This past weekend, the American Kennel Club® (AKC) and Cat Fanciers’ Association® (CFA) hosted 36,000 people over two days at Meet the Breeds™ presented by PetPartners, Inc., in New York City.  With the participation of nearly 200 dog clubs and cat councils and the support of over 100 vendors and 16 sponsors, the event was an unqualified success, featuring more than 115,000 square feet of dog and cat festivities.

Meet the Breeds showcased the joys of pet ownership to an audience of dog and cat lovers who were eager to learn about the diversity of breeds and responsible pet ownership in a welcoming and positive setting.  This family-friendly event also educated children of all ages –including local Girl, Boy and Cub Scout troops–and helped them create lasting memories with dogs and cats.

The vendor booths offered every imaginable product for pets and their owners, five ongoing demonstration rings (featuring law enforcement K9s, grooming, agility, obedience and an interactive 'Cat Idol' showcase and more) entertained attendees all day long and complemented the main attraction: nearly 200 individually decorated breed booths where the public interacted with dogs, cats, puppies and kittens and learned about their history and unique attributes directly from the experts.

The event also hosted a few "boldface names" including fashion designer Michael Kors and famed columnist Cindy Adams who brought along her dogs Jazzy and Juicy to greet the huge crowds at the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America’s booth. Whoopi Goldberg, co-host on "The View" and Mario Lopez, host of "Extra" also attended to tape segments for their respective programs. More...

"The positive media attention and large crowds are a testament to the tremendous appeal of this format and the public’s desire to learn more about cats and dogs," said AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung. "With more than 300 million media impressions resulting from the event, there is no doubt that we’ve been able to communicate messages about responsible pet ownership and selecting a pet that fits your lifestyle."

"The Meet the Breeds event exceeded all expectations," said CFA President Pam DelaBar.  "I saw so many smiles from spectators and exhibitors alike, as everyone was thrilled to pet and hug cats and dogs that they had never before seen ‘in the fur.’ Animal lovers from all over the tri-state area attended the event and we thank them for their support."

"I want to thank all our of sponsors, vendors and especially the hundreds of volunteers from participating AKC clubs and CFA councils that sent representatives to host the breed booths and perform in the demonstration rings," said AKC Chairman Ron Menaker. "While we may have had celebrities in attendance, we all know that the real stars the public came to see were our beautiful animals."         

View photo coverage. Additional photos and video can be found on AKC’s social media pages including Facebook, Flickr, You Tube and Twitter.

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