French Bulldog Wins At Westminster, Later Shoots It Out With Cops

How often do we get the opportunity to mention Patricia Hearst, Jimmy Carter and the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in the same post? Very rarely. It all happened on Monday, as Hearst (or Tania to her friends) and her pooch Diva, the French bulldog, took one of the trophies at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show at Madison Square Garden. It was "Best Of Opposite Sex," whatever that means. And you know, there's nothing like clicking on a story about a dog show and getting paragraphs like this:

The granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst gained her greatest notoriety in 1974 when, as a 19-year-old, she was kidnapped in 1974 by the radical group the Symbionese Liberation Army. She later was photographed holding a gun while robbing a California bank and eventually spent almost two years in prison. Her sentence was commuted by former president Jimmy Carter, and former president Bill Clinton later gave her a full pardon.

What the ... I just wanted to see how the rough collie did!

The overall winner? Uno the beagle, who, to my knowledge, has no ties to subversive revolutionary groups. His victory was not without controversy, however.

Uno the beagle turned Madison Square Garden into his own big, green backyard. He barked and bayed. He nipped at a newly printed sign. He tried to grab his leash. He took a flying leap at a piece of filet mignon.

Sounds like Tony Siragusa's first season as a sideline reporter.

Patty Hearst And French Bulldog Win Award At Westminster Dog Show [The Canadian Press] Uno The Beagle Wins Early At Westminster [Associated Press]

(More on the dog show later today, from our special Dog Show correspondent.)