I'd rather have my rescued mutts over any single dog in that show.

timexliving - it's like the Superbowl, the World Series, the Master's, Wimbleton, etc. Those sporting events garner head lines, as well. Westminster is the Superbowl of the dog world.

Great article. My parents bred and showed English Springer Spaniels when I was a child. We always made sure our puppies went to forever homes. If something happened when an owner couldn't keep the dog, we always took them back, and found other families for them. I currently have two rescues, one I got from a rescue group and one I pulled myself out of a backyard breeders kennel. I urge people to go to our local shelters to find your next pet. Rescue groups are great as well!

JohnnyMcRonny...you couldn't be more wrong. Puppy mills inbreed. Reputable breeders use dogs from other kennels, or dogs in their own kennel that aren't within the same lineage.

Jelly is a beautiful girl. My lab comes from this kennel and he's just as beautiful. Sally is a wonderful breeder and she's very well respected w/in the Labrador Retriever community.

purebred = inbred = a life of health issues (pain) for many

ncrebel - In my experience, responsible breeders to work hard to find good/stable homes for their companion animals. Good breeders try to avoid over/inbreeding, and they know that means some puppies won't measure up to show standards. My "sister dog" is a pure bred who is a little too big for her breed because her breeder took care to introduce new lines, which meant a few taller pups in the litter. The breeder loves all of her pups, and places the same requirements on buyers looking for companion animals as she does on those looking for show/breed dogs. She even goes above and beyond in requiring buyers to agree to spay/neuter the companion dogs she sells. the problem is not AKC breeders, it is backyard puppy mills and irresponsible owners that do not spay/neuter, then let their dogs roam.

@irishgirlsarepretty - the reason behind why rescue groups are so expensive is they are run SOLELY on donations and adoption fees to cover their expenses. State run animals shelters are paid for by taxpayers. When you have a rescue group that isn't as well known, as, for example, the Wake SPCA, they do have to charge higher fees. The Wake SPCA (whom I volunteer with) are much more well known in the community and therefore bring in much more donations. Their $95 adoption fee covers OVER $300 worth of vet bills (moreso if the animal has medical problems such as heartworm disease or malnourishment). So your $300 basset hound amount was actually pretty reasonable. And given everything you have to spend on a puppy (with shots, spaying/neutering), I'm pretty sure you spent well over $450. I'm not saying your choice was wrong. I'm just saying that sometimes the cost of purchasing a purebred puppy from a breeder can cost MORE than the cost of adoption when you include all the vet bills.

@NcRebel you're right about that -- I do want to throw this out there, though. A few months ago I was in desperate search of a basset hound. I checked out the NC Basset Rescue and they wanted 300 bucks for a dog -- NOT too horrible since they come fully vetted ... however still pretty steep! I ended up getting a full blooded Shar Pei puppy for about half that price -- now granted, I got a REALLY good deal on her. My point is sometimes rescue groups are as expensive, if not more so, than some breeders or shelters :/

Mutts (and those who aren't show perfect) rule though...and need homes.

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