The American Kennel Club and Westminster Club to Host Meet and Greet in February

Find the perfect breed for your family.

By Brigitt Earley November 15, 2018

Animal lovers, rejoice! This winter, the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Westminster Kennel Club are hosting a meet and greet with over 200 breeds of cats and dogs, plus an agility competition, as part of Westminster Week. The event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 9 at Piers 92 and 94 from 10am-5pm.

The event, dubbed “Meet & Compete,” will give animal lovers the unique opportunity to meet and play with almost 200 breeds of adorable dogs and cats while learning about responsible pet ownership. Attendees will also get the chance to see the nation’s top canine athletes race against the clock through an obstacle course at the Masters Agility Championship.

“Meet & Compete has proven to be a favorite of the NYC public and we’re pleased to once again join forces with the American Kennel Club in hosting this event,” said David A. Helming, show chairman for the Westminster Kennel Club. “Meet and Compete continues to be a success and it is wonderful to be able to bring it back for a fifth year.”

This AKC Meet the Breeds will also be host to The International Cat Association (TICA), the world’s largest genetic registry of pedigreed cats and the largest registry of household pet cats and kittens. They will have ongoing exciting cat agility demonstrations for the public.

“We’re very happy to be a part of such a wonderful event that allows animal lovers to meet various dog and cat breeds up close, and learn about them straight from the experts,” said TICA president Vickie Fisher.

One daytime ticket will grant event-goers access to both AKC Meet the Breeds as well as the Masters Agility Championship at Westminster, a competition that takes place all day (preliminary rounds 8am-4pm/ Finals 7pm-9 pm) at Pier 94. The finals will be televised on FOX Broadcast Network on Sunday, February 10 from 2-4:30 p.m. ET.

Westminster Week events also include the iconic 143rd Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Monday and Tuesday, February 11-12 and the 4th Annual Masters Obedience Championship at Westminster on Monday, February 11.

To purchase tickets for Meet & Compete and find additional information about the event, visit the Westmister Kennel Club website.