CLUB HISTORY

The Northeastern Maryland Kennel Club, Inc. was founded on June 24, 1985, as an organized all breed dog club in the Harford and Cecil County, Maryland territory.

History suggest that a small group of dog enthusiast in Harford County Maryland got together at the home of Mike and Renee Hodge in Whiteford, Maryland to form what we know today as the Northeastern Maryland Kennel Club. Present that evening was Ann M Schultz, a current and founding member. To raise money to grow our club in our early years, our founding members conducted regular conformation and obedience classes in the parking lot of St. Mary’s Church in Bel Air.

Upon formal incorporation on April 13, 1988 three founding members, Renee Hodge, Barbara Compton, and Victoria Emmel were legally named as our first directors until the annual meeting or until their successors were chosen. The Northeastern Maryland Kennel Club’s Articles of Incorporation were prepared by the law office of John K. Kelly, Bel Air, MD. John and his wife Kathy were also active in dogs, showing their Boston Terriers at the time. Although NEMKC was incorporated as a nonprofit it took several years for our club to realize that we needed a formal Internal Revenue Service exception. Our Internal Revenue Service exemption was officially signed on April 24, 2003 by Lois G. Lerner, Exempt Organizations Rulings and Agreements

The NEMKC was recognized as an American Kennel Club Member Club on March 13, 2012.