Of Rescue Booths and Spectator Dogs

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196 – August 2019

“Rescue is the Best Breed!” proclaimed the sign. Another proclaimed, “Adoption is the Best Option.” Several mixes paraded about with harnesses that read “Adopt Me!” or “Rescue Me!” There was a “Kiss-a-Bull” pit bull rescue kissing booth—-yeah, that’s not a lawsuit waiting to happen. Many families were walking around trying to outdo one another with their rescue’s sad tale with the dogs in question at the end of their leads. We were at the Houston World Series of Dog Shows last week.
Like many exhibitors, I had mixed feelings about promoting rescues and mixes at an AKC dog show. Historically, these shows have had a strong rescue component, with many booths along their vendor aisles devoted to purebred rescue groups. Almost 50 in all, including Greyhound Pets of America, the group that worked so hard to push Amendment 13 in Florida to banish greyhound racing.
Before I go on, I want to make clear that the Houston World Series of Dog Shows is a First Class, Blue Ribbon, Best in Show, Gotta-Go affair. Okay, the breed rings could be larger. But while the NRG building is huge, it also had to fit in a spacious amount of grooming, rows of vendors, an exhibition ring for doggy freestyle and Frisbee, a creative grooming competition, barn hunt, weight pull, obedience, rally, designer doghouse competition, student art show, My Dog Can Do That, Meet the Breeds and judges seminars. Perhaps next year they can do indoor Fast Cat and maybe some tracking!
The Cluster’s Facebook page is colorful and inviting, and each day they post a schedule of events. It is clearly aimed at attracting spectators. And it was successful. I’m told the final numbers aren’t yet in, but an estimated 12-14,000 spectators attended. That’s a win for purebred dogs.

Rescue Booths

But it was not without controversy. One of their Facebook posts read: ATTENTION DOG LOVERS! The Houston World Series of Dog Shows is all about rescues! … Meet many adoptable dogs and find your FURever friend… “ They also had a Rescue Talent Show, complete with a bigger rosette than most purebred exhibitors will ever win in their life!
Facebookers were quick to let their feelings known. “This is a slap in the face for the breeders that support this show yearly,” wrote David Vidsium Gonzales, adding, “especially for us who take the extra time and effort to do Meet the Breeds.”
Damone Aklestad pointed out that while purebred breeders had no booth from which to promote their dogs, and most certainly are not allowed to sell them at a show, the rescue groups received “at-cost” booths and had dogs present that were clearly being touted for “adoption” for a fee.
Brenda Nichols was especially adamant. “Adopt don’t Shop booths hang signs out pushing their agenda,” she wrote. “Vendors who sell products pay for booth space then cross their fingers for a profitable week; Rescue Booths are provided free of charge except for a ‘supplies fee’ as stated to me on a private message. Free space to trash the show exhibitors and turn the dog loving public against purebred show breeders.” A heated FB discussion ensued between Nichols and a person purportedly representing a rescue group who stated, “Rescues clean up after heartless pieces of trash like you, unlike breeders who profit off their dogs.” On this rescue person’s own FB page, she said she was at the show to support rescue, and responsible breeders, “but that is like .0001% of people producing puppies.”
When I asked for opinions on FB about whether shows should include rescue booths I received a variety of replies:
Eric Liebes: In general the rules restrict ineligible dogs from attending, not unentered, although any specific club can say unentered in their rules. The purebreed rescues at the Houston shows add to the event both in outreach to the community and showing that the dog show community cares. When I’ve walked down those aisles things seem well under control.
Marlene Groves: I have to pay for my dogs … So I say only for a $ FEE $ … And NO for rescue with propaganda undermining purebreds…
Arvind DeBraganca: Purebred rescue groups would not bother me in the least. They would have to be vetted for PETA leanings.
Susan Buckley Thibodeaux: I’m not opposed to purebred rescues if they are co-located with and working with a breed club which has an educational booth, as well. If they are opposed to breeders, then keep them off the grounds; but if they’ll understand we do rescue, too and are part of the solution, then OK.
Brenda Nichols: There are a number of exhibitors who already boycott the Houston shows, and have for years. I and a number of others believe the, “Adopt Don’t Shop” philosophy has overshadowed breeding to preserve what our breeds are intended to represent.
Lois Snyder: I hate the rescue booths and I expect the rescues to pay the same for their space as the commercial booths. After all, they are selling dogs.
Karen Wagner: No to rescue booths at dog shows. We are promoting well-bred, health-tested dogs to be sold to the public. Rescue has way more support out there in many public venues and we are considered the bad guys. Plus, who would be in charge of making sure those imported rescues aren’t bringing in even more diseases than we find at every dog show? Let us promote, “Shop, don’t adopt” at our dog shows where we are supposed to be judging breeding stock and preserving breeds.
Carrie Clemons: Cat shows have allowed rescues to set up for awhile. Some areas are having issues with lots of them sitting at the front of the show and advertising the Adopt Don’t Shop agenda. I think if AKC allows this they should clearly communicate that any form of breeder bashing is unacceptable.
Anne Hier: I am adamantly opposed to rescue booths at shows. How can we be so stupid when their mantra is “Adopt Don’t Shop”? Further, I am concerned about the health risks of unentered dogs at shows that have come from shelters. I have no idea what vaccinations they have had and don’t want dogs with brucellosis or other diseases using the public potty areas that are there for the paying exhibitors.
Danielle Madrid: I don’t mind (certain) rescue groups. In my area, there are many breed-specific rescue groups that do great work, and for a lot of people (myself included) they can be a gateway to introducing people to a breed. Pair that with (hopefully) exhibitors willing to spend a few minutes talking to spectators at a Meet the Breeds booth, or just throughout the day, and it can be a great opportunity to introduce people to breeds they may not have considered, or get them interested in an activity they may not have considered. There are rescue groups around here that I wouldn’t want within 10 miles of a dog show…. but they are pretty easy to weed out if you are in the community.
Ann O’Mara: This past weekend in Houston was probably the exception. Ordinarily, I would not think it was a good idea but this weekend, after talking to many rescue organizations, there is a huge rescue need in Houston and I think they were trying to make the best of an opportunistic situation.
Betty-Anne Stenmark: I think it’s important that the “rescue” people know the purebred dog community cares about all dogs. They get to know us, and are less likely to target us with crazy breeding restrictive laws.
Lindsay Freire: Investing in the breed rescues could be a novel idea to help close the gap between show and rescue as society wants to divide the groups. It could be a great opportunity for education and an insight into the sport/world of purebred dogs. Much is possible if people work together.
I spoke to Tom Pincus, who has headed World Series Cluster for the past 10 years. He said that rescue booths have long been a part of the Houston cluster. The booths must abide by certain rules; for example, they cannot operate outside of their booth, and they cannot adopt out dogs on the premises. “Almost all of our booths are purebred rescues,” he says, “and just like breeders, they’re not just going to hand over a dog on the spot without doing a thorough check of a prospective home.” Pincus stresses the importance of local kennel clubs to stay supportive of local shelters so that the clubs have inroads in the event of proposed dog ordinances.
“I offer no apologies for this,” Pincus states. “The AKC is the dog’s champion, not just the purebred dog’s champion. The wrong thing for us to do is to be off in our little purebred bubble showing our dogs.”
“Remember,” says Pincus, “we counter the rescues with Meet the Breeds.” Did you know that this cluster invented Meet the Breeds? This year more than 100 dogs participated and I can attest that it was well attended. We brought five salukis and every one was busy with their own admirer the entire hour we were there.
Not only were the rescue booths well attended, but the spectators were also busy on a buying spree at the vendor booths—-especially those spectators who had dogs with them. But spectators with dogs proved to be another point of contention.
Rule check: AKC Rules Applying to Dog Shows: C-11,S-11. SECTION 11. Only dogs that are eligible to be shown under The American Kennel Club rules shall be allowed within the show precincts, except that dogs engaged as a special attraction with American Kennel Club approval may also be present. There shall be no benching, nor offering for sale or breeding, nor any displaying of unentered dogs.
So rescue booths are perhaps considered a special attraction and I assume that means unentered dogs can be displayed. After all, plenty of unentered dogs are on display at the AKC National Championship’s Meet the Breeds. What dogs are “eligible to be shown?” Does it mean AKC registered? What about a PAL number? Plenty of mixes compete in non-conformation events.
Again, Facebook responses ran the gamut:
Frances Zeller: Bring on the Flexi leads and ‘he loves other dogs’. The average person has no idea how to walk and control their dogs. I don’t want to sound like a snob but that is a recipe for disaster.
Anne Hier: Exhibitors have PAID for the privilege of displaying their dogs in the public forum of a dog show. The rules are very specific that ineligible dogs are not allowed. AKC can suspend exhibitors who violate the rules but have no control over those who are bringing along their mutts for the day. Their dogs are untrained, unruly, and I don’t want to deal with folks who bring in dogs with DQ colors or think you are rude because you don’t want your dogs to “socialize” with theirs.
Kim Fountain: Spectators with pets, yes, one dog per person. Encourage and teach, they may participate.
Lynn Kiaer: I hate it, because many of the dogs are out of control, meaning that their owners are unable to enjoy the dog show, engage with the people at the show, or learn anything. We walk by with our dogs who ignore their dogs and they are either embarrassed by their dog’s behavior or imagine that we have beaten all the fun out of our dogs because our dogs behave so ‘unnaturally.’ If they didn’t have their dogs, they could meet our dogs, most of whom are personable but not pushy, and talk to us, and find out that we love our dogs just like they do. At the same time, I understand that spectators often don’t realize how inappropriate their dog’s behavior will be, and with all those dogs there, what’s a few more? So they bring them, imagining that they, their dogs, and we will all have a good time together.
Christi Halliday: I hate the idea, and I’ll tell you exactly why: I work in an Animal Hospital. The general public CANNOT CONTROL their dogs, period. I was at a show many years ago when I ran to the aid of an exhibitor who’s beautiful little Chihuahua was grabbed out of his ex-pen by a non-entered Akita on a flexible leash! Mercifully, the little Chihuahua died in my hands. I will never support the general public being allowed to bring unentered dogs. Sadly, in order to enforce that rule, I’ve got to leave my non- entries at home, but in light of experience, I’m okay with that.
Lindsay Freire: I believe AKC had or has a “My Dog Can do That” program for engaging the public in events such as agility, obedience and other performance-based sports. When carried out with the average pet in mind, I think it’s a great program to engage more people to participate in activities with their dogs, and gain confidence to reach out to clubs that can help with training, and the in’s and out’s of competition (many don’t know where to go for help for starts even if they are already interested). The focus should remain on helping them with their dog, regardless of purebred or mixed breed, reputable breeder or not, rescue or not. With good experiences, one would hope they see the value in purebred dogs, talk to breeders and more, but again getting people to do activities with their dogs is a great start and achievement…. So, looping back to spectators bringing their dog—I don’t see a place unless we engage the public with more reasons to bring their dog to shows other than just simply walking them around.
Erika Meindl: My big thing with spectators bringing their unentered (and typically unregistered) dogs to shows is how can they really learn and possibly get interested in shows if they have their own dog there? They can’t get close and ask questions and meet breeds if they have their own dog there. Now, if they brought their show prospect dog to the show and were seeking help that’s different to me. But if they want to really enjoy the show, learn stuff and be able to talk to people then they shouldn’t bring a dog. Spectator dogs are not welcome under show tents or near rings really, so how are they going to get the full experience? And the people who can control their dogs don’t bring them because they understand there’s a time and a place…so, it’s generally poorly behaved dogs. I’ve seen spectator’s dogs attack show dogs AND get in fights with another spectator’s dog.
Rita Figg: We have had them at our shows; only one time did we have to suggest the dog leave as it was too “upset” by all the activity and other dogs. Done politely, you can get people to understand and leave! You never know when someone bringing their dog to a show could end up falling in love with our sport!
Susan Buckley Thibodeaux: I am not a fan of spectators bringing their dogs. It’s already crowded around the rings and then they bring an untrained, incorrectly dog-socialized animal into the crowd pulling his owners on a harness and it leads to problems.
Audra Lynn: I’m about all animals–Show/pet/rescue/mutt don’t care.
Crystal Reid: I was bothered by all the un-entered pets brought to NRG, only because the people who brought them had zero etiquette about having them there. I had to be on the defense to keep them out of my dogs’ faces because their owners weren’t paying attention to their dogs as we were trying to get from one place to another. I also saw people allow their dogs to urinate on things in vendor booths and people just ignored it.
Bonnie Stenzel: I am OK, IF it is shows that have room. And events beyond conformation. Fun stuff or things that can excite owners. Like NRG. This is a great way to encourage people into the sport. Plus they pay a pretty hefty fee to walk that dog around. Almost always eat and buy bags full of toys and stuff. We need to get over ourselves and welcome just plain pet people. Almost everyone started with a pet. If we keep hindering these pet people this may well be the last generation and without that fate $$$$ we are going to be priced out of show sites. And we need new people. Or at least people who LIKE us. Better pets walking around than PETA.
Let’s face it, any time you can bring your dog to an afternoon’s outing you’re more likely to go, and increased gate means increased revenue. There were hundreds of unenetered dogs strolling about in designer ensembles. “We started allowing then in several years ago,” says Pincus. “We had announcements clearly stating no unentered dogs, but nobody read them and they’d pay the parking fee then arrive at the gate only to be turned away. So a lot of them would just put the dog in the car and leave it and go to the dog show. That was unacceptable. This way, the dog is safe and, to be honest, we’ve never had a problem with them. This year I was called out to talk to a man who had three large pit bulls, but the dogs turned out to be very friendly and well-behaved and under control.”
Pincus points out that several precautions are taken to separate the spectator dogs from the exhibited dogs. Signs are posted that unentered dogs are not allowed in the grooming area, nor in the Meet the Breeds ring. The aisles between the rings double as a staging area for dogs getting ready to go in, and only exhibitors with wristbands can enter them. In addition, dogs are restricted to 6-foot leashes and retractable leashes must be locked at that length or shorter.
I have to say that most of the spectators seemed respectful of my exhibits and held their dogs back. On two occasions, though, I chose another route because of the owner not paying attention while his large dog gave mine the “you’re going down” stare.
I can’t leave my report on the Houston cluster without mentioning one more thing: there was a report that the Houston health department was pulling bags of poop out of trash receptacles to be sent to a lab for testing. Nobody, not even Pincus, knows why. It remains the ‘Mystery of the NRG Poop’.

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Posted by AnthonyA on Aug 22 2019. 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.