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Petfinder Sees 179% Spike in Visits to Pekingese Pages After Westminster

As we mentioned earlier this week, the breed named Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show quickly becomes the “it” dog to have, and this year is no different.

In the three days following Westminster, Petfinder saw a 179 percent spike in those researching the Pekingese breed, said Kim Saunders, vice president of shelter outreach and public relations, adding Pekingese pages do not typically see a lot of traffic.

This has some rescue groups concerned. 

“I am hoping we do not see an increase of people wanting Pekes and then dumping them like [the movie] ‘101 Dalamations’ did to [that breed],” said Janice O’Connor, of Rescued Pets Are Wonderful – a group dedicated to saving discarded Pekineses.

This Pekingese needs emergency hernia surgery, after it’s owner
surrendered her with a open hernia.

Before bringing home your own Pekingese winner, pet parents should make sure this breed fits their lifestyle.

“Be sure that you are willing to provide the grooming care required – that long coat requires frequent grooming,” Saunders told My Tail Hurts From Wagging So Much. “And know that the Pekingese breed often has problems with the heat and is sensitive to anesthesia.”

They can also have problems with their eyes because they are so large, Carol Kallman of Rescued Pets Are Wonderful  said.

If you do decide that a Pekingese is for you, Petfinder has over 800 purebred Pekingese and Pekingese mixes available for adoption.

“They are known to be great little dogs who are playful with their family but aloof with strangers, but you really need to meet the individual dog because each dog is an individual,” said Saunders.

This post was shared with the Saturday pet bloggers hop:

6 thoughts on “Petfinder Sees 179% Spike in Visits to Pekingese Pages After Westminster

  1. Ugh! That's just awful! If they're planning to adopt a dog because it's the "in" breed, they might as well do some research about it and start being a responsible owner!

    Pekingese are like Shih-tzus. They have big eyes which are really prone to ulcerations due to scratching especially when their needs such as daily grooming and proper diet isn't provided.

    Huggies and Cheese,

    Haopee

  2. Happens every year… breed wins and then 6 months and later the shelters are flooded with that breed. Personally, I always shudder (extra) when the breed is a small dog because that definitely means more puppy mills will take advantage.

  3. Hey, it's Jet here. Thanks for writing about dumping and mindful K9 selection… every time an Airbud franchise movie comes out, the same thing happens with our much loved goldens. In South Florida alone, we have FOUR golden rescue groups (that's where Mom found and adopted Koko in 2005 and JJ this past December.

    With that said, congrats to Malachy and to you as a distant relative! We posted formal congrats this week in my Westminster reporting posts.

  4. Isn't that what always happens? Dogs on TV or movies, people think they're cute and try to get one without ever investigating what the breed is like and what its needs are. I'm sure the rescue groups and better shelters will be very mindful of who wants to adopt their Pekes but the same can't be said for the puppy mills. The best thing to do is keep trying to educate people.

  5. My mom had a pekingese and found that because he had short front legs and longer back legs that he couldn't go down stairs or jump down from things like a couch. He would tumble forward and flip so he had to be carried. He injured himself a couple of times when we didn't catch him jumping down.

  6. Happened with Saint Bernards too after the Beethoven movies. (Not so much after Cujo, though.) I am sure people will all be wanting their own Uggies too since he is all the rage in film.
    Sadly the disreputable breeders take advantage and over breed and inbreed just to make a buck.

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