One of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale’s greatest achievements throughout its hundred years of history has been to establish itself as an inclusive, modern organisation with a truly global scope. We have got where we are today by working closely with our members who, together, are constantly looking out for the well-being of dogs worldwide.

In the same way as the world’s largest international organisations, the FCI found a base and then turned it into a home. More than 60 years ago, the city of Thuin opened its doors to our organisation and since then it has witnessed our development and growth. Even more importantly, the city and the people who live there have become our allies in protecting and looking after the world’s dogs.

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Rafael de Santiago
President of the FCI
Press release

March 20th, 2015

Today will be reminded as an important date to our organisation, since the FCI General Committee and the Mayor of Thuin have inaugurated the extension of the FCI offices. To commemorate this event, the FCI has unveiled the sculpture offered to the City of Thuin, as a token of recognition of its rooting in Thuin in the long term and as a symbol of the particular attachment which both our federation and the city where its head office is located declare for our faithful friends, our dogs.

The FCI headquarters has been located in Thuin since 1954, which makes of this small Walloon city the World Capital of Dogs, proclaimed by the Mayor of Thuin in 2011, on the occasion of the FCI Centenary.

The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), created in 1911, is the largest canine organisation of the world, counting 90 members, distributed over the five continents. To make it short and to use an eloquent comparison, the FCI is to the world dog what the FIFA is to football.

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Media contact
Marie Luna Durán
FCI Marketing and Public relations Manager

© Oleg Boshkov
Rafael de Santiago (FCI President) and the FCI General Committee with the sculpture representing A Belgian Shepherd Dog – Malinois. The sculpture, casted by the Belgian sculptor and founder Luc De Blick, will from now on have pride of place on FCI head office in Thuin, the World Capital of Dogs.
© Oleg Boshkov
© Oleg Boshkov
© Oleg Boshkov
Rafael de Santiago (FCI President) and Paul Furlan (Mayor of Thuin), with the FCI General Committee during the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the occasion of the inauguration of the extended building at FCI headquarters in Thuin, on March 20th.
© Oleg Boshkov
The new FCI extension-building hosts, among others, a conference room, a library and a Museum.
© Oleg Boshkov
© Oleg Boshkov
© Oleg Boshkov
© Oleg Boshkov
© Oleg Boshkov

FCI FACT SHEET

Years of existence 104 (1911-2015)
Staff members 13 employees
Members (national canine organisations) 90, of which 5 founding members 90, of which 5 founding members
Recognised breeds 343 (and as many breed standards !)
Geographical sections 5
Working languages 4 (FR – EN – ES – DE)
Online newsletters 6 (www.dogdotcom.be)
Mandatory commissions 2
Non-mandatory commissions 17
Sitting members in the commissions 417 delegates
Visits on FCI website www.fci.be 1,048,573 (i.e. 2,873 / day !)
International conformation shows 1,045
Working trials (taking all disciplines together) 2,341
Races and coursings 62 and 73, respectively
International championships (taking all disciplines together) 9
Number of dog entries to the World Dog Show 21,266
Number of dog entries to the Americas and the Caribbean Section show 1,203
Number of dog entries to the Asia and the Pacific Section show 2,459
Number of dog entries to the Europe Section show 14,652

Based on 2014 figures