PETA Statement on Westminster: New Breeds, Same Cruelty

For Immediate Release:
January 31, 2017

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Below, please find a statement from PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch in response to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show’s addition of three “new breeds” as well as a cat show:

The Westminster Kennel Club encourages inbreeding dogs for appearances’ sake and makes a mockery of the homeless-animal overpopulation crisis, adding new “fad” and “exotic” breeds while millions of dogs in animal shelters here in the U.S. die for lack of good homes. Westminster is a pimp for the breeder and pet trade, which is why it keeps trotting out new “must-have” breeds for people to buy, regardless of the animals’ health issues. Now, adding fuel to the fire, it’s subjecting cats to the same unethical treatment, and these animals will be snatched up to the detriment of homeless ones who are literally dying to be adopted. PETA urges everyone who cares about animals to reject this grotesque display of greed, to adopt—never buy—animal companions, and to respect dogs and cats for who they are, not for their utility to humans.

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 is available here.