1-26-10 NOTE:  To those who are emailing me in disgust of the latest actions of TIBCS toward yet another breeder, and the disgusting actions of the TIBCS so called "Ethics" committee people, asking if they might use part of this statement, you have my permission as long as you remove any reference to me or my cattery.  I applaud you for standing up for what is right!  Take your power back! Get the word out that when a breeder joins TIBCS they have literally given power over to TIBCS to blacken their reputation. Tell them NO MORE !  We will not stand by while they recklessly destroy what what we have worked for years to achieve. I don't know about the rest of you, but I for one am tired of having good caring breeders so disgusted that they quit as breeders because of this type of behavior.

The International Bengal Cat Association (TIBCS) (not to be confused with TIBCC above)

First let me say that we absolutely abhor having to post anything like this...and I really hate giving up good website real estate for something as distasteful when I could be posting pictures of our beautiful cats and kittens......but, I feel that we are and will be losing countless good breeders or would be good breeders due to the recent cyber bullying.

We can no longer in good conscience recommend The Bengal Cat Association club (TIBCS) to our clients.   Please read as I feel very strongly about this issue:

SierraGold is a licensed, tax paying cattery who raises beautiful, healthy, well socialized cats all guaranteed by contract. We have been raising beautiful Bengals with honesty and integrity for more than 10 years now, and have many fine references all over the world. This will not change.

WE HAD DROPPED OUR MEMBERSHIP to TIBCS cat hobbyist club early this year (although they did state in an email to me that our membership was good until next year) as we are in TOTAL disagreement with their ethics and their treatment of many fellow breeders.

Now they have chosen to publish SierraGold on a list of suspended club members in their magazine, on their site and on the Bengals-L List which they have currently taken control of, but which is not part of this hobbyist club.  This has been done with malice and false accusations and because they are all "buddies" in this group, it appears they feel they have the right to perform what is nothing more than malicious "Cyber Bullying". They have done their best to display us as unethical and it appears their main reason is jealousy of the many fine cats we breed, show and sell. 

IT ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDS ME THAT THEY THINK THEY CAN SUSPEND A MEMBER THAT THEY DO NOT EVEN HAVE. SINCE I DID NOT RENEW MY MEMBERSHIP HOW CAN THEY PUBLICLY CLAIM TO SUSPEND IT! (see the email I received below)

From: TIBCS Membership Secretary [mailto:msecretary@wi.rr.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 5:14 PM
To: hunterk@sierragoldbengals.com
Subject: Re: Membership that is not valid...please take all mention of my name from this click. I do not want anything to do with it

You can't revoke your memberhip. You are a member until 4/15/2010. The reason you got a renewal is because you are suspened and your membership has been pushed back so you don't have any TIBCS privlages. The person who pulled the renewal notice didn't know this at the time.

Brenda

(NOTE:  Do you believe this....they extended a membership that I did not want so that they could suspend me!!! Unbelievable!!!!!!!  Also, note the spelling errors.... membership (memberhip) suspended (suspened) and privileges (privlages)....and this is the club secretary??????)

----- Original Message -----

From: Kathy Hunter

To: 'TIBCS Membership Secretary'

Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2009 10:10 PM

Subject: Membership that is not valid..

I am not a member or any kind of this click.  I cancelled my membership long before the date …..long ago…before April.  AND, why then did I get a renewal notice three weeks ago???  I am NOT a member, nor to I ever want to be a member again in this lifetime.

Best wishes,

Kathy  Hunter

www.SierraGoldBengals.com

Where treasures of Gold & Silver can still be found!!

FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT AWARE, TIBCS NOW CONTROLS BENGALS PEDIGREE.COM AND ALSO THE BENGALS-L LIST. THEY HAVE BLOCKED MANY OF THOSE THAT DISAGREE WITH THEM FROM POSTING ANY RESPONSE....IT APPEARS TO ME THEY FEEL THEY CAN PUBLICLY MALIGN  AND BULLY ANYONE THEY WANT.  LOOK OUT! YOU MAY BE NEXT!

I am hearing there are others that have been bullied. ANYONE WHO FEELS THEY HAVE BEEN BULLIED IN THIS WAY, PLEASE DON'T BE AFRAID TO STAND UP TO THEM! THEY ARE ONLY A "SMALL" GROUP.

We have further made the decision to not sell any of our SIERRAGOLD BENGALS or their offspring to any officers, directors or committee members of this club.  We have looked the other way for the past three years, but will no longer do so. We personally want to be involved only with those that will further a committment to this very special breed with honesty, integrity, good sportsmanship and kindness and feel this move supports that decision.

To those of you directly involved I say: If you would just spend more time on your own breeding programs you would not have time for the nonsense, and we would all have better Bengals."  Life is far too short; I will not waste mine on such as this.   My good reputation stands, and to anyone who may wonder, just come to our cattery and learn about the "real" SierraGold......a spotlessly clean and loving cattery when there is no nook or cranny you are not allowed to visit, where you may play with each and every cat and kitten...including our famous studs.  We welcome you!

The following Bengal Breeders are close friends whose breeding programs we also respect and who we know to be honest and ethical. If you can't find what you are looking for with us, you might want to try one of these links also. These listed links are only those that offer reciprocal links, there are a number of fine catteries that we work with, however, they choose not to publish other cattery links.  We respect their wishes.

http://www.BaliHaiBengals.com     (Kathy Morlang here in California)

http://www.StonehengeBengals.com   (Sydney Welch of Tennessee)

www.beckattbengals.com.au/index.html     (Melina and Dave Beckett of Australia)

http://www.SCBengals.com   (Alanna Bocchino of New Jersey)

http://www.Lileopardbengals.com  (Cheradee Brown of Texas)

http://www.volarebengals.com  (Merrilee Yax of Michigan)

http://www.passionbengal.ca   (Vicky Pomerleau)

http://www.secretspotbengals.com (Tracy Cushway)

http://MagesticPrideBengals.com.ca (Pamela Longevin)

http://MatahariBengals.com (Janna Szarek)

http://www.junglegracesbengals.com  (Nina Siljebro of Sweden)

http://www.southlynnbengals.com (Priscilla South of Georgia)

A fabulous magazine for Bengal enthusiasts with many fine articles and a Breeder Directory, and great shopping for the hard to find Bengal specialty items!  A must have!