Two years have passed since the Russian Branch of the International Society for the Preservation of Primitive Aboriginal Dogs (R-PADS) began its work. At the time of its foundation our goal was to unite people interested in the aboriginal dogs of Russia, regardless of whether they lived in the Russian Federation or beyond Russia’s borders. We hope that communication, exchange of information and coordination of efforts to preserve these valuable dogs of our ancestors and to assure their survival for future generations as unchanged and capable dogs as they were in the past. Looking back, we wish to state that our goals have not change. We welcome new members who are interested in the preservation of this unique heritage of Russia - her aboriginal dogs. We remain an informal organization, without any restrictions or requirements. We would like to attract dog breeders and professional scientists. Everyone who is willing to share his experience and knowledge of dogs and who is interested in the unique aboriginal dogs of Russia is welcome.
We would like to mention that our view does not always support the opinions expressed in published articles. Despite this, we avoid corrections to the text of articles, because we believe that diversity of opinions should be acceptable in a group involved with such complex and diverse material and problems. Our dogs are very different and include sheep guarding dogs, sighthounds, laikas and scent hounds. The goal of all of us remains the same and this is the preservation of the unique gene pools of these dogs and the prevention of their conversion into sofa toys retaining only the appearance of their proud ancestors. These dogs deserve respect, because for centuries they assisted people to survive in a harsh environment and shared with them the hardships of “uncivilized” life.
Simultanously with information about Russian breeds, we publish articles about aboriginal breeds of other countries, former republics of the Soviet Union. Genotypically, these dogs are close to now popular Russian purebreds and their histories have much in common. Besides, for educational purposes, we publish original articles about aboriginal dogs of the other parts of the World, about which in Russian cynological literature there is little reliable information. These articles are sent to us by other members of PADS who are working on their preservation in different corners of the world.
In the process of forming our organization, we went through certain difficulties, such as building the website, delays in sending the Newsletter and other difficulties, but all these problems are solved and we hope to expand the volume of published issues and their range and to enhance communication between our members.
The preservation of aboriginal breeds of dogs cannot be done by single individuals; it takes a collective effort of passionate people. R-PADS is a result of our joint effort and it is our merit. We welcome everyone who is willing to actively participate in our work. Now, the R-PADS Newsletter has an Editorial Board and we offer information about its members in this issue.
Hoping to continue close cooperation in the future.
Editorial Board of Russian Branch of Society
for Preservation of Primitive Aboriginal Dogs.
