International Progressive Breeders' Alliance

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This article is about the breeders' orginisation. For the lawyers' association, see Inter-Pacific Bar Association.

The International Progressive Breeders' Alliance or IPBA was founded in 1996. It is based in Kentucky in the United States. In early 2006, the official website for the group contains no information on whether it is incorporated, and if so, whether it is a for-profit business or not-for-profit entity. IPBA is the parent organization for three subsidiary animal registries:

the International Progressive Dog Breeders' Alliance or IPDBA for dogs and hybrids of wild canid species with dogs
the International Progressive Cat Breeders' Alliance or IPCBA for cats and hybrids of wild felid species with cats
the International Progressive Exotic Breeders' Alliance or IPEBA intended for exotic non-domestic felid and canid species including wolves, lynxes, and lions. In early 2006, the website illustrations suggested that the IPEBA would also accept exotic bird, horse, and rabbit varieties, though these are not explicitly mentioned in the accompanying text, and the IPEBA names only two divisions, feline and canine.

THe IPDBA and IPCBA are, and the IPEDBA is intended to be, made up of chartered breed or species associations which have full control over their breed or species standard. For example, as of early 2006, three of the dog breeds the IPDBA recognizes are affiliated with IPDBA-chartered breed associations. As of early 2006, the IPEBA appears to be inactive or still in development. The IPEBA website has no list of recognized breeds or species and no links to chartered breed or species clubs.

The stated purposes of the IPBA are:

to provide "creative freedom" to breeders to develop new breeds and preserve old breed lines "as they wish without interference from registries." The IPBA subsidiaries do not administer and revise breed standards. This is left to the member breed or species clubs.
to provide a means of international networking among members of each subsidiary animal registry (dogs, cats, exotic feline and canine species).
to unite breeders to work together to protect all breeds of animals and their hobby from restrictive legislation.

The reference to restrictive legislation likely includes breed-specific legislation and bans on hybridizing domesticated animals with wild canids and felids, or bans on owning such hybrids, or bans owning non-domestic species whether purebred or crossed with other wild species, such as ligers.