USGOS CODE OF ETHICS

ALL MEMBERS AGREE TO ABIDE BY THIS CODE OF ETHICS WHEN BREEDING AND SELLING REGISTERED GLOUCESTERSHIRE OLD SPOT (GOS) PIGS.

USGOS PIG SOCIETY

CODE OF ETHICS

Effective Date: September 30, 2026
Approved By: Board of Directors, United States Gloucestershire Old Spot Pig Society (USGOS)

ARTICLE I — PURPOSE

The purpose of this Code of Ethics is to protect the Gloucestershire Old Spot breed, promote responsible breeding, maintain the accuracy and integrity of the USGOS registry, encourage honest dealings, and establish standards for respectful conduct among breeders, owners, registrants, members, and other participants.

USGOS seeks to preserve the breed through accurate records, responsible husbandry, ethical breeding, education, transparency, and fair administration.

Compliance with this Code is a condition of participation in Society programs and registry services where required by applicable USGOS rules.

ARTICLE II — SCOPE AND APPLICATION

This Code applies to individuals participating in USGOS activities or seeking access to its registry, programs, services, or official records. It also applies to conduct outside Society activities when that conduct has a sufficient connection to USGOS programs, registry integrity, or the safety of people participating in Society activities.

This Code does not give USGOS authority over private conduct unrelated to its lawful purposes or organizational activities. It shall be interpreted and enforced consistently with applicable law and the Society’s Bylaws.

All membership categories established by USGOS are nonvoting. Governance authority rests with the Board of Directors, subject to the Articles of Incorporation, the Bylaws, and applicable law.

ARTICLE III — RESPONSIBLE BREEDING AND HUMANE ANIMAL TREATMENT

Breeders participating in USGOS programs are expected to:

Provide appropriate food, clean water, shelter, space, sanitation, and veterinary care consistent with the animals’ needs.
Handle and manage pigs humanely and take reasonable steps to protect their health, safety, and welfare.
Make responsible breeding decisions that consider health, temperament, soundness, genetic diversity, and breed characteristics.
Avoid knowingly breeding animals when doing so would create an unreasonable risk of serious inherited defects or preventable suffering.
Provide appropriate care to pregnant sows, farrowing sows, piglets, breeding boars, and animals requiring special attention.
Comply with applicable animal-welfare, transportation, identification, and livestock laws.
Represent their breeding practices and animal-care standards honestly.
Cooperate in good faith with reasonable requests for documentation relevant to a Society registration or animal-welfare concern within the Society’s authority.

USGOS recognizes that husbandry practices may vary based on location, resources, veterinary advice, and individual circumstances. Good-faith differences in practice do not automatically constitute an ethical violation.

Failure to provide humane treatment in violation of the Society’s animal-welfare standards is a serious violation of this Code. When such a violation is substantiated through the Society’s disciplinary process, the individual shall be permanently banned from the USGOS registry in accordance with the Bylaws.

ARTICLE IV — BREED INTEGRITY, REGISTRATION, AND RECORDS

Participants shall make reasonable efforts to maintain accurate records and protect the integrity of the Gloucestershire Old Spot breed registry.

Participants are expected to:

Submit accurate information regarding animal identity, parentage, ownership, breeding, birth dates, and other required registration details.
Provide authentic supporting documents when requested under the Society’s registration rules.
Disclose known errors or material uncertainties in information submitted for registration.
Refrain from knowingly falsifying pedigrees, ownership records, breeding records, identification, or other material information.
Refrain from misrepresenting an animal’s breed status, registration status, pedigree, or eligibility.
Use Society records and official documents only for authorized and lawful purposes.
Notify USGOS when they become aware of a material error or suspected fraud affecting a registry record.
Respect the confidentiality of nonpublic registry information and use it only for authorized purposes.

USGOS may verify information, request additional documentation, delay a decision pending verification, correct material errors under its rules, or refuse a submission that does not satisfy applicable requirements.

ARTICLE V — HONEST SALES, REPRESENTATIONS, AND COMMUNICATIONS

Participants are expected to conduct animal sales, breeding arrangements, and related business honestly and fairly.

Participants shall not knowingly misrepresent an animal’s identity, parentage, breed status, health history, registration status, breeding history, or other material information in a transaction or communication relating to Society programs.

Participants should describe animals and breeding services accurately, honor their lawful agreements, communicate material information in good faith, and avoid misleading claims about USGOS approval, endorsement, or certification.

USGOS does not guarantee the outcome of private transactions between breeders or owners. Disputes arising from private sales may fall outside the Society’s authority unless they involve a violation of this Code, misuse of registry services, or another matter properly within USGOS jurisdiction.

ARTICLE VI — PROFESSIONAL AND RESPECTFUL CONDUCT

Participants are expected to communicate with one another in a manner consistent with the Society’s mission and the safe operation of its programs.

Prohibited conduct includes:

Threatening a breeder or member, including a credible threat of physical harm, violence, or intimidation.
Targeted, repeated, or severe harassment, intimidation, stalking, coercion, or abusive conduct that materially interferes with a person’s safe participation in Society activities.
Retaliation against anyone who raises a good-faith concern, submits a complaint, participates in an investigation, or provides truthful information.
Knowingly falsifying evidence, impersonating another person, or making materially false representations in Society matters.
Using Society records, communications, accounts, events, or authority to facilitate threats, harassment, retaliation, fraud, or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.
Deliberately disrupting Society proceedings or interfering with registry operations through unlawful or seriously abusive conduct.
Misrepresenting oneself as speaking for USGOS or exercising Society authority without authorization.

Disagreement, criticism, competition, and good-faith debate among breeders are not prohibited merely because they are uncomfortable or strongly expressed. The Society shall distinguish legitimate disagreement from conduct that violates this Code.

ARTICLE VII — FALSE STATEMENTS AND DEFAMATION

Participants shall not knowingly make or publish materially false statements of fact about another breeder, member, director, officer, registry participant, or the Society where the conduct violates applicable law or constitutes misconduct under this Code.

Prohibited conduct may include knowingly fabricating allegations, deliberately falsifying evidence, or knowingly spreading materially false factual claims as a means of harassment, retaliation, fraud, or intimidation.

USGOS recognizes that defamation is a legal concept whose application depends on the facts and applicable law. An accusation of defamation, without more, does not establish a violation of this Code. Criticism, opinions, truthful statements, good-faith complaints, legally protected speech, reports to authorities, and participation in legal proceedings shall not be treated as misconduct solely because they are unwelcome or may damage someone's reputation.

The Society shall evaluate the available evidence and relevant circumstances before imposing discipline under this Article.

ARTICLE VIII — CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND MISUSE OF AUTHORITY

Directors, officers, committee members, and individuals acting on behalf of USGOS shall disclose relevant conflicts of interest and shall not misuse their position for improper personal, financial, or retaliatory purposes.

Participants shall not knowingly misrepresent a personal opinion as an official USGOS decision, misuse the Society’s name or branding, or claim authority to approve, deny, alter, or revoke registrations when they have not been authorized to do so.

Decisions affecting a person with whom a decision-maker has a material personal or financial conflict shall be handled through an impartial process consistent with the Society’s Bylaws and conflict-of-interest policy.

ARTICLE IX — ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP AND REGISTRY SERVICES

USGOS may establish and enforce reasonable, written eligibility requirements for administrative membership, approved registry-participant status, registration applications, pedigrees, transfers, certifications, and other Society services.

USGOS reserves the right to refuse to issue, release, certify, process, or provide a pedigree or other registry document or service to any individual who does not satisfy the applicable membership or registry eligibility requirements.

Eligibility requirements may include:

Meeting published qualifications for the relevant membership or participant category.
Providing complete and accurate information and required supporting documentation.
Satisfying applicable registration standards and verification procedures.
Paying required fees or complying with approved payment arrangements.
Following the Society’s Bylaws, Code of Ethics, registration rules, and relevant policies.
Not being subject to an active suspension or registry ban that prohibits the requested service.

The Society may refuse or defer a request when reasonably necessary to verify eligibility, protect registry integrity, prevent fraud, protect confidential information, enforce a valid disciplinary decision, or comply with applicable law.

Eligibility rules shall be applied consistently and in good faith. A refusal based solely on failure to satisfy an eligibility requirement is not, by itself, a finding of misconduct.

Approval for membership or registry participation does not guarantee that every animal or application will qualify for registration. Each animal and submission must independently satisfy applicable standards.

ARTICLE X — THREATS, HARASSMENT, AND PROTECTION OF BREEDERS AND MEMBERS

USGOS is committed to protecting the safety of breeders, members, directors, officers, and registry participants.

Threatening a breeder or member is prohibited. Prohibited conduct includes credible threats of physical harm, violence, or intimidation, whether communicated in person, in writing, electronically, through social media, or through another person.

Targeted or repeated harassment, stalking, coercion, bullying, and retaliation connected to Society activities are also prohibited.

A person shall be permanently banned from the USGOS registry if, following the Society’s disciplinary process, the Society determines that the person threatened a breeder or member. A permanent ban may also be imposed for other serious or repeated violations of this Code.

The Society shall evaluate available evidence and the circumstances of each report. A complaint alone does not establish that a violation occurred. The individual shall receive notice of the material allegations and a reasonable opportunity to respond before a final determination, subject to reasonable interim protective measures and applicable law.

Good-faith complaints, truthful statements, lawful reports to authorities, and legally protected activity shall not be treated as misconduct merely because they are unwelcome. Retaliation against a person for making a good-faith report or participating in an investigation is prohibited.

The Society may temporarily restrict registry access or pause pending applications when reasonably necessary to protect animal welfare, participant safety, confidential information, or registry integrity while a matter is investigated.

ARTICLE XI — REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION

A person who believes this Code has been violated may submit a written report to the Chair, Secretary, or another person designated by the Board. If the report concerns that individual, it may be submitted to another disinterested director or designated reporting contact.

Reports should include, where available, the conduct at issue, relevant dates, the people involved, supporting messages or documents, and any immediate safety concerns.

The Society may:

Review the report and determine whether it falls within USGOS authority.
Request additional information or documentation.
Interview relevant individuals.
Preserve relevant Society records.
Take reasonable interim protective measures.
Refer matters to appropriate authorities when warranted.
Close a matter when the evidence does not support further action or the matter falls outside the Society’s authority.

Investigations shall be conducted in good faith and with reasonable impartiality. The Society is not a court and does not determine civil or criminal liability. Its purpose is to decide whether a person’s participation or use of Society services should be restricted under its governing documents and policies.

ARTICLE XII — DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AND PERMANENT REGISTRY BANS

Violations of this Code may result in one or more of the following measures, depending on the seriousness of the conduct and the relevant circumstances:

Written warning or reprimand.
Required corrective action.
Probation or conditions on participation.
Restriction of access to Society communications, events, accounts, records, or services.
Suspension of registry privileges or the ability to submit new registrations, pedigrees, or transfers.
Refusal of applications that do not meet applicable requirements.
Lawful correction, annotation, or review of records affected by fraud or material error.
Suspension or termination of administrative membership or participant status.
Permanent prohibition from registry participation or specified Society services.

Mandatory Permanent Registry Ban

A person shall be permanently banned from the USGOS registry if, following the Society’s disciplinary process, the Society determines that the person:

Failed to treat animals humanely in a manner that violates the Society’s animal-welfare standards; or
Threatened a breeder or member.

A permanent ban may also be imposed for a single sufficiently serious incident or repeated violations of this Code, the Bylaws, or registry rules.

A prior warning is not required when the conduct warrants a permanent ban under this Article. The Society shall follow the notice, response, and decision procedures in this Code and the Bylaws, subject to applicable law.

Effect on Pending Registrations

Once a permanent registry ban takes effect, no pending registration application submitted by or on behalf of the banned person shall be approved or issued. Affected applications shall be placed on hold or denied under the Society’s procedures. The Society shall not issue a new pedigree or registration document on the basis of a prohibited pending application.

The Society shall document affected applications and apply this rule consistently. If a pending application concerns an animal owned by an unrelated person or another party who may have independent rights, the Society shall review those circumstances before determining the appropriate disposition, consistent with applicable law and Society rules.

A permanent ban does not, by itself, invalidate previously issued pedigrees or registrations. Existing records may be reviewed separately where there is evidence of fraud, material error, or another valid basis for correction or revocation under the Society’s rules.

ARTICLE XIII — NOTICE, FAIR PROCESS, AND APPEALS

Except when temporary protective action is reasonably necessary, the individual shall receive written notice of the material allegations and applicable rules and a reasonable opportunity to respond before a final disciplinary decision.

The Society may impose interim restrictions when credible information indicates an imminent or substantial risk to safety, registry integrity, confidential information, or Society operations. The basis for the restriction shall be documented, disinterested Board members shall be notified promptly, and the restriction shall be reviewed as soon as reasonably practical, ordinarily within ten (10) business days.

Final decisions shall be documented with the principal findings, the action imposed, and the reasons for the decision. The Society shall communicate the decision to the individual, subject to reasonable confidentiality and safety considerations.

An individual may appeal a final disciplinary decision in writing within thirty (30) calendar days after the decision is delivered, unless another reasonable deadline has been adopted by the Board. The appeal should identify the alleged procedural error, material new evidence, or other specific reason for reconsideration.

Where practicable, the appeal shall be reviewed by disinterested individuals who did not make the original decision. The appeal reviewer may affirm, modify, reverse, or return the matter for further review. Interim protective measures and registry restrictions shall remain in effect during an appeal unless the Society determines otherwise, consistent with applicable law.

ARTICLE XIV — CONFIDENTIALITY AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATION

Participants shall respect confidential, personal, and nonpublic information obtained through Society activities. Such information shall not be disclosed or used for an unauthorized purpose, harassment, retaliation, or personal gain.

USGOS may disclose the fact and scope of a registry restriction or disciplinary decision when reasonably necessary to administer the registry, protect participants, explain eligibility for Society services, or comply with law. Any disclosure shall be factual, proportionate, and consistent with applicable law.

Nothing in this Code prohibits good-faith reporting to law enforcement, regulatory authorities, legal counsel, or other appropriate persons, or the exercise of rights protected by law.

ARTICLE XV — LIMITS OF SOCIETY AUTHORITY

USGOS may regulate access to its own registry, records, services, programs, communications, and organizational privileges. It does not have authority under this Code to confiscate animals, compel private parties to terminate lawful transactions, control another person’s private property, or prohibit lawful activities unrelated to the Society.

Nothing in this Code is intended to prevent lawful criticism, truthful statements, good-faith reporting, or other activity protected by applicable law.

ARTICLE XVI — ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND ENFORCEMENT

The Board of Directors is responsible for interpreting and enforcing this Code in accordance with the Society’s Bylaws, applicable policies, and law.

The Board may adopt additional procedures to implement this Code, including complaint forms, investigation procedures, registry eligibility rules, record-correction standards, and appeal procedures, provided that those procedures are consistent with the Society’s governing documents.

Individuals applying for membership categories, registry privileges, or other designated Society services may be required to acknowledge this Code as a condition of participation.

ARTICLE XVII — AMENDMENTS

This Code may be amended by resolution of the Board of Directors. Amendments shall be consistent with the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and applicable law.