The title of this post and content references the Newfoundland Club of America, I am in no way implying or stating the club itself is the one that did the attacking. The NCA does a lot of really great work for the Newfoundland breed and for people interested in them. I choose to believe the official representatives would not have responded as these individuals acting on behalf of the club did.
Social media and the internet are hostile places. But we all know that. People type things while hiding behind their screens they wouldn’t dream of saying to someone in person all for the dopamine hit of feeling more important than they actually are.
I share on my blog and on social media to support and educate individuals about the Newfoundland breed. But I also blog for myself to have an outlet where I can talk about something I love. The negative opinions of people online hold absolutely no value in my life, especially when met with harassing attacks in the comment section or on other people’s pages.
While their actions and poor choices hold no value in my life, I am sharing this for you, my readers and supporters, as this has the potential to affect you as well.
What led to me, a nobody in the Newfoundland dog world, to being attacked and harassed by members of the Newfoundland Club of America?
The national specialty dog show is in Duluth, Minnesota this year. Because the official logo was, once again, lackluster, I designed a graphic for myself. I decided to share it with my following, people who might not know anything about the NCA or the annual show which would bring more notoriety to the event.
You can read about my excitement for the show being held in a city I have called home in the original post if you would like. Not only was I excited the show was being held in Duluth, but this will be my first time attending the national specialty.
From there I was thrust into the spotlight when these Newfoundland Club of America members became aware of my existence. I have been called a fraud, a scammer, unethical, and more all because I shared something I love doing with my following.
As a new NCA member I had hopes of finding a group where I can be a part of something, instead I feel attacked and unwelcome by those representing the NCA.
To the leadership of the club, I really hope this is not how you allow Newfoundland Club of America members to treat new members and future breeders on a regular basis. I haven’t even been a member for one full year yet.
I’ve been involved in the Newfoundland breed all of my life. I finally decided to become a member of the Newfoundland Club of America this past year since I was becoming more active in the sport of dog showing. I was excited to be a part of a group of like minded people that shared one of my many interests.
Instead, I have been met with hostility by multiple people within the club.
Having grown up in the world of dogs and knowing what “club mentality” is, perhaps I made a mistake. I believed they would welcome someone with the skills, knowledge, and desire to create and be a resource for others just getting started or interested in the breed. But not only that, someone of a younger generation taking an interest in the breed and preserving purebred Newfoundlands.
The purebred dog fancy is, after all, dying.
In more ways than one. Interest in the purebred dog fancy is old and their generation is dying. There simply aren’t enough young people interested in the fancy replacing them.
This isn’t something exclusive to the Newfoundland breed, it’s across the board. Purebred dog sports is an old and dying hobby.
Sharing of Screenshots
My original Facebook post about the design being available was later shared by an individual that follows my page. The bulk of the harassment and attacks took place in the thread under the post that individual shared.
I have no issues with the club or the organization, they do a lot of great things for the breed and provide a lot of great education to Newfoundland fanciers. Again, the title of this post and content references the Newfoundland Club of America, I am in no way implying or stating the club itself is the one that did the attacking. I choose to believe the official representatives would not have responded as these individuals acting on behalf of the club did.
I will be sharing screenshots of what was said, however, all names will be redacted and replaced with a pseudonym.
My intent of this post is not to attack the individuals like they have attacked me, but to provide information surrounding the events that led to a controversy of my design and possibly even my blog.
I do not want anyone who supports Love Newfoundlands in any way to be harassed at an event without the knowledge of what happened.
Addressing the Comments on the Thread
At the time, I chose not to address the bulk of the comments on the thread. Only the ones that needed a direct answer.
In response to saying, “it’s wrong to piggy back on a nonprofit,” this was my reply.
When I answered I was not to all of the things I was being accused of, B doubled down and continued saying I was. Others would jump all over in agreement, whether it was through their own comments, liking B’s posts, or being “angry” at mine.
The attackers were not going to stop. Anything more I would have said in my defense would have fueled their assault on me.
Where is the Willing Audience Within the Fancy?
Yes, the harassers are trying to shut down my creativity.
Did you know that I have been running Love Newfoundlands since March of 2017?
That’s seven years, crazy to think it’s been that long. I have been selling shirts and making designs that whole time. And I’ve created a design for nationals almost every year in that time.
Graphic design is something I enjoy very much and quite honestly, the designs the NCA chooses to use every year are lackluster at best.
Do you know how many sales of any of my designs I’ve had to people I do not know personally in that time. Zero.
I have had zero sales to this willing audience in the fancy.
Not only that, no one that I do not personally know has bought any shirts with my national specialty design on them in all that time.
I am a small blogger. I barely get 10,000 page views on my blog every year. And do you want to take a guess at how many page views the shop side of my site gets on average every year?
Less than 330 views.
No one knew I existed until they came along.
This individual appears to know nothing about me or Love Newfoundlands. They didn’t have a clue that I do make my own designs and post on Facebook about them. I just don’t spam the Newfoundland groups like the true scammers and frauds on the internet.
I started Love Newfoundlands to exclusively design and sell shirts. And originally had no interest in running a blog about the breed. I was a travel blogger then and didn’t care to have the responsibility of running two blogs.
Somewhere along the way, I found a passion for writing about our beloved breed. I still didn’t want the responsibility of running two blogs though, so I fully transitioned from travel to Newfoundlands.
As for the willing audience, anyone who has ever supported my creative endeavors has done so willingly. I have not bullied, scammed, or fraudulently represented myself to anyone supporting me or Love Newfoundlands.
It doesn’t appear like the harassment will end for me or my followers
A week and a half after the original events occurred, the harassers continued to comment on my Facebook page, react negatively to my original post, and say that “people need to support the NCA official merchandise.” By doing this, these individuals are also bullying my followers into supporting the NCA.
People are free to purchase more than one design. If they would like to support Love Newfoundlands and the Newfoundland Club of America, I have absolutely no issue with that. Nowhere have I ever said do not support the NCA or buy my shirt instead of theirs. I still am not saying that. You, my followers, are still free to purchase from and support whoever you choose. Both of us, one of us, or none of us.
However, it appears like they have an issue with anyone supporting Love Newfoundlands. By posting this comment, they are saying not to support Love Newfoundlands. They are saying buy ours, not hers.
Am I Making Money Off the Newfoundland Club of America?
No. I am not.
If I were making money off the Newfoundland Club of America I would be posting my links directly to the national specialty group on Facebook like the true scammers have been doing. I would be claiming to be associated with the NCA on my blog and the post about my graphic would say I was selling an official NCA design.
The real frauds and scammers have stolen the exact graphic for the national specialty. They have even gone so far as to use an account with the name “Nca national specialty” with a site url named “ncanational.shop.” They also posted their fraudulent wares in the NCA National Specialty group on Facebook.
I pulled these photos off the group page as an example.
I, however, have done no such thing.
In the original post on my blog and my Facebook post I referenced the graphic as my design. Nowhere is the Newfoundland Club of America or NCA referenced.
I didn’t even get the word order right on my blog post title.
But let’s take it a step further.
Did the NCA have a hand in growing my small following on the blog and on social media?
No.
They didn’t. Because, remember, they didn’t know I existed.
As for others that they know do exist, L was mentioned in one of the comments above as being a creative individual who donates to the club. Is L donating their profits to the club? Has anyone even asked if they will be?
L advertised on the NCA National Specialty group page on Facebook.
It appears like they are using the NCA for their for-profit business. It also appears like they are “piggy backing” off the vast following of the club.
Am I selling Newfoundland Club of America Swag?
How this all started was the original comment by B asking, “Wonder why…”
B not only posted it under the shared post where the bulk of the harassment occurred but on several other pages that shared my Facebook post, including my own.
I have since deleted the comments from B and others from my page as I have a zero-tolerance policy towards harassing comments.
So am I selling Newfoundland Club of America swag?
No.
Nowhere on any of my posts either on my blog or my Facebook page do I use the Newfoundland Club of America name or logo when referring to this graphic. This is not NCA swag as implied by B. And it is evident this is not affiliated with the NCA.
I posted about the NCA one time on my Facebook page when I was accepted as a new member. I think it’s pretty easy to read the excitement I felt when I got my welcome packet in the mail.
I am a creator and Love Newfoundlands is independent of the Newfoundland Club of America. This is evident on both my Facebook page and blog.
The only affiliation I have with them is being a member. A membership I am considering not renewing after this attack.
How can I be a part of an organization that allows members to attack and harass others?
You Can Still Be Creative, Just Donate Your Art, Money, and Time to the Club
Did you know that the form club sponsors fill out asks if the individual has any skills or interests that would be of value to the club? One of my sponsors listed graphic design and everything I do in running this blog as something that would be an asset to the club.
The funny thing is, if they would have asked me to create a design for a show in the future instead of attacking me I would have been more than happy to donate my creativity and time. I’m sure they’ll never ask now but on the off chance they do, would I say yes after this treatment?
Probably not. My time and work have value. If other people choose to donate, that is their prerogative.
Besides, does the club ask vendors at shows to turn over their profits? They are “piggy backing” on the following of the non-profit club for a profit.
How about the whole community where shows like this are held? Businesses within the community are profiting from the influx of people the NCA brought to the city. Are they expected to donate a portion of their profits to the club as well?
On the NCA National Specialty group page, a different thread was started five days later by S discussing scammers and frauds (which if you are aware of the situation they are very obviously discussing me because it is the same people commenting and liking) have even gone so far as to say they saw another Newf person selling Duluth merchandise. Does the NCA now have claims to anything that says Duluth on it? I do hope someone makes the tourist shops aware before these club members arrive in the city 😉
Not only that, they continue to say I have no integrity or respect for the club.
What makes me, a small blogger, with a small following different from others that have posted their for-profit business on the group page? What makes me someone that is worth attacking repeatedly on several different pages and groups?
I am celebrating and supporting the event by spreading the word of the national specialty show and creating interest in it.
Do you know how many people have asked about the specialty that have never heard of it before because of this graphic? How many people have asked if they could attend the show too? If they could bring their family and their Newfies?
Quite a few.
How much interest has the club been able to generate in newcomers to the breed and younger generations that know nothing about the NCA or the national specialty show?
Is someone other than the NCA holding a National Specialty 2024?
Yes.
Do people really think the Newfoundland Club of America is the only breed parent club that holds a yearly show where everyone gathers and calls it the national specialty?
And once again, nowhere does my design or posts about it say anything about the Newfoundland Club of America. It says “Newfoundland” a word and name of our beloved breed the club has no claim to.
Bootlegging.. what a fun word choice. I certainly didn’t expect to read that as it does not apply to this situation. The definition of bootlegging is the illegal manufacture, distribution, or sale of goods.
Nothing I have done is illegal.
And I find F’s “shocked” reaction to the last post on the thread fascinating. Especially considering they contributed to the attack.
Are they shocked that I’m making changes or shocked that this is considered bullying?
Am I A Newfoundland Club of America Member?
I am a member. Not that being a member should matter one way or another.
But I do have to wonder what S is trying to get at. Is this individual saying they wouldn’t have joined in on the attack if they were able to determine I am a member of the Newfoundland Club of America?
As I highlighted a few sections above, I am not doing or even trying to do the same thing as the scammers. I have not stolen the official NCA National Specialty logo to sell. I created my own original design to support the event and club by generating more interest.
Expenses of Running the Blog
Blogging, when done correctly at a small scale like I am doing, is like dog showing, an expensive hobby. It bleeds money.
Will I actually make a profit on the few sales I might get? Absolutely not.
Let’s look at the monthly expenses of my site.
- Hosting, Domain Registration, etc – $30
- Stock Photos – $169
- Graphic Design Software – $50
- Keyword Research Software – $15
- Social media scheduling software – $15
That’s a little over $280 per month that I do not recover. And this is just direct expenses. If I were to look at expenses from a business standpoint it would be a larger monthly sum.
Cell phone (device and bill), internet bill, laptop, cameras, etc. In reality, it’s probably more than $280 per month that I don’t recover or even offset the operating costs of.
Even breeders are able to offset the expenses from their expensive hobby of dog showing by breeding puppies. If there are any profits after the coverage of expenses they are not expected to donate the remaining or any portion of the remaining profits to the club.
The show on the other hand manages to always break even. The years they make money negate the years they lose money. I would love to break even some months.
Alternate Designs Have Been Added
In an effort to quell the harassment and attacks from the Newfoundland Club of America members, I have removed Newfoundland National Specialty 2024 from the alternate graphics now posted on the shop.
What a waste of my time getting the additional designs set up. Time I do not have in abundance.
Changing the design is not something I should have had to do to get the harassment to stop.
These people should behave like adults. Most, if not all of them, have decades of life on me. And yet here they are.
There are 38 comments on the seemingly never-ending thread. Some, coming to my defense, some discussing the club’s finances, but the bulk of them fall squarely under harassment.
Furthermore, the Newfoundland Club of America has no claims to the words “Newfoundland national specialty.” They also have no claim to the words “national specialty” as other parent breed clubs within dog sports use that verbiage. And other businesses outside of the dog world use “National Specialty” in their name.
Looking to the Future
Love Newfoundlands will continue to support, educate, and encourage all members in the Newfoundland dog community for the betterment of the breed as a whole.
I won’t let this discourage me from what I am going to do with Love Newfoundlands.
I have lofty goals and they will be accomplished.
As of now, all links leading to the Newfoundland Club of America from my site have been removed.
The removal of these links will further distance Love Newfoundlands from the Newfoundland Club of America, ensuring that no one even has the opportunity to be this confused again.
This post clearly outlines how the project is independent of the NCA. I have complied with every demand from the harassers.
But this individual and the others were wrong.
The project did benefit the National Specialty Show and in turn the NCA. Support does not always have to be in financial or monetary terms. Support can simply be making people aware of an event.
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