National Parent Breed Club Rescue:
Meet the Dedicated Teams Behind the 2026 Westminster Breed Rescue Award Winners
BY JESSICA BRAATZ
The love of dogs is one of the most expansive and universal feelings in the world. For those involved in the canine world in all its many forms, it is the current that drives us and guides our paths. For volunteers in the national parent breed club rescue world, that devotion takes on a special meaning: supporting the dogs they love dearly at all hours and in all circumstances.
Since 2019, The Westminster Kennel Club has offered the Breed Rescue Awards, a Westminster Cares initiative, awarding $5,000 to three randomly selected national parent breed club rescues each year. These grants help offset rescue-related expenses, promote education, and support dogs already within the rescue’s network. Clubs are encouraged to apply annually if they have not been selected previously, with the 2027 award deadline being September 30, 2026.
Nearly a year ago, three breed clubs received the 2026 awards: the Bichon Frisé Club of America, the Dalmatian Club of America Foundation, and the United States Kerry Blue Terrier Club. Since then, they have continued to support their breeds and the dogs who need them most.
Bichon Frisés
I first spoke with Zandra Kern, the Bichon Frisé Club of America’s Rescue Coordinator. Last year, their rescue took over 100 Bichons and Bichon mixes into their care, and every single dog successfully found a new home.
Parent breed club rescues are volunteer-based organizations, with volunteers involved in every aspect of the process, from coordination to fostering. The Bichon Frisé Club of America Charitable Trust (BFCACT) Rescue works by first contacting shelters to ensure they are aware of the rescue and that they can be contacted to place Bichons and Bichon mixes. Rescue coordinators and shelters then call BFCACT when they encounter a dog that meets the criteria. The immediate step is for a BFCACT coordinator to reach out to their network of volunteer fosters, finding one in the area who is available and a good fit for the dog. The foster then picks up the dog and takes them to the veterinarian and groomer, ensuring they receive the care they need. The rescue covers these expenses while searching for a permanent home. Dogs also come into the rescue from social media, where volunteers encounter shelter dogs online that appear to be Bichons, or from owner surrenders.
When asked about her day-to-day, Zandra said, “Day-to-day is all-day, 24/7. We are nationwide, so if someone calls in other time zones, we need to be available. We are there for emergencies with fosters and rescues at all hours.” Beyond the immediate rescue, BFCACT does extensive vetting of potential homes, ensuring adopters are prepared for all potential future outcomes, and that they are prepared to support the dog’s needs. “We are here for individuals and pets in their time of need because things do happen. When you’re adopting or purchasing a dog, your life is going to change, so it is important to envision that dog in all aspects of your future before getting one.”
Their vetting process includes talking to a potential family’s vet and groomer and ensuring the family understands the expense of adding a Bichon to their life. They also do home visits or virtual visits, talk to all members of the family, and inquire about the dog’s potential home environment. After successful placement, volunteers check in frequently, ensuring there are no questions, concerns, or medical needs. The ultimate goal, above all, is to find each Bichon a wonderful forever home.
At the core of their organization is outreach and education. They rely fully on donations and volunteers to operate. To find homes, they frequently rely on word of mouth and families who have previously owned Bichons. The rescue also sends out newsletters to BFCA members and beyond, highlighting the dogs they have received and their placement goals. Outreach is crucial, as it is important for the public to know there are rescue options for breeds they may be interested in. Zandra and her fellow volunteers work every day to bridge this gap.
The Bichon Frisé Club of America Charitable Trust website is an extensive educational resource including information on rescue behind the scenes, adoptable dogs, and their “Happy Tails,” featuring stories of successful rehabilitations. Susan Payne, BFCACT’s Outreach Coordinator, kindly shared some success stories of their recent rescue operations.
River
A compassionate woman found a bedraggled Bichon on the side of the road near a river and knew she had to help. She gently picked up the little girl, contacted BFCACT, and later agreed to foster her, giving her the fitting name River.
River appears to have been used for breeding, and an ophthalmologist has confirmed she is completely blind due to bilateral retinal detachments. Despite this, River can enjoy a full, happy life with the right home environment and the loving care she is now receiving.
River is extremely friendly and sweet—everyone who meets her falls in love. She is scheduled to be spayed later this month, marking the start of her new beginning.
Nala
BFCACT first learned about Nala thanks to a concerned neighbor who refused to look away. This five‑year‑old girl had endured long‑term neglect—severely underweight, filthy, matted, and struggling with dental disease and allergies. When approached, her owner agreed to surrender her so she could finally receive the care she needed.
Today, Nala is resting safely in foster care, where she is receiving nourishing meals to help her gain the three pounds required before her dental and spay surgeries. With each passing day, she is growing stronger, discovering the comfort of gentle spa sessions, choosing affection over her crate, and showing a renewed spark and zest for life.
These success stories are made possible by the generosity of volunteers, fosters, adopters, and donations. “We are so happy and appreciative of the Westminster grant. The two families who adopted the rescue Bichons that Westminster featured were overjoyed to see their Bichons and the support of our rescue highlighted during the dog show.”
Dalmatians
Incredibly intelligent, loyal, athletic, and deeply connected to their people, Dalmatians have wonderful personalities and a tremendous amount of character. People are often initially attracted to them because of how beautiful and recognizable they are, but there is so much more behind the spots. Dalmatian Club of America Foundation President Toni Linstedt generously shared some behind-the-scenes of their rescue operation one year after their Westminster grant.
Similar to other parent breed club rescues, the mission of the Dalmatian Club of America Rescue Education (DCARE) is to “support Dalmatians in need and help give each dog the best opportunity for a safe, appropriate, and permanent home.” DCARE differs from a traditional rescue, however, in that they do not operate one centralized shelter or rescue organization. Instead, the club supports a network of approved Dalmatian rescue organizations across the country through financial assistance, resources, coordination, and education.
Day-to-day, the organization is volunteer-run, with volunteers giving their personal time to foster dogs, transport, coordinate veterinary appointments, evaluate homes, communicate with owners and adopters, fundraise, and handle all of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into a successful placement. “There may be one Dalmatian in the final adoption photo, but there are often many volunteers and countless hours behind that happy ending.” DCARE supports these efforts, including providing reimbursement for eligible rescue expenses such as veterinary treatment, vaccinations, spay/neuter procedures, medications, diagnostic testing, behavioral evaluations, and other necessary care.
While volunteers are the heart of the organization, donations are also crucial, as “financial support allows our rescue partners to focus on what the individual dog needs rather than allowing cost to become the deciding factor. Because DCARE works through rescue organizations across the country, the impact of the award reaches beyond one location or one dog.” Donations also work to strengthen the network of volunteers and rescue organizations that are there when the next Dalmatian needs help. “Having resources available gives our rescue partners greater ability to say ‘yes’ when a dog needs assistance, particularly when significant medical or other expenses are involved.”
Toni stresses education as key to rescue operations and to those considering their next dog breed. “Choose a dog because the breed fits your life, not simply because you love how the dog looks. Learn about the breed’s temperament, exercise requirements, health considerations, and training needs before bringing one home. If purchasing a puppy, work with a responsible breeder who will remain a resource throughout that dog’s life. If adopting, work with a reputable rescue that understands the breed. And if circumstances change and you can no longer care for your dog, please ask for help. Contact your breeder, your breed’s parent club, or a reputable breed-specific rescue before surrendering or abandoning the dog. Education and responsible ownership are incredibly important parts of rescue. Sometimes the best rescue is preventing a dog from needing rescue in the first place.”
Kerry Blue Terriers
John Garahan, a Governor of the Charitable Funds Board of Directors for the United States Kerry Blue Terrier Club, shed some further light on their breed club rescue operations.
Similarly to the BFCACT, the Kerry Blue Terrier Foundation Rescue operates in all 50 states and at all hours. The goals of the rescue are multifaceted: “Our mission is to protect, rehabilitate, and rehome abandoned, neglected, or surrendered Kerry Blue Terriers. The club does rescue, intake, and provides foster homes for our rescues so they can be evaluated. If needed, we provide rehabilitation, which takes the form of medical care, vaccinations, grooming, and behavioral training. We then screen prospective adopters to ensure we are providing a safe and permanent loving home. Finally, we provide education to the public and potential owners about specific traits, grooming, and any health issues that could be encountered.”
The first step in their rescue process is to attempt to contact the breeder of a dog in their possession. If contact cannot be made, or it is not a good fit for the dog’s future, the Kerry Blue enters the volunteer foster network. The dog will remain in foster care until they are properly assessed. Then, the goal is to place them with their forever family. “On a day-to-day basis, our coordinators are checking in with the foster families who have a rescue to see if they need any additional support. We are also looking through potential adopter applications, interviewing the candidates, and planning delivery of our Kerry rescues to their new homes.” The organization “lives by its volunteers,” and these volunteers span all aspects of the process from fosters to vets to even canine psychologists.
John counts their organization lucky that they do not have a large number of rescues, but notes that their grant came at a unique time of need. “Some of our volunteers heard about a large operation of six or seven Kerries being used to produce Kerry Blue puppies for sale. Our volunteers were able to convince the people to release their Kerries to our rescue. We had seven foster families set up to take the dogs, and they were all delivered after being checked out by a veterinarian. We even had groomers on call to remove hair and provide baths. We used some of the grant for the groomers and a mobile pet van with a tub.”
These rescue operations and the work of breed clubs across the country are a crucial aspect of the canine community that is frequently overlooked. Through education, outreach, rescue, fostering, and rehabilitation, their volunteers dedicate countless hours to supporting their dogs. Westminster is honored to support the vital work of these organizations. To dog lovers everywhere, John leaves us with a simple reminder: “Love your dog unconditionally, as he will love you unconditionally.”
Apply for the 2027 Breed Rescue Awards today! The application deadline for this cycle is September 30, 2026.