GREG TARR/Observer-Reporter/via AP
Ralph Ullum gets kisses from his Siberian huskies at his property in East Finley Township near Claysville, Pa.
A Pennsylvania breeder of Siberian Huskies has accused the American Kennel Club of defamation for suspending him from club shows based on an allegation that he once drugged another dog to give his a competitive edge.
Ralph Ullum, a 70-year-old retired Air Force sergeant, was acquitted of an animal cruelty charge following a 2010 show in Wheaton, Ill. A competitor whose dog finished second to Ullum’s dog, 501 Blues, vomited up a pill and a rubber band, leading to the accusation that Ullum gave the dog antacid and Benadryl.
Ullum’s civil suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, faults AKC and its president for holding a disciplinary hearing before the criminal trial ended, and banning him from all club activities, including shows, for five years. He wants the suspension lifted, and unspecified compensation. A rep for AKC declined comment.
Ullum has had 100 champion show dogs. Stud fees for champs are higher, and puppies from their line are more expensive.
BRoss@nydailynews.com
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