German Shepherd Gets Star Treatment After Being Crowned 'Best In Show' At Westminster
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The top dog at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show nearly missed her shot at being named "Best in Show" due to retirement, but a last minute decision to get back in the game paid off.
Rumor, the German shepherd, was on top of the world Wednesday and on top of the Empire State Building for a photo-op and one of the best views in the world.
It was the star treatment for the 5-year-old champion, who also enjoyed her steak lunch at Sardi's.
As CBS2's Cindy Hsu reported, what's amazing is her backstory. She's been competing since she was a little over a year old and has won 104 "Best in Shows" throughout the country, and came very close last year at Westminster.
"We pretty much thought we'd retire her at that point and time. But she was kind of looking the part and whatnot, so we decided to come back and give it one more shot," owner Kent Boyles said.
Come back she did, becoming only the second German shepherd to take home the top prize since Westminster started in 1877.
PHOTOS: Westminster Dog Show Kicks Off In NYC
Her name, Rumor, comes from the Adele song. The kids in her family named her, and said they were so excited when she won.
"Oh I cried, we jumped up. Me and him were sitting by each other and we were crying, we're like 'yeah!'" owner Maria Oster said.
Daniel is 8-years-old and this was his first time at Westminster. He told Hsu he knew why Rumor won.
"I must have been the secret ingredient," he said.
Hsu: "So you think you're the secret sauce?"
Oster: "Probably (laughs). I just screamed 'hooray!'"
Hsu: "So you'll need to come back year after year if you bring another dog."
Oster: "I guess so yeah, if they want to win again."
But for Rumor, the family said it's back to being a house dog. She'll head back home to Wisconsin on Thursday and will focus on motherhood and puppies.
The kids said one of the best things about Rumor is that she's not a diva, she loves all dogs big and small.
