A Brief History of the Kennel Club of Anne Arundel County, MD

Several fanciers in Anne Arundel County began discussing the idea of an all-breed club open to all fanciers in 2006, and by 2007 a group of dog fanciers got together with the idea of starting a licensed all-breed dog club. Jim Hertok chaired those early meetings. The earliest meetings were sometimes at members’ homes, but several times were at Astrid Clyde’s grooming and pet supply business “It’s A Pet Thing” on Ritchie Highway in Severna Park. By December 2007, by-laws were developed, and officers were elected. The initial board met on December 18, 2007, and Colin Ratcliffe and Jo Ann Charnik were on that Board. During 2008 the club met in the firehouse of the former Naval Academy Dairy Farm in Gambrills and would utilize that location for over a year.

Our Plan “B” matches were held in September 2010 and June 2011 (Ski Lane in Millersville and AACC in Arnold respectively). KCAA’s Plan “A” matches were held in February 2012 and February 2013, with both at West Friendship, Maryland. On Christmas Eve of 2014, the AKC informed KCAA that the Club was now licensed and could make plans to hold conformation point shows. KCAA’s first show was held on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at the Carroll County Agricultural Center (Ag Center) in Westminster, Maryland. KCAA has held subsequent shows in West Friendship and in Doswell, Virginia, and the 2023 shows were our 11th and 12th all-breed shows. Besides Conformation, KCAA is licensed in AKC Fast CAT (2018) and AKC Fit Dog (2023). The Club has held 30 Fast CAT trials since becoming licensed.