Controversy Follows Every Westminster Dog Show

Eight toy dogs, including Yorkshire Terriers, Japanese Chins, and King Charles Spaniels, entered by prominent New York exhibitor Flora Sinn, were poisoned with strychnine. Mrs. Sinn discovered the dogs on February 22, and the show's vet confirmed the dogs had been poisoned. No arrests were ever made in this case, and it remains the only felonious criminal act in Westminster history.

In 2010, two members of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) trespassed on the main stage prior to naming the Best in Show. The PETA members carried signs protesting dog breeding. PETA had held protests outside of the Westminster venue for many years; this was the first protest to disrupt the show. The protesters were charged with third-degree criminal trespass, a misdemeanor.

Pedigree Pet Foods was dropped as the main sponsor of Westminster in 2012 because of images contained in one of their television commercials. The ad showed dogs from shelters in various stages of malnutrition and recovering from abuse. A spokesperson for Westminster reportedly had told Pedigree to show people celebrating dogs in their lives. Pedigree had sponsored the show for 24 years.

In 2013, Cruz, a Samoyed, died a few days after competing. The attending vet reported Cruz's death was a result of eating rodent poison and was accidental, saying "...dogs make bad decisions." Cruz's handler had a different thought, saying extreme animal rights activists could have been the culprits. The handler offered no proof, and a spokesperson for PETA denied any involvement.

The 2008 Best in Show winner is a beagle named Uno, considered to be the most popular winner in the history of Westminster. Uno was the first winner to be invited to the White House. He returned to the show in 2016 but not for long. When Uno came onstage at the beginning of the show, his handler was told to take him off because he hadn't been registered to be in the stadium. To the shock of his fans, Uno was escorted offstage.

A 2018 report from Reuters stated that male dogs had won the event 71 times, compared with 39 times for females. Breeders say the reason is that more male dogs are entered than females because the prime age for entering a dog is between three and five years, matching the prime breeding years for females. Females in heat will shed their coats, so they don't look as impressive as males.

A 2018 Washington Post article dove into the practice of docking, particularly with breeds such as Rottweilers and Great Danes. For the unfamiliar, docking is the practice of cropping a dog's ears and tail. Many breeders are now against docking but acknowledge they cannot win at Westminster with a so-called natural dog. This is because of the rules of the American Kennel Club. Some breeders believe that if a state such as New York or California were to ban docking, the practice would end.

The Guardian newspaper published a story in 2017 stating the judging criteria of Westminster emphasizes appearance over health, which is damaging to all breeds. The article, written by a certified breeder, states that shows such as Westminster judge dogs as breeding stock rather than their health, temperament, and function. The breeder writes that the least important aspect of a dog, its appearance, is the most important aspect of judging.

A schipperke named Colton earned his way into the final ring of seven in 2019. Those are the finalists for Best in Show. But Colton wasn't given a shot at the title because the top judge co-owned dogs with one of Colton's co-owners. The judge wasn't disqualified; Colton was. Colton made the ring of seven because he won the nonsporting group, which is highly competitive. Colton was the first schipperke to win that group.

Westminster was accused of animal mistreatment after the Pekingese was named Best in Show. Wasabi had to be kept on a cooling pad during the competition because of his massive coat. Many reviewers were shocked that the Pekingese won, becoming the fifth of his breed to win Best in Show. The uproar is more about the breed than Wasabi. Pekingese are prone to breathing problems and, as a result, cannot handle hot or cold weather. They are considered to be nothing more than house pets.