01
Health & Welfare First
Members should prioritize the physical, emotional, developmental, and long-term welfare of dogs and puppies.
Crown & Collar Institute was created for breeders, programs, professionals, and contributors who believe excellence should be documented, intentional, and earned.
We’re not for everyone. That’s intentional.
Membership in Crown & Collar Institute reflects a willingness to grow toward higher standards in health, genetics, temperament, development, transparency, welfare, education, preservation, and long-term responsibility.
SECTION · 01
Purpose of the Code
The Member Code of Ethics & Conduct helps protect the integrity of Crown & Collar Institute membership, directory listings, awards, title codes, pedigree records, breeder recognition, professional participation, and public trust.
This code is intended to guide members toward honest communication, responsible documentation, humane care, accurate advertising, and mission-aligned conduct.
SECTION · 02
Core Member Commitments
02
Honest Documentation
Members should provide accurate records, truthful explanations, and transparent information when applying for membership, recognition, directory listing, or title display.
03
Genetic Responsibility
Members should support DNA-based pairing review, inherited disease awareness, genetic diversity consideration, and responsible breeding decisions where applicable.
04
Veterinary Care & Health Screening
Members should maintain appropriate veterinary care, health records, breed-specific screening awareness, and responsible follow-up.
05
Temperament & Development Matter
Members should value temperament, recovery ability, emotional stability, puppy development, social foundations, and humane developmental practices.
06
No Misleading Claims
Members should not exaggerate recognition status, health results, titles, service-dog potential, therapy-dog potential, genetic restoration claims, registry acceptance, or Crown & Collar Institute approval.
07
Respect for Families & Buyers
Members should communicate clearly with puppy families, provide education, disclose relevant information, and support responsible placement and follow-up.
08
Respect for Professional Boundaries
Members should not imply veterinary certification, university endorsement, registry approval, nonprofit endorsement, or professional approval unless written documentation exists.
09
Humane Breeding & Care Practices
Members should avoid practices that knowingly compromise breathing, mobility, comfort, reproduction, temperament, immune health, structure, welfare, or long-term quality of life.
10
Long-Term Stewardship
Members should recognize that responsible breeding continues beyond a sale, a litter, a title, or a single generation.
SECTION · 03
Advertising & Public Claims
Members may only advertise Crown & Collar Institute recognition, titles, badges, title codes, pedigree notation, directory status, or award levels exactly as officially granted and recorded.
Members may not imply:
- —Membership equals an award
- —Founding Member Access equals breeder approval
- —Directory listing equals health approval
- —DNA testing guarantees healthy puppies
- —Working Canine Prospect Recognition™ guarantees service, therapy, facility, emotional-support, or working-dog outcomes
- —Genetic Restoration & Preservation Recognition™ automatically improves a breed or guarantees registry acceptance
- —Crown & Collar Institute titles are automatically accepted by outside registries unless a written agreement exists
SECTION · 04
Care of Dogs & Puppies
Members are expected to support humane care, appropriate veterinary involvement, clean and safe environments, maternal support, puppy safety, developmental awareness, responsible placement, and honest communication about each dog’s needs.
Crown & Collar Institute does not support neglect, falsified records, intentionally misleading sales claims, hidden ancestry, reckless breeding, novelty breeding without welfare purpose, or practices that prioritize appearance, color, popularity, or profit over welfare.
SECTION · 05
Professional Conduct
Members should interact with Crown & Collar Institute, other breeders, veterinarians, researchers, professionals, puppy families, and the public in a manner consistent with professionalism, honesty, and mission-aligned stewardship.
Disagreements should be handled respectfully and with documentation whenever possible.
SECTION · 06
Good Standing
Membership, directory listing, title-code use, badge use, recognition display, and public listing may require continued good standing.
Crown & Collar Institute may update, correct, suspend, remove, or review membership, directory listing, recognition display, title-code use, badge use, or public references if information becomes inaccurate, misleading, outdated, falsified, incomplete, harmful, or inconsistent with Crown & Collar Institute values and guidelines.
SECTION · 07
Possible Review Concerns
Falsified health records
Misleading pedigree or registry claims
Misleading service, therapy, facility, emotional-support, or working-dog claims
Misuse of Crown & Collar Institute titles or badges
Hidden ancestry in restoration or preservation work
Refusal to correct inaccurate public claims
Breeding practices that significantly compromise welfare
Unprofessional or deceptive conduct
Inaccurate directory information
Failure to maintain required documentation where applicable
SECTION · 08
Member Acknowledgment
Members may be asked to acknowledge that they understand Crown & Collar Institute membership is values-based, documentation-based, and review-based.
Membership does not guarantee awards, titles, badge use, pedigree notation, directory listing, breeder approval, professional approval, registry acceptance, or recognition.
This page describes values and standards. It is not legal advice and does not replace veterinary, professional, or legal review.
GOVERNANCE BOUNDARY
Financial Authority Boundary
Future Crown & Collar Institute clubs, chapters, committees, specialty groups, volunteers, members, leaders, organizers, or affiliated groups may not vote to accept, approve, reject, ratify, amend, control, or formally act on Crown & Collar Institute's official financial reports, budgets, bank accounts, audits, tax filings, Form 990 filings, annual reports, accounting records, nonprofit filings, or organizational financial decisions unless specifically authorized in writing through the proper Crown & Collar Institute governance structure.
Clubs, chapters, committees, and specialty groups may receive financial updates or summaries for transparency when appropriate, but receiving or discussing information does not give the group authority to approve, accept, reject, amend, or control official Crown & Collar Institute financial records.
Official financial review, acceptance, approval, filing, correction, and oversight remain with Crown & Collar Institute's authorized governing body, officers, treasurer, accountant, CPA, finance committee if properly created, or other authorized representatives under the appropriate legal and governance structure.
Club Financial Reports
If a future club, chapter, committee, specialty group, event, fundraiser, or mission-support activity is separately authorized to handle funds, that group may be required to submit its own financial report, receipts, expense records, sponsor records, donation records, payment records, and activity summary to Crown & Collar Institute. Submitting a club financial report does not give the club authority to approve organization-wide financial reports.
No Independent Financial Authority
- ◆Open bank accounts using Crown & Collar Institute language
- ◆Approve budgets, financial reports, or tax filings
- ◆Approve or file Form 990 or other nonprofit filings
- ◆Sign contracts on behalf of Crown & Collar Institute
- ◆Vote to accept the official financial report
- ◆Present club discussion as official financial approval
SUGGESTED MEETING LANGUAGE
"Financial update received for informational purposes only. No vote was taken. This group does not have authority to accept, approve, reject, ratify, amend, or control Crown & Collar Institute financial reports or filings."
DO NOT USE WORDING SUCH AS:
- — "The club voted to accept the financial report."
- — "The chapter approved the organization's financial report."
- — "The committee ratified Crown & Collar Institute's finances."
- — "The club approved the Form 990."
- — "The chapter accepted the annual financial statement."
These website standards are organizational guidelines and do not replace legal advice, accounting advice, tax advice, nonprofit compliance review, board governance advice, or CPA review.