Terms of Membership

Whether you are an active exhibitor, breeder, pet owner, or just starting out in the breed; becoming a club member means becoming part of the national parent club and supporting its goals of promoting, preserving, and protecting the Hokkaido breed for future generations. HANA represents Hokkaido breeders and owners across North America and around the world. It is our chief goal is to establish a healthy breeding population in North America. The best interest of the breed is foremost in the minds of HANA members.

There are four types of membership in HANA: Individual, Family, Junior, and International. All of these memberships are open to all persons who subscribe to the purpose and mission of the Hokkaido Association of North America and agree to abide by the HANA Constitution and Bylaws and HANA Code of Ethics.

Endorsement and Mentorship

Applicants are not required but encouraged to have the endorsement of an existing HANA member in good standing. If an application for membership is called into question by the board, the endorser shall represent the applicant and their petition to join. Typically speaking, new members who are brought in by a breeder selling them a Hokkaido will be endorsed by that breeder.

New members are required to have a mentor in the club for the first probationary year of membership. The mentor may be the endorser of their application and anyone endorsing a new member application must be willing to also serve as the new member’s mentor. However, arrangements may be made for a different mentor if desired, and the board will assign a willing mentor if the new member doesn’t have one.

In addition to the normal terms of membership, any member wishing to breed must have a breeder-mentor within HANA. When a new breeder has had at least one Hokkaido litter with their breeder-mentor’s guidance and is not a probationary member, they are eligible to be listed on the HANA Breeder Directory.