ohmidog!

A PETA protest outside the Westminster Kennel Club show — following the same lines as the PETA ad above — drew puzzled gawkers, double takes and complaints as the dog show opened today.

“Welcome AKC Members,” read a banner hanging from the table set up outside Madison Square Garden, with AKC crossed out and KKK written above it. Two PETA protesters were dressed as Ku Klux Klan members, and volunteers handed out brochures that read: “The KKK and the AKC: BFF?”

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is protesting the start of the show because it contends the American Kennel Club, through breeding standards that accentuate appearance, is harming the health of purebred dogs.

“Obviously it’s an uncomfortable comparison,” PETA spokesman Michael McGraw said. But the AKC is trying to create a “master race,” he added. “It’s a very apt comparison.”

David Frei, spokesman for Westminster and TV host of coverage on USA Network, said: “I can’t speak for everyone, but the vast majority of the people exhibiting and handling and showing at Westminster are more interested in the health of dogs than anything else. We want to produce the next generation of healthy and happy dogs, not just for the show ring but for the couches at home.”

Most passers-by seemed more puzzled than offended, according to an Associated Press report. The most common reaction was to pull out a cell phone and start snapping photos.

Police monitored the situation from nearby, but — except for one shouting that match broke out during the hour-long protest — the scene was mostly calm, the AP reported.

PETA had sought to end TV coverage of the event, first by asking USA network to cancel the broadcast, then by going to the show’s sponsors and asking them to withdraw.