Westminster: Sadie Wins, PETA Disrupts

A four year-old Scottish terrier named Sadie won Best of Show at Westminster yesterday, moments after PETA protesters took over the center ring to scream about puppy mills.

Two women walked into the center ring at Madison Square Garden and held up signs that said "Mutts Rule" and "Breeders Kill Shelter Dogs' Chances," the latter a slogan popularized by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The crowd of 15,000 gasped at the PETA-inspired protest, then booed the women and cheered as security ushered them away without incident. The interruption lasted about a minute and was not featured on the USA Network telecast. Moments later, the 4-year-old Sadie climbed the purple best in show podium where one of the women had stood. "I thought it was well-controlled by our people," Westminster spokesman David Frei said, without elaborating.

PETA's own hands are scarcely clean when it comes to killing dogs, of course.