The Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) continues to closely monitor the evolving situation regarding COVID-19, in consultation with veterinary and public health professionals. In light of the evolving situation, we have received queries regarding
club event cancellations/postponements.
The decision to cancel or postpone an event is at the sole discretion of the event-giving club. This decision should be made with the consideration of the health and safety of staff and event participants, including:
- consultation with the event venue
- consideration of the size of the event and whether indoor/outdoor
- access to handwashing stations
- availability of judges
- federal and provincial government restrictions and recommendations
Risk Considerations
- Clubs must refer to their provincial health authority, provincial government and Public Health Agency of Canada’s helpful guidelines regarding risk-considerations for mass gatherings during the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Clubs are encouraged to check with their judges regarding possible flight restrictions nationally and internationally, including provincial isolation requirements and flight cancellation policies.
- Club officials should work with their event venues to understand what cancellation rules they may be adjusting due to COVID-19, such as provincial restrictions on events of 250+ attendees.
- Please note that liability insurance policy does not cover the cancellation of events related to COVID-19. For further information, please contact Claire Cosme, BFL Canada, at 1-800-668-5901 or ccosme@bflcanada.ca.
Fees
If a club decides to cancel or delay an event in relation to COVID-19, the club
will not be required to submit fees to CKC for cancellation, Temporary Competition (formerly listing fees) or recording. Note that non-CKC fees are out of CKC’s scope of control.
Exceptions
We recognize that exceptions will need to be considered regarding priority dates, time/distance rules, multiple shows for clubs affected, in the aftermath of COVID-19. At that time, CKC will work with clubs and directors to best reschedule events.
Entry refunds
The decision to provide participants with full entry refunds is the sole discretion of the show-giving club.
Clubs that decide to cancel or delay their events should email CKC at information@ckc.ca.
Government Health Guidelines
We continue to advise all staff and dog event participants and attendees to follow the guidelines provided by the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and the
Public Health Agency of Canada. These include diligent personal hygiene and respiratory practices to stay healthy, and adherence to COVID-19-related travel advisories/restrictions. We also recommend enhanced measures for all dog events, including signage reminders, an abundance of hand sanitizer and hand washing areas accessible to participants and the public.
We will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves.