Norwich Terrier Club of America (NTCA)
Founding of the Club
NTCA, a national club, is sanctioned by the American Kennel Club as the official parent club for Norwich Terriers.
In the NTCA publication, Norwich Terriers, 1936-1966, editors Constance Larrabee and Joan Read wrote the following
“It was owing to the efforts of Gordon Massey and Henry Bixby that the American Kennel Club as of February 20, 1936, accepted the Norwich terrier for recognition as a breed.”
From 1936 to 1979 the AKC recognized both drop ear and prick ear carriage as Norwich terriers. Norwich fanciers had been informally organized as a club since the mid-thirties. In 1947, the AKC granted the club official recognition.
“Mrs. Spencer as the first president with Mrs. Thayer as the first secretary unified Norwich interests, they gathered invaluable statistics and visited active breeders in many states. That year the first Specialty Show was held in Massachusetts with an excellent entry of over thirty dogs. Soon after, the club and the breed suffered a severe loss with the sad death of the sporting Mrs. Spencer. The stalwart Katherine Thayer carried on, adequately coping with the growing club’s responsibilities and problems. Judges were sent copies of the Standard, prospective members were personally contacted and detailed records kept. Mrs. Thayer made no secret of her contempt for trophy hunters. She had observed several grand breeds fall into disrepute through the exploits of the few and was a champion of the “show it yourself” school. Cooperating with British breeders, the foundations were laid which have preserved the Norwich as a sporting companion in both countries.”
In 1979 the AKC officially recognized Norwich and Norfolk as separate breeds and the club was renamed the Norwich and Norfolk Terrier Club. In 2007, the membership voted to separate into two clubs to represent each breed and, in 2009, the NTCA was organized as a charitable and educational Not for Profit organization.
Purpose and Mission
A Constitution, Bylaws and Code of Ethics were developed for the new club, and then approved by the membership and the American Kennel Club. These governance documents reflect the mission and purpose of the club. We urge members to accept the Breed Standard. We require members to sign and abide by the Code of Ethics. Both the Breed Standard and Code of Ethics are guidelines to advance the quality of the breed, promote the interests of the breed and protect the breed from private or commercial exploitation.
Mrs. Larrabee and Mrs. Read noted in 1966:
“It is hoped that the Norwich Terrier’s greater orbit in popularity will not diminish the characteristics for which they were bred. Let us perpetuate our weatherproof working terriers. May their numbers always increase. We trust that the future will decrease their faults yet protect their virtues. Long live the Norwich!”
– Barbara Einspruch