One of the tail-wagging stars of last weekend’s prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show calls the Plateau home.

Approximately 2,500 world class canines gathered for this year’s show and among that elite group were four breeds recently recognized by the American Kennel Club and admitted to Westminster for the first time. One of those four is the biewer terrier (pronounced “beaver”) and one of the 10 biewers on hand was GCH CH Advance Gift Snow Avalanche, a male owned by Donna Hannity of Enumclaw, the owner/operator of DonDay Biewers.

The breed, while still rare, is growing in popularity. They are praised for their friendly personality and are said to make great pets for those with small living spaces. As an added bonus, it’s a small dog that doesn’t shed.

The Westminster website describes the breed, which was developed in Germany in the 1980s, this way: “This whimsical toy breed is light-hearted, intelligent, and amusing. The Biewer Terrier is an elegant, long-haired dog with a breed signature ponytail. Their fun-loving, childlike attitude makes them a devoted, loyal, and obedient companion, despite being mischievous at times.”

A press release issued in advance of the Saturday-Sunday Westminster show highlighted the fact that, of the 10 biewers participating, two were from Western Washington. The other was a female owned by Lyn McKee of Lake Stevens.

“Both breeders are distinguished, widely respected, and have been involved with dogs for over 40 years,” according to the AKC release. “They have been actively supporting the development of the new breed prior to recognition by the AKC.”

In addition to the biewer terrier, making their Westminster debut over the weekend were the dogo Argentino, the Belgian laekenois and the barbet.

In response to coronavirus concerns, this year’s Westminster show – the 145th annual event – was moved from its traditional home at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Instead, the esteemed dogs, along with their owners and handlers, converged upon the Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York. The change in venue allowed for an outdoor show, though there were no spectators or vendors present.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is said to rank No. 2 on the list of longest-running sporting events in the United States, trailing only the Kentucky Derby.

Hannity did not return requests for comment by press deadline.