Member Practices Assurance Policy (Approved by LCA Board, April 17, 2011)
Current MPAC Members
The primary purpose of the Member Practices Assurance Policy is to ensure the respectful, orderly, and uniform handling of alleged violations of the Required Member Practices and, where possible, obtain remediation without the need for disciplinary proceedings under the LCA Bylaws, Article VI.
1. Committee Composition & Purpose: The Board shall annually appoint a Member Practices Assurance Committee (MPAC) consisting of three (3) full members in good standing to accept, review, and process information regarding alleged violations of the Required Member Practices (RMPs) consistent with the Board?s policy for doing so; stated below.
2. Reporting: All alleged violations of the Member Practices shall first be sent to the MPAC for review and investigation before the Board of Directors will entertain a complaint under the Bylaws, Article VI. The Breeders? Assistant to the Breeding Committee, in the routine course of processing information regarding breedings and litters, shall forward all potential violations to the MPAC for review and processing.
3. Notice to Accused: Upon receiving information regarding alleged violations of the RMPs, the MPAC shall have 21-days to evaluate the allegations, do any necessary follow up investigation, and send notice to the accused. If the accused has an e-mail address on file with the LCA Membership Chair, notice may be via e-mail, and shall be considered received upon confirmation of receipt. Otherwise the notice shall be sent by regular U.S. mail, to the address on file with the LCA Membership Chair, and shall be considered received 3 days after it is mailed.
4. Remediation: If the violation appears to be one where remediation is possible the MPAC shall inform the accused that they have 30-days from the date notice is considered received to come into compliance. The accused shall also be advised that the Breeding Committee Chair can arrange for mentor services, to provide guidance on coming into compliance. Until the MPAC is able to verify that remediation has been timely completed, no club resources may be used to advertise or disseminate information on any sire and/or dam owned, or any litter produced, by the accused. This includes, but is not limited to, the LCA website and the LeoLetter. Remediable RMP violations shall include, but not be limited to:
a.) No AKC registration (For LCA member-owned Leos);
b.) No CHIC number;
c.) No OFA hips evaluation (or Penn-Hip/foreign equivalent); and
d.) No submission of completed Breeding Activity Form.
5. Non-Remediable: Non-remediable RMP violations shall include, but not be limited to:
a.) Non-passing OFA hips or Penn-Hip/foreign equivalent;
b.) LCA member owned sire or dam was not at least two years of age at the time of breeding; and
c.) LCA member owned dam was more than eight years of age at the time of breeding.
6. Referral of Complaint: If, after the expiration of the 30 day period, compliance has still not been demonstrated, or if the alleged violation is determined to be non-remediable, the MPAC shall prepare a report on its investigation and refer the matter to the LCA Secretary as a complaint, for disciplinary proceedings under Article VI of the LCA Bylaws.
