PETA Protests at the Westminster Dog Show 2012

Activism, Protests & Rights, All, Dogs Cats and Other Pets

PETA Protests at the Westminster Dog Show 2012

February 14, 2012

Quite a bit of activity today at the Westminster Dog Show which included more than your usual brushing, blowing, pampering and pooping of the dogs.

First, though, the winner of Best in Show was the Toy Group winner, a Pekingese: Ch Palacegarden Malachy. My house mate, Lyn, was pleased with the decision, and apparently she knows the owner of the Peke. Lyn said the dog was very deserving of the win, and since Lyn is the professional in this household, I will take her word for it. Personally, I thought Malachy looked like an alien. I was rooting for the Dobie. Now, on to the protests, both Dogs against Romney and the PETA women who barged into the show ring with signs….

Inside of Madison Square Gardens, a woman charged down the aisle carrying a sign in protest to pedigree breeding. Viewers state that she was affiliated with PETA. PETA has voiced their opposition to pedigree breeding stating that the dog-breeding industry kills shelter dogs’ chances – which is a crock of doggie doo-doo. I will not go into any detail now as this is a topic for an entire post… or two… or three…. In a nutshell, PETA has helped raise awareness and prevent cruelty for many animals, but most of the time, they are barking up the wrong tree. I do not care for their radical tactics and feel they harm more than they help many causes. Plus they often spoon feed their followers exaggerated or completely false facts.

Here is the only footage I can find. Watch in the upper right corner and you can see someone rushing down the stairs followed by men in suits.

UPDATE: Earlier I erred in posting two videos from 2010 showing PETA protesters entering the ring. I do apologize. I was still waking up and on my first cup of coffee. This error has been corrected. I would still like to show some raw footage from the two women who entered the ring in 2010. I am still unable to find news confirmation that the woman rushing down the stairs last night was affiliated with PETA, but several viewers who saw the incident state she was. Unfortunately for me, when this happened last night when I was taking a bathroom break. Figures….

Outside and in front of Madison Square Gardens, several demonstrators gathered and protested against Mitt Romneyand his very unwise decision of traveling for twelve hours with his family dog, Seamus, in a crate on top of the vehicle. Protest spokeswoman Kitty Hendrix said the Dogs Against Romney website that organized the demonstration has about 25,000 members. The protesters held signs that said “Mitt is Mean” and “Dogs Aren’t Luggage” and “I Ride Inside.”

The Westminster Kennel Club event is the most prestigious dog show in America and draws 2,000 entries. Hendrix said her group didn’t want to interrupt Westminster. “We’re just using this as a backdrop,” she said.

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A Westminster Food for Thought…. I wonder if the dogs believe they are showing their handlers?

And for those considering buying or adopting a dog, please keep this in mind…

TAGS:

Best in Show winner, Ch Palacegarden Malachy, disruption at the Westminster, Dogs Against Romney, Pekingese, PETA, protesters, sign, Westminster Dog Show 2012, woman

29 responses to “PETA Protests at the Westminster Dog Show 2012”

PiedType

February 14, 2012 at 11:09 pm

A peke won, eh. Not a fan of pekes myself, or of any “smush-faced” dog or cat. But it’s nice the Best in Shows get spread around.

Forever Dog is a sweetie. He can come live with me any time.

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1. She speaks….
  
  February 14, 2012 at 11:11 pm
  
  Watching the Peke “walk” (more like trying to keep from stepping on his long fur) was, well, not appealing to me. It brought Tribbles to mind…
  
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barkinginthedark

February 15, 2012 at 12:07 am

they are such magnificent creatures all…continue…

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1. She speaks….
  
  February 15, 2012 at 12:12 am
  
  Yes, they are.
  
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Left the Shoes, Took the Dog

February 15, 2012 at 1:04 am

FYI – Saw the protesters on my TV. A woman in blue carrying a sign that looked like it may say something about “every bred dog Kills a shelter dogs chances” or something to that (my opinion: ignorant) effect. She was quickly followed by what looked to be a security guard chasing her, who was in turn (unknowingly it seems) in front of another protester. That woman, wearing a pink scarf, then tried to scale the barrier and enter the ring but was grabbed by one of the men who had been sitting in the front row and she was quickly escorted back up the stairs. The other woman in blue never came back on screen.
Good to know these people were using the history and hard work of the Dog Showing/Breeding community to further their own personal views and agendas.
That said, congrats to the Peke, but I gotta say that sure was a good looking Dobie.

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1. She speaks….
  
  February 15, 2012 at 7:09 am
  
  Thanks! Yep, that was a PETA person. Sad…. I live in a house full of Porty’s, and half the dogs here are also shelter rescues, including my own two.
  
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Anonymous

February 15, 2012 at 10:15 pm

Why do all the nutsIminority) in our country try to spoil things for us the majority. We can’t sing a Christmas carol at Christmas, we aren’t supposed to own a gun, we can’t pack a school lunch for a kid unless it has in it what the GOVERNMENT tells us to put in it, and on and on and ON and now we can/t purchase or breed(responsibly I might add) the kind of dog that we want to own! What happened to America land of the free?

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1. She speaks….
  
  February 15, 2012 at 10:19 pm
  
  I don’t know. I’ve been wondering the same thing.
  
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2. H. Winter
  
  February 16, 2012 at 1:08 am
  
  Time to change your vote!
  
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3. C. Tongate
  
  February 16, 2012 at 9:19 am
  
  Because we went to sleep and the politicians take over!
  
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I am a Forever Dog, Not an Until Dog « Motley News

February 15, 2012 at 10:58 pm

[…] night when I posted about the protests at the Westminster, I also included the image below which has the blurred out dog in the middle. The original image […]

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Greyhound Rescuer

February 15, 2012 at 11:50 pm

Argh, PETA. They are really SO SO SO ignorant about this issue. I’ve gone to dog shows for decades, and I can tell you from personal experience that most of the spectators ask breeders questions to get themselves educated about the different breeds so they can determine which are most suited to their lifestyles. The vast majority of these folks go to shelters (or breed rescue groups) and get pure or mixed breed dogs with the characteristics best for them. These are the kinds of people LEAST likely to dump dogs at shelters because they have done their homework. PETA should be supporting the education that the AKC does – not fight them.

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1. She speaks….
  
  February 15, 2012 at 11:57 pm
  
  I know. I completely agree. Just about every purebred show person I know also has rescue dogs. The best of both worlds. And many help with shelters and rescues. The total that the purebred owners do for shelters and rescues I imagine is a lot more than PETA does. PETA is targeting the wrong group.
  
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2. Cat lover
  
  February 16, 2012 at 1:22 pm
  
  Peta ultimately wants to abolish pet ownership entirely, but knows that they must keep this goal quiet in mainstream circles because they’d lose support otherwise.
  
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Tamara Wood

February 16, 2012 at 9:58 am

We have two purebred Corgis, and THEY were rescues. They were being given away because their owners just didn’t want them anymore. So just because they are a purebred dog doesn’t mean that they won’t become a rescue, too. Funny how PETA never mentions how many rescue groups there are for certain breeds…

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Anonymous

February 16, 2012 at 1:31 pm

I was rooting for the doberman too!!!

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Pet Person

February 16, 2012 at 10:28 pm

Another reason shelter dogs/puppies are there because people allow their dogs to breed. Responsible breeders did not create that problem. Dogs are bred for reasons other than looks – they are bred to do certain tasks.
ALL my pets are rescues and none are considered full bred. NOT by choice did I aquire them but I love them dearly – with that love comes a sincere frustration towards the people who didn’t take care of them in the first place!!
Pet #1 from a shelter that was too full and lacked assistance (he nearly died from diseases he picked up at the shelter) Pet #2 because the neighbors were moving and locked him up in the garage as they left Pet #3 Thrown out because she got pregnant Pet #4 One of her kittens that couldn’t be adopted out due to his medical Pet #5 Thrown into a pond mostly starved and hours away from death Pet #6 From a hoarder who doesn’t seem to understand anything!! (the kittens die due to lack of basic medical care) Pet #7 A stray puppy no one claimed and the shelters couldn’t take since they were all FULL because people think the shelter can always take another unwanted pet!!
SPAY / NEUTER Take pets to the vet for medical care – feed and love them!! So little to ask.
BTW…my stray puppy no one wanted has won several AKC ribbons and constantly has people wanting her since she is so well trained and pretty. I then tell them how many hours a week I spend training her. Pets need attention – they are not stuffed animals that sit on a shelf. 🙂 If you can’t spend time with them or unwilling to spay / neuter – DON’T GET A PET – PUREBRED OR OTHERWISE!!!!!

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1. She speaks….
  
  February 16, 2012 at 10:37 pm
  
  Bravo! Well said!!! Thank you!
  
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Link Round-Up for February 17th: The Westminster Dog Show Edition | Cold Noses Chronicle

February 17, 2012 at 10:29 am

[…] PETA Protests at the Westminster Dog Show -From Motley News […]

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Gillian

February 19, 2012 at 8:18 am

Aren’t they going after the wrong people? These breeders are producing dogs that go to homes that specifically want that kind of dog, it’s a self-contained process. Dogs are in shelters because owners of NOT-pedigreed dogs don’t spay or neuter. PETA gives such a bad name to people who genuinely care about animals. They seem to be a bunch of fanatic nutcases.

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1. She speaks….
  
  February 19, 2012 at 9:29 am
  
  They are a bunch of fanatic nutcases. Here is their philosophy about targeting pedigree dogs/breeders…. As everyone knows, our shelters are overflowing with unwanted dogs, a combination of people who surrender their dogs for their own personal reasons because when they got the dogs, they didn’t get a “forever” dog but got an “until” dog, as well as strays. There are many pedigree dogs in a shelter, although they almost never come from reputable breeders. More commonly, “until” dogs with pedigree papers are surrendered to a non-profit organization specializing in that breed, such as a Rottweiler rescue group. Anyway, that PETA is attempting to do is to outlaw all pedigree breeding which would then require anyone who wants a dog to adopt a dog from a shelter rather than a breeder. Litters from breeders are controlled. There are very very rarely “accidents.” So if breeders simply stop breeding, then that would eliminate hundreds of thousands of dogs from the puppy-purchasing market. From a numbers point of view, it’s a sound argument. Remove what can be controlled, thus dropping the number of dogs available only to the rescues.
  
  But it’s an argument that lacks common sense.
  
  PETA wastes valuable time, energy and money targeting a group of people, the professional breeders, in an attempt to shut them all down – and this will NEVER happen. A professional breeder actually helps with their breed lineage. For example, since I live in a house full of show Portuguese Water Dogs (now they’re not mine, so I’m not the professional here. I only know what I’ve learned from the owner and breeder here), Porty’s can carry a disease called Addison’s disease. (you can google for more info) Should any of a Porty breeders dogs come up positive for Addison’s, then breeding immediately halts on that dog and any dog in that litter. They’re spayed or neutered. Same thing, for example, for breeds which are known to have a stronger genetic trait for hip dysplasia. German Shepherds are widely known to carry this disorder. Therefore when any lineage has bad hips, the breeding stops immediately. No breeder will purposely carry on any bad trait or disease within their breed.
  
  Puppy mills, on the other hand, don’t give a shit. They let the dogs “have at it” and breed whenever a bitch comes into season regardless of any genetic testing. All they care about is burning and turning litters which sell. This is very common with popular breeds, such as Cocker Spaniels, American Stafforshire Terriers (pit bulls), etc.
  
  Next on the level of breeding are the irresponsible dog owner. They may have a papered dog, but have no responsibility towards the ownership and accidental breedings occur. Or they may want to breed their dog once just because…. Puppies are cute, they love their dog, and want to share the love. But they lack the knowledge of responsible breeding. This group of breeders are the ones you see advertising dogs for sale in the newspaper. And newspaper pups for sale are often puppy mills, too. Also mixed into this group are the owners of dogs which are not pedigree, or may be pure bred, but no papers. They just want to breed their bitch once or twice “for the fun of it.”
  
  And then there are simply the strays. Absolutely no control whatsoever. Strays are a combination of dogs which are either abandoned by their owner, or run away from a home but never found by their owner, as well as dogs born into the stray world by a mother stray.
  
  PETA is targeting the group of people which are more supportive, knowledgeable and definitely control the breeding. Where PETA would be better served is educating the public on proper dog ownership and encourage any non-professional breeder to spay or neuter their pet rather than breed a litter “for the fun of it.” But the biggest benefit they could do would be to target puppy mills. These are the breeders who burn and turn their dogs – and they do make a profit because they have little out of pocket expenses. Puppy mills do nothing more than “breed ’em, wean ’em, and sell ’em.” Whereas a professional breeder does so due to their love of the breed. Professional breeding and showing is a money pit. The cost of all the genetic testing for hips and eyes and whatever may be specific to the breed. Plus the cost of showing a dog. This is not cheap at all. To earn a title, a lot of travel costs are incurred, grooming, more costly food, vitamins, etc. DNA testing, artificial insemination, and so on and so on. It is a very expensive love for dogs, not a profit maker. So targeting puppy mills would be a much much better use of time and money spent by PETA.
  
  Not much anyone can do about strays other than the ongoing battle to capture, spay/neuter, and hope that they’re adopted once they go from the streets to a shelter or rescue organization.
  
  Additionally, professional breeders do more for shelter rescues than the owners of puppy mill dogs. The breeders devotion to dogs is more than their own personal breed – they never ever turn over any dogs to a shelter. And most certainly pups from their own breeding never, and I truly mean never, surrendered to a shelter or rescue organization. Plus many professional breeders adopt rescues. This house I live in has several show Porty’s, but nearly half the dogs here are also rescues.
  
  I would also love to see PETA kindly (emphasis on kindly since they’re a very radical and extreme group of people which are often looked at negatively by the public) encourage any pet owner who has or is adopting a pedigree dog for a pet (not for show) to also go to their local shelter WITH their pedigreed dog, and allow their dog to pick out a lifetime playmate. Dogs are typically happier when there is another dog in the household. So why not have a papered dog as well as a rescued dog. Everyone wins in this case. The dog owner has a pedigreed dog they want, their pedigreed dog has a playmate, and a shelter dog find a home to live in and be loved until the day they make the journey to the Rainbow Bridge.
  
  In a nutshell, PETA would much better serve the dog community by providing a positive attitude, accepting the fact that dog shows and professional breeding will never go away, and working together with the breeders for the betterment of all dogs throughout the world.
  
  Whew… I got a lot more detailed than I intended to do. I hope this helps better explain the philosophy of why PETA is targeting dogs shows – which basically lacks common sense and is more anti-productive to the dog world than they are productive.
  
  They have helped was many states in passing stricter animal cruelty laws, and for this I am grateful. And if they were to gain some common sense, quit opposing proessiona breeders, then they would be able to do so much more good for the canine kingdom. But in the meantime, we all have to deal with this kind of shit they pull.
  
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Pet Person

February 19, 2012 at 4:54 pm

I’m not far from MO. Puppy mill state USA.
PETA wouldn’t get the press they want/desire if they showed up to some backwoods puppy mill. So the puppy mills go on, people adopt the puppies at street corner sales around here. They are a cute impulse purchase then for many reasons the shelters get some of them. High vet bills due to lack of puppy care and/or good breeding, behavior issues etc… are common.
The ‘just one litter’ people…oh, don’t get me started. My dog goes to yard sales (great for obedience and to get her ready for her TDI testing). I have met too many everyday people with the funds to spay / neuter who DON’T! They want that litter – calms the bitch they own after one litter, can’t do that snip / snip to their dog, want the cute puppies to give to friends and family (WHAT?? really not a gift one should give!!). I try telling them over and over again – enjoy your pet and don’t create more of them…the shelters are so full around here and short of funds. Funny about the calming down of their bitch…they see my gal and always state how great she is…TRAINING, TRAINING, TRAINING!!!!!!! She was spay around 6 /1/2 months old. She never had a litter and according to her genetics (you can also tell by her looks) she is part husky (wild child). She is Aussie also – put the two together and you have a very active dog-child!! Positive training including socialization makes a happy & calm gal 🙂

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1. She speaks….
  
  February 19, 2012 at 5:37 pm
  
  “TRAINING, TRAINING, TRAINING!!!!!!! ” Absolutely! Dogs do not train by the owner mentally willing them to, nor by an off-and-on, whenever-you-feel-like-it training. Consistency and tenacity. Some dogs are naturals, others take more time and effort. But all dogs are trainable, and it’s in their blood regardless of the breed. They’ve been domesticated for thousands of years and all they know is to work for man – and that means anything from companionship, to service training, to actual working. I’m sure you know simply because of the knowledge and experience you have in your comment. Taking to yard sales is excellent! And I can tell that you’re not the kind of person that takes your dog to a sale and lets them do whatever. Ugh… that so annoys me when people let their dogs do whatever the hell they want when out in public. And a husky/Aussie mix… my two favorite breeds! I used to breed huskies years ago, and like responsible breeders, I was very careful on who would buy my pups. Huskies are most definitely not for everyone, and I have even required to see photos of their fenced yard if it’s their first time buying a Husky just to make sure they have a proper yard. If they’ve had huskies before, then they know the breed so I wasn’t as cautious with them. My roommate, Lyn, is even more detailed with a potential buyer than I was – but she has champion lineage where I didn’t. And that enters into a whole new world I am still learning as I live here.
  
  And we must not forget the men who’s blood is overflowing with testosterone. They buy or rescue a male dog and refuse to have their huevo’s snipped off. Even though there is no intention of using for stud, they have this emotional bond to their male dog’s balls. Dude… if you don’t have a pedigreed dog purposely to show and use for stud, whack those things off! Even though you may be careful, when a bitch is in heat and in the near vicinity, it doesn’t matter. They WILL find a way.
  
  Thanks so much for sharing and commenting. Dogs are so wonderful to have and will be completely devoted and your best friend until they die. But they’re not cute little fluffy stuffed animals, so dog owners need and must accept responsibility when getting a dog.
  
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Pet Person

February 19, 2012 at 8:12 pm

My gal is approx 21″, 47 lbs, tri-coat, full mask, shepherd eyes (brown in color), with husky ears and tail (that’s why people see Husky but according to her genetics she is mostly Aussie). Her fur has some coarseness to it so I don’t know where that is coming from. She was an interesting looking puppy and has turned out to be a stunning adult (now 3 years old). Love her dearly – but would never breed her!! (I’ve been asked…first off…not possible, secondly even if it was possible there is no guarentee on what the puppies would look like).
Yard sale training is great!! You get to go places for different sights, sounds and smells. Practice leave it, sit to be petted, getting in and out the car politely (she has to wait until I tell her it’s ok), stay in a down or sit while I pay or look for items. And best of all…she loves it!! Training and joy…what a great mix. I’ve only ever come across one yard sale that didn’t want her to shop – most everyone loves to see her (but always best to ask if ok before shopping). Estate sales – can’t do since it’s not the owner doing the selling, typically in a house that is up for sale and indoors. Those get skipped.
She goes to classes several days a week to get to this level. Yes, many of her doggie friends are further along than she is but they are Border Collies and Aussies mainly. As you know, Huskies take longer in general but worth it – her trainer is quite proud of her. Our commitment to her is many hours a week so when people say they want a dog like her, I make it a point to tell them how she got to this level. Sometimes I think people only want what they see, not the time it has taken to get there 🙂 Sure most dogs can learn to sit in a day…but when they are stressed or excited if you haven’t been proofing you won’t be looking at your dog sitting! 🙂
Good you required photos etc of yards. Huskies can never be chained up (not that any dog should be).

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The Truth About Dogs And Cats – Why Spay And Neuter Our Pets? | Paws Kennels Blog

June 10, 2012 at 4:08 am

[…] PETA Protests at the Westminster Dog Show 2012 « Motley News … […]

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Rhonda Stock

August 14, 2012 at 10:46 am

Your friend Lyn knows the owner of Malachy? I would love one of the offspring but do not know how to contact owner.

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1. Michelle at Motley News
  
  August 14, 2012 at 12:05 pm
  
  She’s met her before in the show ring circuit – all breeders chat and show off their dogs to one another. But Lyn but does not know her enough to have her contact info.
  
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Samantha Westminster

October 15, 2015 at 4:07 am

Can you please tell the whereabouts of Lyn as she is your friend? I would like to meet her so that we can go to the owner of Malachy as i want to congratulate him personally. Also, I would love to get a child of Malachy if it is possible.

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1. Michelle
  
  October 15, 2015 at 12:06 pm
  
  I’ll let her know. I have your email (ab*****1@*****il.com). I don’t know if she has contact information of the owner. She knows a lot of people from being in shows but she that doesn’t mean she will have their contact info. But I’ll check.
  
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