— View Extensive Photo Coverage of Meet the Breeds at www.meetthebreeds.com —
From cats in costumes to “Toto” and the human characters from the Wizard of Oz, the American Kennel Club® (AKC) and Cat Fanciers’ Association® (CFA) hosted more than 39,000 people at the second annual Meet the Breeds™ – the largest showcase of dogs and cats in the world.
Presented by PetPartners, Inc., your partner in pet health care, more than 1,000 dogs and cats, representing 200 breeds, filled the Javits Center on October 16 & 17. From the more common Golden Retriever and Siamese cat to some of the rarer breeds, such as the Otterhound and American Curl cat, dog and cat lovers were treated to interactive, decorative displays and allowed to meet and pet each breed while learning directly from the experts the responsibilities of owning that pet.
“The AKC was proud to once again offer the public this opportunity to see, touch and play with dogs and cats, including some of the rarest breeds, most people may have only read about or have seen on television,” said AKC Assistant Vice President Gina DiNardo. “This entertaining event helped educate children of all ages – including local Girl, Boy and Cub Scout troops – to learn more about which dog or cat could become a lifelong member of their family.”
“Meet the breeds is a great opportunity for kids to play with a 200 pound Mastiff dog that is larger than most New York City kitchens, pet a hairless Sphynx cat, or walk through the Ragamuffin breed booth decorated as bakery ovens with the humans in baker aprons and chef hats, all while their parents learn about the characteristics of each breed and the importance of picking the right dog or cat that best fits their lifestyle,” said CFA President Jerry Hamza.
“I want to thank all of our sponsors, vendors and especially the hundreds of volunteers from participating AKC clubs and CFA breed councils that sent representatives to host the breed booths and perform in the demonstration rings,” said AKC Chairman Ron Menaker.
“It is with your help and dedication that we are able to educate so many people and help them make accurate assessments on what breed is best for them.”
Winning booths sponsored by Pet Airways went to the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America for their recreation of Windsor Castle complete with Queen Elisabeth and her dogs and the CFA Cornish Rex Breed Council for their recreation of a NASCAR pit stop for the “Racy Rex.”
Spectators enjoyed more than 15 entertaining demonstrations including a Kitty
Cat-ture fashion show featuring Meow Wear designer Carla Reiss, Frisbee Disc Dogs, and dog and cat agility where kids even got the chance to race against the dogs and cats by running through weave polls, jumping over obstacles and crawling through tunnels. A
25 lb. Maine Coon cat named “Walker” was even crowned New York’s favorite cat by receiving the most applause to win CFA-Iams “Cat Idol.”
More than 100 vendors also offered every imaginable pet product – including cleaning supplies from Paramount Chemical Specialties and an array of pet stationary from Primary Colors– offered owners the opportunity to bring a little something back to their four-legged furry friends at home.
View photo coverage at www.meetthebreeds.com. Additional photos and video can be found on AKC’s social media pages including Facebook, Flickr, You Tube and Twitter.