New York, NY – The Westminster Kennel Club and American Kennel Club (AKC®) present Meet & Compete, featuring the 3rd Annual Masters Agility Championship at Westminster and AKC Meet the Breeds®, brought to you by Purina® Pro Plan®. This exciting joint event takes place on Saturday, February 13th at Piers 92 and 94 in New York City, and gives dog lovers the unique opportunity to meet and play with hundreds of adorable dogs at AKC Meet the Breeds® while learning about responsible dog ownership, as well as see the nation’s top canine competitors race against the clock at the 3rd Annual Masters Agility Championship.
“We’re excited to be partnering again with the Westminster Kennel Club to bring the public Meet & Compete,” said AKC Vice President Gina DiNardo. “We will have a fantastic variety of breeds at AKC Meet the Breeds® for attendees to meet and learn about straight from the experts.”
“We are combining and expanding two exciting events for Westminster Week 2016, and the dog-loving public is the winner,” said Seán W McCarthy, President of the Westminster Kennel Club. “We have more space for AKC Meet the Breeds® and more access for all to the Masters Agility Championship at Westminster. We are pleased once again to be partnering with the AKC to make it happen.”
The 2016 event marks the seventh AKC Meet the Breeds® and the second year the event joins the thrilling Westminster Week roster. This year, one daytime event ticket will grant event-goers access to both AKC Meet the Breeds® and the Masters Agility Championship at Westminster. The venue expansion will be enhanced by the addition of a newly-constructed interior staircase that will connect Piers 92 and Pier 94 for all events of Westminster Week. Attendees will have more room to interact with over 150 breeds in elaborately decorated booths that depict fun elements from the breed’s history and talk to experts about each dog, as well as see the exciting Agility competition taking place in Pier 94.
The agility competition takes place all day (8 a.m. – 4 p.m.) in Pier 94, with the finals being televised live on FOX Sports 1 from 8-10 p.m. ET. AKC Meet the Breeds® will take place in Piers 92 & 94 from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
In addition to the Westminster Kennel Club and American Kennel Club present Meet & Compete on Saturday, February 13th, Westminster Week events include the iconic 140th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Monday and Tuesday, February 15-16 and the brand new Masters Obedience Championship at Westminster on Monday, February 15. All events are presented by Purina® Pro Plan®, which is dedicated to helping dogs of all activity levels excel through performance nutrition and expert resources.
To purchase tickets for Meet & Compete and find additional information about the event, visit www.westminsterkennelclub.org.
Feature photo: Right, Dillon (photo by Rich Knecht)
