Dh Westminster Winner Enjoys A Dog’s Life In The Year Of Beaglemania (NAPSA)—Beaglemaniareigns! In becoming the first beagle ever to win Best In Show at the & most recent Westminster Kennel Club’s Annual All-Breed Dog Show, Uno has launched a world- wide response that has come to be known as “Beaglemania.” Uno (formal name Ch. K-Run’s Park Me In First) began his reign as America’s Dog by appearing on “Today,” “The Early Show,” “Fox & Friends,” “Martha,” “The Fox Report with Shepard Smith,” “World News with Charlie Gib- son,” “Charlie Rose,” “CNN Ameri- can Morning,” “The View” and Fox Business Network’s “Happy Hour,” to name a few. His win wasfeatured in Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek and more. He wasthe subject of editorial cartoons and magazine pieces around the world. Uno and his handler, Aaron Wilkerson, also rang the bell to open the NASDAQ Market on the Friday following his win at Westminster’s 132nd Annual Show in mid-February. And most recently, Uno paid a visit to the world’s other famous beagle, Snoopy, at his home at Knotts Berry Farm in California. He has visited governors in several states, opened the annual Macy’s Flower Show in New York and appeared at a Chicago Blackhawks hockey game. He has been invited to “throw out” the first pitch at a Milwaukee Brewers game and a St. Louis Cardinals game this summer. A visit to the White Houseis also on the schedule and hewill be riding on a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in NewYorkCity. “We have never had a response like this to any winner in the The world’s two most famous beagles meet at Knotts Berry Farm: Westminster Best In Show winner Uno and the great Snoopy, leg- endarystar of “Peanuts.” (Photo by Lisa Rose) past. The reaction at the sold-out Madison Square Garden was unprecedented, and the follow-up from media and from the public is just amazing,” said David Frei, Westminster’s director of communications and longtime co-host of USA Network’s live telecast of the show. “The general public is smitten, and rightfully so. Unois a dog that they have fallen in love with, a dog that they can imaginesitting on the couch with them at home.” With Uno’s help, Westminster saw its TV ratings increase by 23 percent over the previous year and its Website traffic increase by more than 60 percent. The Westminster Kennel Club is America’s oldest organization dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs. Established in 1877, Westminster’s influence has been felt for more than a century through its famousall-breed, benched dog show held every year at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The show is America’s secondlongest, continuously held sporting event. Westminster will stage its 133rd annual show on February 9-10, 2009, nationally televised on USA Network. For more information, log on to www.westminsterkennelclub.org.
