An inaugural meeting of The Mastiff Club was held on 26th July 1990.  From the beginning the Committee and other interested parties were keen to see the club set up correctly and to this end a Constitution was drafted and put into place.  This was closely followed by a Code of Ethics and a Mastiff Rescue Scheme.  On 28th May 1993 The Mastiff Club put forward a submission to the Executive Council of the NZKC (New Zealand Kennel Club) for application for recognition as a Specialist Breed Club.  This was formally approved at their meeting in June 1993.

Our Aims:
    •  To encourage responsible breeding and exhibition of Mastiff dogs conforming to NZKC standards.
    •  To promote good fellowship and mutual support among dog owners and fanciers, and to encourage all Mastiff owners to adhere to the Code of Ethics.
    •  To hold meetings,  get-togethers, ribbon parades and Shows for the education and benefit of Mastiff owners.

Educational/Fun, Match Days and Ribbon Parades
The mastiff Club covers the whole of New Zealand.  At present we have 3 active areas, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. these areas hold gatherings for members and owners.  We have held many successful Match Days for all Mastiff Breeds.  These events are well attended and prove to be extremely popular.  All areas also hold ribbon parades for our Mastiff breed, usually 2 or 3 a year.  Educational days and get-togethers are held not only for our Specialist English Mastiff breed but also for other Mastiff types.  If possible we take advantage of overseas visitors who have expertise in our Mastiff breed as judges or breeders or both, and organise events to coincide with their visits.  Some of our more notable visitors were Lyn Say, Janet Webberley and Betty Baxter.

The Future
The future seems bright for Mastiffs in New Zealand and we are hopeful that more areas will get organised and hold get-togethers for members.  It is great to see buyers becoming more discriminating and breeders being more selective.  Our club is slowly growing in strength as numbers increase.  The more members we have the more activities we can plan.  With your help, let's go forward to the future and build a strong club dedicated to the promotion and betterment of the Mastiff breed.

    •  Do you own a Mastiff?
    •  Are you interested in the Mastiff breed?
    •  Are you a potential puppy buyer?
    •  Are you a member of The Mastiff Club?

If you answered yes to any of the first three questions and no to the fourth, why not join The Mastiff Club and become a member of a highly dedicated group.  Join in our activities , fun days, ribbon parades or attend our committee meetings if you wish.  We send out 3 newsletters a year, full of photos, advice and information.  Subscription and family membership fee is only $25 per year.  Overseas airmail postage $8 per year.

Although we are a specialist English Mastiff Club we do realise that other Mastiff breeds do not yet have sufficient numbers to form their own Club.  Since our inception we have always welcomed and encouraged other Mastiff breed owners to join in our activities and become members of our Club.  We also welcome articles and input from these members.  For an application to join The Mastiff Club together with a copy of our Code of Ethics, please contact the Mastiff Club Secretary.