppy information pages, educational materials, printed materials, and Crown & Collar Institute records when the recognition has been officially granted and recorded.
Badge use must match the exact award, level, title code, and record type granted by Crown & Collar Institute.
Not Approved Badge Use
Breeders, programs, professionals, or contributors may not:
- Use badges before recognition is granted
- Edit badge wording
- Change the recognition level
- Remove verification information
- Crop out required disclaimers
- Use an expired or suspended badge
- Use a badge for a different dog, litter, pairing, kennel, program, or professional
- Imply a higher level than was granted
- Use Crown & Collar Institute logo marks to create unofficial badges
- Claim recognition that is not reflected in Crown & Collar Institute records
Badge Status Labels
The badge or certificate reflects an active Crown & Collar Institute record.
Documentation is being reviewed; no earned badge should be displayed yet.
A limited notation may exist, but full recognition has not been granted.
The recognition or listing may require updated documentation or renewal.
The badge, title, or recognition should no longer be displayed publicly.
The claim does not currently match Crown & Collar Institute records.
Verification Requirement
Crown & Collar Institute may require approved badges, seals, and certificates to include or connect to verification records.
Families, breeders, professionals, and the public should be able to confirm whether a recognition claim is current and accurate through Crown & Collar Institute verification systems.
Special Badge Boundaries
Working Canine Prospect Recognition™
This badge may recognize documented foundations that may support therapy, service, facility, emotional-support, or working-canine pathway potential. It does not guarantee any final working outcome, certification, legal status, public-access rights, or suitability.
Genetic Restoration & Preservation Recognition™
This badge may recognize documented, science-guided, welfare-focused preservation work. It does not mean casual crossbreeding is approved, health improvement is guaranteed, or outside registry acceptance is guaranteed.
Breed Health & Testing Review
This badge may recognize submitted documentation and review status. It does not guarantee health, breeding approval, fertility, temperament, or long-term outcome.
Professional & Scientific Contribution Honors
This badge may recognize contribution, education, guidance, collaboration, or mission-aligned service. It does not imply professional endorsement of every breeder or Crown & Collar Institute decision.
Misuse of Badges or Certificates
Crown & Collar Institute may review, correct, suspend, remove, or revoke badge use, certificate display, title-code display, directory listing, or public recognition if the material is used inaccurately, misleadingly, falsely, without permission, after suspension, or outside the awarded scope.
Important Disclaimer
Crown & Collar Institute awards, certificates, seals, digital badges, title codes, pedigree notations, and recognition designations are issued and displayed through Crown & Collar Institute systems.
They do not replace veterinary care, legal registration, IOEBA registration, AKC registration, UKC registration, ABKC registration, APRI registration, third-party registry requirements, health guarantees, legal service-dog status, public-access rights, professional training evaluation, university endorsement, veterinary certification, laboratory approval, or nonprofit endorsement.
Unless a written agreement exists, Crown & Collar Institute does not claim that any third-party registry, university, veterinary college, laboratory, veterinarian, researcher, nonprofit, or organization automatically accepts, endorses, displays, or issues Crown & Collar Institute awards, title codes, badges, certificates, or recognition records.
Earned Recognition Should Be Protected
Crown & Collar Institute badges and certificates are designed to mean something. Clear display standards protect breeders, families, professionals, dogs, and the integrity of platinum-level recognition.