Wednesday, February 15, 2012

I think we should can Westminister

 
Westminister decided to can Pedigree as their sponsor because they were promoting the adoption of shelter dogs? Really? Is there a more arrogant and elitist statement than that? I don't think so. Pedigree has my business from here on out and Purina can cater to the "fu fu" dogs of the AKC for all I care.

All of my animals are rescues and mixes and the AKC and Westminister can kiss my grits. I sincerely hope that more Americans will be of the same opinion after hearing of Westminister's decision.

Westminister "Bite me!"

 Westminister cans Pedigree after 24 years
The drama at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this week apparently wasn't confined to the ring, where Malachy the Pekingese won the prestigious best-in-show trophy.

Trade reports say Westminster fired its TV sponsor of the past 24 years, Pedigree, because Pedigree's ads encouraging adoption of shelter dogs were deemed too depressing for the Westminster TV audience.
"The feedback we got from our primary audience was that they were seeing commercials that made them want to turn the channel," Westminster spokesman and USA network on-air commentator David Frei told the Associated Press.
Pedigree was replaced as the main sponsor of the telecast this year by another dog food company, Purina.

One of the spots Pedigree ran during past Westminster shows featured shots of dogs sitting alone in shelters. Most were mixed breeds, and the spot encouraged viewers to adopt dogs from shelters.
Westminster, like virtually all American Kennel Club-sanctioned dog shows, features purebred dogs, and Pedigree Brand Manager Lisa Campbell, in an interview with Ad Age, suggested Westminster might have been uncomfortable with the ads' emphasis on shelter dogs.

"Their long-term vision is completely focused on purebred dogs," she said. "We are focused on all dogs."

Frei has often spoken of shelter dogs and mixed breeds during his TV commentary, stressing that the joy of any dog, purebred or mixed, is the companionship and pleasure it provides.
The problem, he told AP, was with the Pedigree spots. "Show me an ad with a dog with a smile. Don't shame me," he said. "We told them [Pedigree\] that and they ignored us."

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