Did You Know – New Yorkers LOVE The “DOGS”!

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154 – March, 2025

By Michael Canalizo

My opinion on this could be somewhat tainted as I am a lifelong New Yorker…but the numbers don’t lie!

Two major American Kennel Club (AKC) events have had a recurring presence in New York City (NYC) for over a century. (The AKC was founded in 1884) The one that resonates most would be the Westminster Kennel Club (WKC), an AKC Member Club that has continuously held an event for nearly 150 years (1877). It is recognized as the second longest held sporting event in America, and The Kentucky Derby only beats it by a year or two (1875).

The other AKC Event that attracts the masses is the AKC Meet the Breeds (MTB) event(s). The first MTB debuted in conjunction with the AKC National Championship, and the standalone NYC event became a fixture that has attracted astronomical crowds. We have been told that the MTB event recently eclipsed the attendance of the New York Auto show, making it the second most popular event at the Javits. “Kami-con” holds the number one spot. Meet the Breeds was developed to attract a slightly different type of audience than a conventional dog show. We all understand that the Westminster Kennel Club is not, nor has it ever been, a conventional dog show. It is an elevated conformation event that has a storied history of the highest order. One goes to see the amazing dogs at a level of perfection competing alongside their equals. Having a chance to get up close and personal isn’t always possible. MTB, on the other hand, welcomes the public to “pet them bald”! The dogs represented are everything an AKC purebred dog should be. Happy, calm and approachable. Some are retired “Great Ones”. Many are youngsters eager to meet the world. Most important: these are loving members of their households, and the public sees them in a more relatable way. It is an educational experience that the public quickly embraced (literally). People loved being able to “see” the dogs, touch the dogs and chat with the wonderful breeders and owners who came to share their knowledge with all that asked.

Click here to read the complete article
154 – March, 2025

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Posted by AnthonyA on Mar 13 2025. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.