The pomp and pageantry of the Westminster dog show is over. Many of the dogs have been shipped back to their breeders after living in their handlers' crates for years. Now, the females will be forced to bear litter after litter of puppies, only to have them all taken away to be sold. Every year following Westminster, there is a rush to buy dogs of the winning breed and other "designer dogs" who appeared on the screen. And breeders and pet stores are happy to oblige, taking as many orders as they can get and raking in money hand over fist.

In an industry in which dogs are viewed as commodities, their health and well-being matter less than the bottom line. To minimize expenses, breeders and puppy mills commonly warehouse breeder dogs in tiny, filthy cages; deny them veterinary care; and repeatedly get them pregnant, until the dogs can no longer produce puppies—at which point, they are often auctioned off, discarded at shelters, or killed.

Just this month, in yet another horror story, authorities raided a breeder and dog-show judge's home and found 38 dogs living in small crates that were caked with feces and fur. The cages were piled on top of one another in the dark basement, and a radio blared to drown out the sound of barking. Many of the dogs were malnourished and suffering from eye diseases and severe periodontal disease. They were so sick that 13 of them had to be euthanized immediately.

People who buy dogs from breeders or pet stores keep these puppy pimps in business. They also kill a shelter dog's chance at a home. Please, urge anyone you know who is considering buying a dog to adopt instead.

You may recall the protesters who took to the center ring at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show a couple of years ago. Well, it happened again earlier today just as the judge stepped up to announce which dog was "Best in Show." Two animal advocates rushed toward the ring with signs reading, "Breeders Kill Shelter Dogs' Chances" and "Have a Heart: Adopt, Don't Buy." 

The protesters' point? Members of the Westminster Kennel Club continue to promote and breed "purebred" dogs, while millions of wonderful mixed-breed dogs die in animal shelters every year simply because they don't have a home. Every purebred litter takes homes away from other dogs waiting desperately in shelters as well as increasing the homeless population because one-quarter of purebreds will also be abandoned and end up in shelters.

As long as shelter dogs are dying for lack of a good home, there is no such thing as a "responsible breeder."

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show may have gotten wind of our plan to take over its Facebook page because the puppy pimps quickly shut the page down. Were they afraid that people would learn exactly how the annual spectacle's shameless promotion of purebred dogs encourages people to support breeding and deters many from adopting wonderful mixed-breed dogs from animal shelters? Yep, I'd say that was it.

Never ones to be easily silenced, we've created an album of beautiful mixed-breed dogs on our own Facebook page that everyone can share to spread the message that rescued dogs rock.

Given America's reputation as a melting pot, there's something very off-kilter, elitist, and, well, un-American about Westminster's relentless pushing of purebreds. Millions of American mutts die in our nation's crowded pounds and animal shelters every year because of a lack of good homes—even though they're every bit as gorgeous, sweet, and loyal as (and generally healthier than) their purebred cousins.

If you're the proud guardian of a Great American Mutt, we hope you'll tell the world about it by sharing photos of your best bud and these other American originals on Facebook. And if you're considering adding a dog to your household, please think "mutt." Like the guardians of these stars, you'll be glad you did!