Mutt Max’s Moving Message Targets AKC as National Dog Show Opens

For Immediate Release:
December 9, 2025

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

Ahead of the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) National Championship on December 13-14, a precious “pound pup” named Max is popping up on buses around the Orange County Convention Center with a plea to give dogs like him a chance by always adopting and never buying them. 

Credit: PETA

“Animal shelters nationwide are overwhelmed with millions of homeless dogs of every shape, size, and personality, thanks in part to AKC breeders who won’t stop pumping out puppies to sell,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges everyone to find their next family member at a shelter and never give their money to anyone amplifying the homeless dog crisis, such as a breeder or a pet store.”

PETA recently filed a lawsuit in New York state court against the AKC alleging that it requires certain breeds to exhibit physical traits that cause the dogs crippling pain, suffocation, and untimely deaths, such as the flat faces and distorted airways of French Bulldogs.

PETA’s message appears on four double king buses in the tourism district and will run through December and into the New Year.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.