The British Cavy Council is the

governing body A governing body is a group of people that has the authority to exercise governance over an organization or political entity. The most formal is a government, a body whose sole responsibility and authority is to make binding decisions in a taken ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

for national, regional, and local cavy (

guinea pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus '' Cavia'' in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word ''cavy'' to describe the ...

) clubs, and also for the wide range of '

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

clubs' which exist on a national basis to further the interests of particular cavy breeds, and to provide a forum for those with an interest in the breed concerned.

Nature of the Council

The Council is not itself a club or association - it is not possible, for example, to be a subscribing member, as it has only executive members. Most cavy 'fanciers' (people interested in breeding and showing purebred, or pedigree, cavies) in the United Kingdom will belong to one of the large network of local cavy clubs, and usually also one of the large regional cavy clubs (such as the Southern Cavy Club, National Cavy Club, or Scottish National Cavy Club). They may also belong to the breed club associated with their particular breed of cavy. It is in these clubs that those interested in

purebred Purebreds are " cultivated varieties" of an animal species achieved through the process of selective breeding. When the lineage of a purebred animal is recorded, that animal is said to be "pedigreed". Purebreds breed true-to-type which means the ...

(pedigree) cavies mix with others who have similar interests, and find opportunities for showing their animals. However, all of these clubs (of which there are more than 75 in the United Kingdom) recognise the British Cavy Council as the ultimate authority.

Authority of the Council

Given that most cavy activity is in the local, regional, and breed clubs, and that the large ''regional'' clubs are also the governing authorities for show rules, appeals, and judging (including the training of judges), the precise role of the British Cavy Council is sometimes misunderstood. The Council has sole responsibility as: * the only body competent to recognise and define different (and new) breeds of cavy; * the recognised authority for setting 'standards' for the judging of purebred cavies in shows; * the registering and certifying authority for official cavy breeding studs (registering a stud name entitles the holders to breed and show under that name, and prevents anyone else from using the same name - it is not necessarily a guarantee of quality); * the ultimate authority and arbiter in all matters of interest to the cavy world in the United Kingdom.

References

{{reflist

External links

The British Cavy Council web site
page concerning the British Cavy Council's role in registering cavy breeding studs

(''as one example of dozens available of'') a local cavy club referencing the British Cavy Council, here in relation to the recognition of new rare breeds of cavy Guinea pigs Rodents as pets