PETA Statement on ‘Best in Show’ Westminster Winner

For Immediate Release:
February 14, 2018

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Below, please find a statement from PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange in response to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show’s Best in Show winner, a bichon frise:

Every time the Westminster Kennel Club picks a Best in Show winner, puppy mills and breeders jump to cash in on the increased demand for the breed and churn out purebred puppies, and PETA has seen the results in the more than 5,000 homeless German shepherds and 4,000 homeless beagles listed on Petfinder after those breeds’ recent wins. When many millions of homeless animals end up in shelters every year and half of them have to be euthanized because there simply aren’t enough homes for them, a Best in Show title is a death warrant for homeless animals.

PETA’s motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way,” and an in-depth look at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show’s role in the multibillion-dollar pet trade is available here.