BOZEMAN — This week marked the 150th Westminster Dog Show in New York City, with Penny the Doberman Pinscher clinching the Best in Show title. But did you know that every single "Best in Breed" winner went home with a piece of Bozeman?
I visited with the founder of West Paw to hear his reaction to their Westminster debut.
From the Gallatin Valley to the Big Apple, the West Paw toy called the "toppl" is now ready to be enjoyed by the best of the best, and with a new paint job to boot.
"Westminster reached out to Julie Anne Elliot, who's our VP of sales, and said we'd love to have West Paw at our 150th Show," said Spencer Williams, CEO and founder of West Paw.
WATCH: From Bozeman to the Big Apple! West Paw's custom Westminster purple "toppl" toys went home with all the Best in Breed winners at the 150th Westminster Dog Show
"Julie saw the opportunity and knew that West Paw would be a great product for the best in Breed award recipients, with a custom Westminster Purple Toy," Williams said.
That's right, this isn't just a toy you can grab off the shelves. West Paw was able to use the official color of the Westminster Kennel Club, and they also had a booth at the event.
"This is the first time we've been at Westminster, and what a great way to start –150th anniversary. And we were able to have Julie interact with participants as they were getting off the show floor, and the energy was just huge," Williams said.
Almost as huge as the factory in Bozeman. Williams gave me a look inside the facility, specifically at the robot, which was designed and built in Bozeman, that manufactures the "toppl."
The company ships worldwide, but also to competitors in our own backyard.
"What's really neat is about 10 Montanans who were registered at the Westminster show to have their dogs perform, and Julie even got some great photos with some great people. We have Ava from Ennis and her dog Slim, and just to have the molten connections here in Montana is incredible," Williams said.
So now, there's a little bit of Bozeman for some pretty top dogs.
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