Westminster Kennel Club and AKC Will Take Over NYC With Meet & Compete

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The Westminster Kennel Club and American Kennel Club (AKC) present Meet & Compete, featuring the 4^th Annual Masters Agility Championship at Westminster and AKC Meet the Breeds, brought to you by Purina Pro Plan. The joint event returns to New York City on Saturday, February 11, at piers 92 and 94.

Cats make their return to AKC Meet the Breeds with The International Cat Association (TICA), giving animal lovers the unique opportunity to meet and play with hundreds of adorable dogs and cats while learning about responsible pet ownership. Attendees also get the chance to see the nation’s top canine competitors race against the clock at the 4^thAnnual Masters Agility Championship.

“Not only are we glad to again work with the Westminster Kennel Club to bring Meet & Compete to the public, but we’re excited to have TICA back at AKC Meet the Breeds,” AKC Vice President Gina DiNardo said. “We’re looking forward to bringing attendees a fabulous lineup of dog and cat breeds to meet while learning about responsible pet ownership and what breed is right for them.”

The Westminster Kennel Club is also excited about the event.

“Meet & Compete was such a success, and we’re pleased to once again join the American Kennel Club to bring the event back to the public,” Westminster Kennel Club President Sean W. McCarthy said. “The Masters Agility Championship at Westminster and AKC Meet the Breeds are a great fit together, and we’re happy to provide spectators with a pet-filled day of excitement.”

This AKC Meet the Breeds will be TICA’s fourth time participating in the event, and the group will have ongoing exciting cat agility demonstrations for the public. TICA is the world’s largest genetic registry of pedigreed cats and the largest registry of household pet cats and kittens. The organization currently recognizes 63 cat breeds.

“We at TICA are thrilled to be welcomed back to AKC Meet the Breeds,” TICA President Fate Mays said. “This event is a wonderful opportunity for animal lovers to meet various dog and cat breeds up close and learn about them straight from the experts.”

The 2017 event marks the eighth AKC Meet the Breeds, the return of TICA and the third year that the event is part of the exciting Westminster Week roster.

One daytime ticket will grant event-goers access to both AKC Meet the Breeds and the Masters Agility Championship at Westminster. Attendees will be able to interact with nearly 200 breeds of dogs and cats in elaborately decorated booths that depict fun elements from the breeds’ history and talk to experts about each breed. They can also see the exciting agility competition taking place in Pier 94.

The agility competition takes place all day in Pier 94. (Preliminary rounds are 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., and finals take place 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.) The finals will be televised on FOX Sports 1 Sunday, February 12, from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. ET. AKC Meet the Breeds will take place in piers 92 and 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 11, Westminster Week events include the iconic 141^st Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Monday and Tuesday, February 13-14, and the Masters Obedience Championship at Westminster on Monday, February 13. 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.