NEW YORK – The American Kennel Club announces that Arnold Woolf of Auburn, Maine, has received an AKC Community Achievement Award for his dedicated work with the Collie Club of Maine.

The Kennel Club, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of purebred dogs, instituted the award in 1993 to support and encourage the efforts of its local clubs to bring the message of responsible dog ownership to the general public. Each honoree receives a certificate and a $1,000 check payable to their club or federation to further their organization’s public education or canine legislation efforts.

“As an AKC judge for more than 40 years and a member of the Collie Club of Maine, Arnold Woolf is always helping others, especially when it comes to education,” said club secretary Nancy Vondy in her nomination of Woolf.

Woolf uses every opportunity to promote purebred dogs within his club and community, she said.

“Maine is an extremely large state,” said Vondy. “Many miles lie between kennel club sites, yet Mr. Woolf, over the years, has been a guest speaker at all the shows and has been an invited speaker on purebred dogs at the University of Maine.”

Woolf regularly conducts education sessions for his club members, including but not limited to, correct ring procedures, good sportsmanship and a judge’s point of view. This summer he plans to present a series of classes on stewarding.

Woolf also conducts educational collie seminars, open to all collie fanciers and prospective judges. His seminars feature breed-related topics such as genetics, conditioning, grooming, handling, breeding and whelping. This year he is planning a seminar on the structure and development of the collie head.

Woolf also founded a coastal judges’ study group based in Portsmouth, N.H. The sessions, which Woolf has coordinated for the past seven years, offer the study of more than 60 breeds.

In addition, Woolf regularly promotes purebred dogs throughout his community by organizing exhibits featuring different breeds. He introduces children to purebred dogs by making presentations at local elementary schools. He also visits senior citizen housing facilities and nursing homes to educate the elderly about purebred dogs.

Local town officials often invite Woolf to organize annual exhibits for the general public. During his exhibits, Woolf talks about the breed standard and history as each dog is presented to the audience. In 2002, one of his exhibits at the Lewiston, Maine, Multi-Purpose Center featured 35 breeds and drew approximately 300 spectators.

Among Woolf’s most recent accomplishments was his work to help defeat the recent Puppy Protection Act, which would have required the federal government to set standards for when to breed and how frequently to breed dogs. “It was through his efforts that the Maine congressional delegation actively campaigned and voted against it,” said Vondy.

The Kennel Club, founded in 1884, is dedicated to the advancement of purebred dogs. The AKC maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world, oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States, and along with its 4,500 licensed and member clubs, educates the general public about responsible dog ownership. For more information, visit www.akc.org.