Bulldog Club of Greater Seattle

The Bulldog Club of Greater Seattle (BCGS) is a thriving and very active specialty club of more than 150 members at last count.

The club hosts numerous activities annually that cater to the diverse interests of the membership in addition to its yearly specialty shows that are very well attended by bulldoggers from all over the country.

However, the Bulldog Club of Greater Seattle was not the first Bulldog club based in the area. The Pacific Northwest Bulldog Club (PNBC) was organized sometime prior to the 1950s. Gus and Lou Nelsson, John and Belle Lynch, Gladys Knight and Lillian Kreuger among others were the founders of The Pacific Northwest Bulldog Club.

The PNBC did well until the early 1960s. Its membership had dwindled to less than 10 members and its activity was no more than a monthly Sunday afternoon card game.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) declared the PNBC ineligible to hold any further sanctioned events because the newsletter editor of the PNBC at that time published some unsavory comments about an AKC-approved judge in the club’s official newsletter.

The AKC advised the club to retract the comments and formally apologize for the inappropriate comments before the club could once again resume AKC sanctioned activities and events.

Several PNBC members, including Jim and Nancy Boulton, Fred and Jeanne Zalud, Joanne and Jerry Shierk, Bob and Casey Williams and Chick and Al Carlson, encouraged the club to retract the statements and correct the issue by publishing an apology. Ham Webert assisted by endorsing that action, along with Pat Thompson.

The AKC accepted the apology published in the newsletter but advised the club that it would have to start over again by holding AKC "A" and "B" sanctioned matches and work its way back to seeking the AKC's approval to hold specialty shows.

The AKC also required the PNBC to change its name. It was then that the Bulldog Club of Greater Seattle was founded.

Some other local breeders and fanciers including John and Rose West and Peg and Harry Revell joined the newly formed BCGS, and the club enjoyed holding the required matches.

The BCGS held its first official specialty show during the mid-1970s.

The Seattle club hosted its annual specialty show during the 2007 BCA National Specialty Show Week at Spokane, Washington, from September 30 through October 6.

Mrs. Jeanne Zalud and Mr. Jerry Shierk helped to provide material for this brief history.

Submitted by Jay Serion