Westminster’s ‘Best in Show’ Winner Penny Appears to Have Undergone Forced Cosmetic Surgery
Update (February 4, 2026): No dog really wins a dog show. The only prize that 2026 Westminster Kennel Club’s “Best in Show” winner, Penny, a 4-year-old Doberman Pinscher, receives is a lifetime of exploitation.
Already, Penny has been apparently subjected to a painful, unnecessary ear cropping surgery to physically alter her ears—which British kennel clubs outlawed a century ago—along with a seemingly docked tail. Now, the young dog will reportedly be shipped off to Toronto, where she will be treated as a breeding machine, producing litters of “purebred” puppies.
Ahead of the 2026 Westminster dog show, PETA teamed up with actor and model Sam Asghari to call out the cruelty of ear cropping. Asghari wouldn’t dream of cutting the ears of his beloved Doberman, Porsha. Because Porsha isn’t an accessory—she’s family.
Asghari sent a letter to Kennel Club President Donald Sturz calling on him to ban dogs with cropped ears from the event. But instead of listening, Westminster organizers doubled down on promoting mutilation by awarding “Best in Show” to a dog whose ears and tail appear to have been surgically altered to meet archaic, appearance-based standards.
Check out Asghari and Porsha’s new swoon-worthy PETA campaign that emphasizes the dangers and cruelty of ear cropping and urge Westminster organizers to listen up.
Originally posted February 2, 2026:
Does the Westminster dog show want dogs living with oxygen masks? As the Westminster Dog Show marks its 150th year, countless dogs bred to meet the standards it upholds have paid the price by struggling to breathe.
Westminster and other dog shows reward breeders for producing “purebred” puppies whose bodies conform to extreme standards set by the American Kennel Club (AKC), even when those standards make it hard for dogs to breathe, move, or play.
Why Does the American Kennel Club Promote Breed Standards That Harm Dogs?
AKC’s breed standards aren’t about health. They’re about profit. PETA has filed a lawsuit against AKC for promoting standards that encourage the breeding of dogs with painful, debilitating conditions.
Registration fees line pockets. In 2023 alone, the American Kennel Club earned nearly $38 million from registering dogs and litters of puppies.
Many “purebred” dogs bred to meet “standard,” like Star the bulldog, who won “Best in Show” at the 2022 AKC National Championship Dog Show, often suffer from congenital issues that are dangerous and painful. The archaic standards require English bulldogs like her, French bulldogs, boxers, pugs, Boston terriers, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, and many other breathing-impaired breeds to have extremely flattened faces and distorted airways that cause lifelong discomfort and life-threatening chronic health issues. For these breathing-impaired dogs, everyday joys like walking, running, playing, and even breathing can be exhausting or impossible. Chronic pain, overheating, and life-threatening respiratory issues are baked into the “look” judges reward.
But Change Is Coming!
After input from PETA’s Cruelty Investigations Department, Ojai, California, adopted a groundbreaking law that bans “torture breeding.” The law prohibits intentionally breeding animals to have deformed bodies and extreme features that doom them to a lifetime of suffering.
Veterinary experts agree. More than 25,000 veterinarians from 66 countries, represented by groups including the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe and Vets Against Brachycephalism, have called for bans on torture breeding. Countries such as Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland have already passed similar legislation to protect dogs and cats.
That’s why PETA is telling Westminster Dog Show organizers that 150 years of suffering is more than enough. With progress underway worldwide, it’s time for the show to stop promoting the breeding of dogs, especially those with features that make simply existing a struggle.
How PETA Is Sticking Up for Dogs at the 2026 Westminster Dog Show
PETA ‘Bulldogs’ and ‘Pugs’ Bring Truth
Outside the event, PETA supporters dressed as bulldogs and pugs wore masks and oxygen tanks to demonstrate what life is like for breathing-impaired breeds. The protest alerted the public and urged organizers to keep flat-faced dogs out of the ring and out of future competitions.
Our Billboards Ask a Question Dog Guardians and Passersby Can’t Ignore
PETA also erected new billboards, one pointing out that while humans can elect to have cosmetic surgeries—like nose jobs—breathing-impaired breeds have no say in what their purposefully deformed faces are like.
Skip Westminster. Help Homeless Animals Instead!
Breeders keep breeding dogs because people keep buying them. Events like the Westminster dog show fuel demand for “winning” looks, prompting more litters and more suffering. Soon after, overburdened shelters see the fallout: dogs abandoned when they don’t live up to a TV fantasy or when they require expensive care.
The solution is simple: Stop breeding dogs. Stop buying dogs.
If you have the time, money, patience, and love to care for an animal for life (which could be for more than 15 years), please adopt from a shelter. If you already have a breathing-impaired dog, please commit to making their life as fulfilling, healthy, and comfortable as you can.
