12,000 attended the National Dog Show held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, organizers said as they reported a crowd of 12,000 and a national television audience of 24.6 million.

The popularity of such shows is fueled in part by the increasing number of dog-owning households in the U.S.

Winning dogs not only gain prestige but influence breeding practices by incentivizing breeders to prioritize aesthetic traits, which can lead to concerns like inbreeding and hereditary diseases.