Westminster Dog Show 2017: Meet The New Breeds, And Cats, Who Will Be Featured This Year

There will be some notable new additions to this year’s Westminster Kennel Club dog show, with three new breeds of dogs set to be featured as well as, for the first time, cats.

The American hairless terrier, the pumi and the sloughi will all compete for the first time in the famous competition, which will take place at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14. The trio were granted full recognition by the American Kennel Club last year and unveiled at an event Thusday promoting the Westminster dog show.

While new to the country’s most famous dog competition, they are far from new breeds. The American hairless terrier, which derives from the rat terrier breed, was developed in the U.S. at the start of the 1970s. Despite their name, many are coated although they still carry the hairless gene.

The other newcomers date back even further. The sloughi is an ancient breed of sighthound originating in northern Africa and known for its speed and hunting skills. Meanwhile, the pumi is a herding breed originating in Hungary. It was developed as a result of careful selection by shepherds looking for a dog that could successfully herd cattle and sheep on their farms.

Some animal-rights organizations, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), are staunchly critical of dog breeding, pointing out the millions of dogs in need of adoption. PETA has accused the American Kennel Club of encouraging breeding with little care for the health of the dog.

The three new breeds will compete as part of around 2,800 dogs for the prestigious Best in Show award in categories such as agility and obedience.

But the most talked about newcomer this year will not be a dog of any description. Pedigreed cats have been welcomed into the fold and will line up with their canine pals at the non-competitive “Meet and Compete” event on Feb. 11.

“It makes it interesting,” said Gail Miller Bisher, a spokeswoman for the Westminster Kennel Club said Monday. “It’s a celebration of dogs — and now cat — but it needs to be a little bit of everything for everybody. That’s what we like about it.”