In 2009 the American Kennel Club® is celebrating its 125th anniversary and together with the Cat Fanciers’ Association will be presenting a MEET THE BREEDS™expo at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City on October 17th and 18th. They will show case of over 160 AKC registered breeds of dogs and 41 CFA registered breeds of cats for the public to interact with and ask experts for advice on the perfect pet for their lifestyles. There will also be several demonstration rings to educate the public about responsible dog and cat ownership and the many talents and functions of purebred dogs and cats, including agility, obedience, detection, search and rescue and more.

In conjunction with this event the AKC and CFA will sponsor the Meet the Breeds Art Contest for school children. Kids enrolled in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut schools are encouraged to participate.

The winning works of art will be:

* Displayed in a special section of the Meet the Breeds expo in New York City
* Awarded a rosette
* Eligible to win a Gift Card up to $250 in value
* Featured in AKC’s Family Dog, an award winning bi-monthly magazine as well as on AKC’s website and may be featured in CFA’s bi-monthly online magazine Fanc-e-Mews as well as on CFA’s website and other to be determined AKC and/or CFA publications

In addition, each child who submits an eligible entry will receive:

* Two (2) tickets to the Meet the Breeds expo at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City on October 17th and 18th

This is a perfect summer project for members of the Puppy Club! You will find a complete set of rules and deadlines, a flier and entry template for this contest here. Please share this information with any qualified students you might know in the three eligible states. If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact me at pubed@akc.org.