The British Canaan Dog Society was created in February 2004, when a group of like-minded people got together to discuss and form a new society. At that inaugural meeting, it was agreed that the aims of the society should be:
- To protect and promote the interests of the Canaan Dog, as founded by Prof. Menzel.
- To be a Society for the benefit of its members, and to render all assistance possible to owners, breeders and exhibitors of Canaan Dogs.
- To organise seminars, lectures and various events.
- To hold and share pertinent information and archives, which are readily available to all members.
Rules for the society were discussed, set up and agreed to, and a steering committee, made up of Mark Dineley, Mary McPhail and Jill Terry, was formed. This committee was given instructions to get the Society under way and report back in two months with a date for a meeting to elect Officers and Committee members and finalise details.
The first official Officers and Committee members of the society were: Mrs Mary MacPhail (Chairman), Ms Pam O’Loughlin (Secretary), Mrs Phillipa Pearce (Treasurer), Committee Members: Mike Cannon, Jan Smith, Sue Smith and Ian Terry.
The Society web site is packed with breed information, health articles, photos of Canaan Dogs from all around the world, links to breeders and exhibitors around the world, and regularly updated show results.