Westminster ‘Win’ Means Certain Death for Mutts
Most of us here at PETA adore sweets, but we’ve got zero tolerance for sugarcoating—the truth, that is. That’s why we’re planning to run this public service announcement in Mackinac Island, Michigan, the hometown of Sadie, who was crowned “top dog” (after a slight interruption) at Westminster on Tuesday night.
Share on Facebook | Viewing Options
Embed
We want residents of Mackinac Island and beyond to wise up: A “win” at Westminster is no cause for celebration. In fact, a mass funeral might be more fitting.
Bottom line: Every person who purchases a puppy or kitten from a pimp breeder or pet shop (or obtains one from the “free” ads) is signing a death certificate for an animal in an open-admission shelter. I think PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk said it best: “[P]eople don’t see themselves as signing some animal’s death warrant when they sign their credit card receipt, but that’s what they are doing.” That’s not a half-baked notion cooked up by animal protectionists—it’s simple math. There aren’t enough homes. And dog shows such as Westminster feed the myth that a French bulldog puppy is somehow “superior” to a lop-eared, one-of-a-kind mutt.
Au contraire!
Remember Uno, the beagle who bayed his way into first place at Westminster two years ago? Just months after Uno’s win, I was searching for a new friend in animal shelters in New York City, and I was struck by the number of barely housetrained beagle babies who were pawing at the cage walls. Apparently, a lot of fickle viewers who watched Uno at Westminster scrambled to buy their own beagles—and then realized that they didn’t want to deal with the ear-piercing baying, crack-of-dawn walks, or chewed-up Manolo’s. (BTW—I, too, am a sucker for big, brown eyes. It’s why a lumpy old furry gal named Lucy, who spent her first seven or so years sleeping on the streets, now snores beside me every night.)
True love can come in all shapes and sizes—with floppy ears, crooked teeth, and mismatched eyes. And true love can be easy to find at the local animal shelter. PETA is determined to save lives by sending this message to all would-be animal parents: Always adopt from animal shelters, never buy from pet stores or breeders, and always spay or neuter your four-legged friends. Will you help?
Written by Karin Bennett
