Sadie the Scottish terrier wins best in show at Westminster

February 18, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sadie the Scottie was fully expected to reach the purple podium at America’s top dog show. She did, after two intruders turned the center ring at Westminster into their own platform.

The heavily favored Scottish terrier won best in show Tuesday night and seemed to be an easy choice. Her team waited quite a while for this victory — it took a little longer, too, because of a startling protest inspired by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Shortly before judge Elliott Weiss picked Sadie, two well-dressed women walked into the big ring at Madison Square Garden and held signs over their heads that said “Mutts Rule” and “Breeders Kill Shelter Dogs’ Chances,” the latter a slogan popularized by PETA.

The crowd of 15,000 gasped at the sudden protest, booed the women and then cheered as a half-dozen security guards ushered them away without incident.

PETA members Dana Sylvester and Hope Round were charged with criminal trespass, police said. They acted on their own, the organization said, but it supported them.

Sadie was a big favorite coming into the show, which is for 2,500 purebred dogs.

During every day of the show, the public-address announcer at the Garden reads an announcement urging people to visit shelters and adopt their dogs.