Editorial: November 1, 2024
The nominees for the Purina Pro Plan Show Dogs of the Year Awards to be presented at the annual black-tie dinner partnered with Dog News are included in this issue of Dog News. The online voting opens today, Friday, November 1, and will close on Friday, December 20.
We congratulate all the nominees in the six categories, in which you can vote for your favorite candidate:
Judge of the Year Jamie Hubbard, Desi Murphy and William Potter; Professional Handler of the Year Diego Garcia, Dylan Kipp Keith and Adam Peterson
Owner-Handler of the Year Laurie Green, Kerrie Kuper and Eric Steel
Breeder of the Year Colton & Heather Johnson, Jack, Andrea & Jason McIlwaine, and Tim Terella
To keep up with the times, National Specialty is now a single category; the three nominated clubs are the American Shetland Sheepdog Association, the Newfoundland Club of America and the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America. As most shows are part of a cluster, we have changed the category to All Breed Cluster of Dog Shows to include the Beehive Cluster, the Indy Winter Classic Cluster and the March Madness Cluster.
In addition to these voted on by the dog community, we will also recognize the Top Junior Handler, the Top Obedience Dog, the Top Agility Dog, the Top Rally Dog and of course the Number One Dog from each of the seven Variety Groups and the Number One Dog All Breeds for 2024.
The highlight of the evening is the induction of the newest member of the Purina Pro Plan Anne Rogers Clark Hall of Fame, given to those who have contributed in some unique way over the years. We are excited to welcome the Westminster Kennel Club back to its Manhattan roots at Madison Square Garden and the new daytime judging venue of the Javits Center as we once again hold the black-tie event at the unique and beautiful Gotham Hall. It’s a special one-of-a-kind celebration of our sport of purebred dogs that honors our peers who have excelled in their chosen profession.
We encourage you to vote for your favorite nominee, and, like you, we look forward to seeing the winners when they are announced on Saturday evening, February 8, 2025.