Rapid Increases in COVID-19 Cases Result in Postponing of Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

The Westminster Kennel Club’s annual dog show has been postponed due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, according to the AP. 

The club has been holding these events since 1877, garnering support from pet lovers across the U.S. 

The show was affected last year, as the event was moved to the summer and relocated to the Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown — a city north of Manhattan — instead of the usual February event at NYC's Madison Square Garden. Additionally, audience members were not allowed, and any human participation was contingent upon vaccination and negative COVID-19 testing. 

According to the publication, the event was originally scheduled for late January, but the club’s board of governors announced Wednesday it was being postponed until 2023, but did not give an exact date. 

"The health and safety of all participants in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show are paramount,” the group said in the statement. 

“We appreciate the community’s continued interest and support as we delay the show to a time when we can safely convene.”

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