Seattle Dog Spot

But Pedigree senior brand manager Lisa Campbell said Westminster had made it clear in recent years “that we had become too focused on adoptions.”

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My response to Westminster’s claim? So what?

So what if Pedigree had become “too focused” on dog adoptions? Has it hurt Westminster’s ratings at all? Frei didn’t say so, and certainly the show seems to be more popular than ever. 

And in this age of DVRs and remotes, does Westminster really think more viewers will watch when a Purina commercial comes on?

But the bigger question is, do these commercials help or hurt the cause of pet adoptions?

Campbell said shelters around the country “had thanked Pedigree for raising the plight of homeless dogs.”

Sure, some people may not want to watch Pedigree’s commercials, but they must have seen them at least once if they’re changing the channel.

And just seeing one of these commercials once will sear the importance of adopting a shelter dog into the minds of most people – what’s wrong with that? 

Since the euthanization of unwanted shelter pets is still a huge problem, Westminster officials were really dumb for dumping a sponsor because it is “too focused adoptions”.

Not only will their decision hurt dog adoptions, but it will also provide validation to the perception that dog shows are only concerned about promoting purebred dogs and don’t care about mixed breeds stuck in shelters.

Regardless of whether they acknowledge this or not, dog shows bear some of the responsibility for the fact that 25% of the dogs in shelters are purebred. People see the purebred showdogs on TV and get one without understanding the challenges the particular breeds pose, so they end up dumping them in shelters. 

Or unscrupulous breeders overbreed dogs in horrific conditions to meet the increased demand for a breed that these shows generate, which in turn creates dogs with behavioral and physical problems that also end up in shelters.

While I think Pedigree could have tried airing some commercials with a more positive adoption message, I don’t question either their commitment to or success at promoting dog adoptions.

However, Westminster’s decision to drop a sponsor of 24 years because it had become “to focused on dog adoptions” does make me question if the show’s organizers care about the fact that 4 million dogs die in shelters every year.