“Best in Show” Poised to Wreak Havoc Once Again
By Dustin Garrett Rhodes
Coinciding with Fashion Week, The 135th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show opened on Monday at Madison Square Garden. The popular two day event culminates in crowning an unsuspecting pooch “Best in Show.”
The New York Times was first on the scene—featuring an ode to the Xoloitzcuintli (Xolos, for short), a Mexican hairless dog. This breed is newly recognized by the American Kennel Club; in all, there are now 170 “official” breeds. Does that mean it’s only a matter of time before celebrities are parading around Xolos as if they are the latest Coach bag?
(The answer is a resounding yes.)
Beyond the preening, the tricks and the eccentric canine coifs, lies a dark(er) side to whole event that, largely, goes completely ignored—and spells disaster for dogs; whatever breed happens to win the contest inevitably becomes the hot commodity; that’s not to mention the dogs who become the crowd favorites—who then become consumer favorites. One thing is certain: whatever breed becomes the latest obsession ends up filling shelters and pounds across the United States and beyond.
Did you know that it’s estimated there are 60,000 abandoned Chihuahuas living in California’s shelter system? That’s an astonishing number—and that’s only one breed of dog. Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, the Beverly Hills Chihuahua franchise, and most certainly The American Kennel Club have all contributed to the problem. All over the United States, rescue organizations have rallied to focus on specific breeds of dogs—with the mission of finding homes that will provide shelter, care and love—for a lifetime. Pure breeds come in and out of vogue; and their lives are at the mercy of fickle humans who apparently grow bored with the responsibility and expense that comes with pet ownership. That’s the part that many people don’t seem to understand: having a pet is a serious, long-term commitment. While the Westminster Dog Show glamorizes and trivializes pet ownership, the reality is quite different. Having a pet is expensive and requires a lot of work.
Friends of Animals continues to sell low-cost spay and neuter certificates to help eliminate pet overpopulation. This year alone 4 million animals will be put to death in our nation’s shelters. We also encourage everyone to adopt animals from shelters and rescue groups—even breed specific rescue groups. Please don’t ever buy a dog or cat from a pet store or breeder; when you do, you are contributing to a terrible problem that causes untold suffering for dogs and cats (and other animals popular as pets). Support any legislative effort to shut down the puppy mill trade in your state. Ask your legislators to support a bill to prohibit the selling of puppies and kittens in pet shops. Educate the public by writing letters to local newspapers, distributing copies of this fact sheet outside pet stores in your area, and contacting local TV and radio shows about the issue.
And if you have the time, money and inclination, please adopt an animal in need of a home.
Be sure to read, That Bulldog in the Window by Jane Seymour.
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3 Comments
On February 15, 2011, Henry Schwarzberg JD CIMA AIF CRPS wrote:
You people are terribly misguided. It seems you think of dogs as people in fur coats. You should not anthropomorphize animals and you should refrain from criticizing those who would allow, support, and encourage allowing animals, especially dogs, to do what they have been bred and evolved to do. Sled dogs want to do one thing - run and pull a sled. Weimaraners want to run your household and hunt with you. Whippets want to run and sleep with you. Italian Greyhounds want to cuddle with you and lay in your lap but enjoy lure coursing too. These are not cruel activities. Cruelty to animals is preventing them from doing what they want to do, what they have been bred and trained to do, what their instincts impel them to do - probably exactly how you treat your dogs.
[Editors’ note: Visit a dozen pounds and shelters and then tell us what homeless dogs want. That millions are systematically killed while others are sold for thousands of dollars to compete with the latest trend for accessory animals is downright pitiful. And the Westminster perpetuates this delusion.]
On February 16, 2011, Dustin Rhodes, Friends of Animals wrote:
Au contraire, Henry: it’s exactly because I DO NOT see dogs as ‘people in fur coats’ that I find Westminster, and its ilk, especially pitiful and gross.
I agree with you that dogs have been bred to do all sorts of specific things to appease and entertain humans. The modern dog, especially the pure breed, is so genetically engineered that it hardly resembles the wolf from which it evolved in nature. But: just because someone has been bred to do something certainly does not make it just.
The problem lies in the human manipulation and control itself — that we have such a fixation/fetish on a certain look or behavior of a dog. We need to examine our human impulse to manipulate and create added suffering in the world. There’s no question that the process of breeding dogs and cats causes horror for millions of animals. (Look how many millions of dogs are systematically killed in [so called] shelters each year? Westminster has a lot of that blood on its hands).
I have to wonder: if you had to answer my phone every day, the countless calls I get from people wanting to get rid of their dogs and/or cats, would you still be defending such an unconscionable industry/custom?
On February 16, 2011, Judy Mollus wrote:
We live in a society where we are always trying to keep up with the latest fad, and often times this includes ‘collecting’ living, sentient beings. What a horrible characteristic, to have no self-control, and want to live day by day with instant gratification. A lesson all should repeat daily, for any circumstances, “JUST BECAUSE WE CAN, DOESN’T MEAN WE SHOULD”.
RE:Henry S. (and his alphabet that I suppose someone may be impressed by), I kept waiting to read in your list, of what dogs LOVE and NEED to do, Michael Vicks dogs love to fight, because that would make as much sense as the rest of the drivel. Let’s get this straight Henry, WE human animals bred and evolved these dogs to do all of the things you mention for OUR GAIN and pleasure, and didn’t give a second thought to the animal involved. They were bred either for entertainment or profit, and there are obviously still a lot of warped individuals who still feel that’s their value. Well Henry, it isn’t and you can add me to the list of ‘those people’ that anthropomorphize all animals, including but not limited to dogs, as it’s been established that these creatures are living, viable, feeling beings that deserve to live in a way not obstructed by human greed and or exploitation. They are the truly innocent of our world, terribly in need of protection from humans such as yourself, Henry.
BTW-you sir, are the one that’s terribly misguided. If you truly knew anything about canines of ALL breeds, you would know they live for 3 things and 3 things only. Unselfish love, peaceful companionship, and living in the moment. 3 things we human animals definitely know nothing about.