This week, New York City went to the dogs. The 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show took over midtown Manhattan’s Javits Center and Madison Square Garden, where thousands of dogs; their myriad handlers, breeders, and groomers; and tens of thousands of fans gathered for one of the oldest and most prestigious conformation shows in the world.
Competition sprawled over three days—Saturday, January 31; Monday, February 1; and Tuesday, February 2—during which dogs competed in a thrilling agility championship (won by Prove-It, a five-year-old Border Collie from New Hampshire) and strut their stuff in the breed groups: hound, toy, non-sporting, herding, sporting, working, and terrier.
All that standing and walking and winnowing down culminated with Tuesday night’s best in show event. And who was the victor? Of the final contenders—Zaida the Afghan hound, Cookie the Maltese, JJ the Lhasa apso, Graham the Old English sheepdog, Cota the Chesapeake Bay retriever, Penny the Doberman pinscher, and Wager the smooth fox terrier—four-year-old Penny was crowned the year’s top dog. (Five-year-old Cota was the runner-up.)
But a little before that, photographer Poupay Jutharat was on the ground at the Javits Center, sniffing around as the pups prepped, primped, and occasionally napped before go-time. See her shots from the 150th Westminster Dog Show right here.
