The Westminster Dog Show will take place on February 13-14 for the 136th time and for the first time in 24 years, they will have a new sponsor.
Westminster Kennel Club, America's oldest organization dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs, runs the show. Pedigree claims the Westminster Kennel Club is replacing Pedigree with Purina because of Pedigree’s ad campaign, which promotes animal adoption. As the New York Times reported,
Melissa Martellotti, a brand communications manager for Mars Petcare US, which makes the Pedigree brand, said that Westminster had initiated the split and that dog show officials told the pet food company that its decision involved concerns about the ad campaign.
“They’ve shared with us, when we parted ways, that they felt that our advertising was focused too much on the cause of adoption and that wasn’t really a shared vision,” she said. The kennel club, she said, is “focused on the purebred mission,” including the adoption of pure breeds as opposed to mixed breeds.
There are several reasons why Westminster should be concerned about adoption.
According the Westminster website, “a portion of the proceeds from Westminster's first show in 1877 was donated to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to establish a home for stray and disabled animals.” While 1877 was a long time ago, their decision to distance themselves from dog adoptions is a move away from principles its founders thought were important although Westminster still lists the ASPCA as a charity it supports.
Westminster is proud that people look upon the show as America’s Dog Show. In 1938, Time magazine ran a cover featuring that year’s Best In Show judge with the caption, “His choice becomes the people’s choice.” That is still true as the breed that wins usually enjoys increased popularity. Since not every breed is appropriate for every family, many of those dogs find themselves in shelters as NPR reported after Uno became the first beagle to win Westminster in 2008.
The Humane Society of the United States estimates that 25 percent of dogs in shelters are purebreds. By turning its back on purebred dogs whose only mistake was being sold to people who were not able to care for them, Westminster is ignoring a problem it could be helping to improve.
On almost every page on the Westminster Kennel Club’s website, the drop-down navigation for the “About Dogs” section is obscured by the ad for Purina. This is obviously a website glitch but given its latest decision, it is an ironic symbol of what is really important to the Westminster Kennel Club.
If you find yourself wanting a dog after watching the Westminster Kennel Club, be sure to do your research on the breed that interests you first. Then, check out local rescue organizations on Petfinder.com. There are many organizations that specialize in rescuing particular breeds. If the breed of the dog doesn’t matter and you live in the Boston area, you can learn about many wonderful dogs on Petfinder or visit some in person at the MSPCA or Animal Rescue League of Boston.
And remember, no matter where you get your dog, you still need to do training to make sure you have a happy, well-adjusted dog that can live in your home.
A hat tip to Best Friend’s Animal Society’s blog by Francis Battista.
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