Westminster Dog Show's Return to New York City Postponed Due to Increase in COVID-19 Cases
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
The 146thAnnual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Presented by Purina Pro Plan has been postponed.
On Wednesday, the Westminster Kennel Club announced that it is moving its 2022 dog show — initially slated for Saturday, January 22nd - Wednesday, January 26th — to a later, currently undetermined date due to a rise in N.Y.C. COVID-19 cases.
"Due to the surge of the Omicron variant in New York City, the Board of Governors of the Westminster Kennel Club has made the difficult decision to postpone the 146th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Presented by Purina Pro Plan to a later date in 2022," a statement obtained by PEOPLE from the Westminster Kennel Club reads.
"The health and safety of all participants in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show are paramount. We appreciate the community's continued interest and support as we delay the show to a time when we can safely convene," the statement continues. "A new date will be announced when confirmed."
The Westminster Dog Show — America's second-longest continuously held sporting event — was set to return to New York City's Madison Square Garden for 2022 after a year away from the venue. For 2021, the famous canine competition was hosted at the Lyndhurst Estate, a property along the Hudson River, about 25 miles north of Manhattan, in Tarrytown, New York. The Westminster Kennel Club chose the new venue so the 2021 event, which had restricted attendance, could be hosted outdoors amid the pandemic.
The 2021 event, which was moved from winter to summer, marked the first time in over 100 years that the dog show was not held at Madison Square Garden. Wasabi the Pekingese won the coveted Best in Show title at last year's Westminster Dog Show.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from the CDC, WHO and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.
