Westminster Dog Show Blasted for Big Role in Homeless-Animal Crisis

PETA ‘German Shepherds,’ ‘Beagles’—Recent ‘Best in Show’ Winners—Will Shame Kennel Club for Promoting Purebreds

For Immediate Release:
February 12, 2018

Contact:
Brooke Rossi 202-483-7382

What:    Several “German shepherds” and “beagles”—the breeds of two recent years’ winners—will descend on the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday with signs proclaiming, “Best in Show Today, Homeless Tomorrow?” The reason? The event encourages the breeding of unhealthy purebred dogs, many of whom are bought on impulse each year only to be discarded and wind up on the streets or in already-bursting animal shelters—such as the 5,190 homeless German shepherds and 4,206 homeless beagles listed on the Petfinder website as of this morning.

When:    Tuesday, February 13, 12 noon sharp

Where:    Piers 92/94, 711 12^th Ave. (near the intersection of W. 55^th Street and West Side Highway), New York

The Westminster Kennel Club motivates breeders to fill the world with purebred puppies, who are often purchased on a whim after the show and dumped at animal shelters when the novelty wears off,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA urges everyone who cares about animals to skip the dog pageant, support their local shelter, and never buy animal companions from a breeder or pet store.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—notes that large-scale breeding farms, puppy-mill brokers, auctioneers, and pet-store owners all cash in on the demand for purebred puppies, who are produced en masse after a Best in Show win. Breeding for a certain look also wreaks havoc on animals’ health, as it causes painful and life-threatening congenital defects.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.