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From Andrew Sullivan at The Daily Dish:

Oy. Two activists dressed up as KKK members at an American Kennel Club show to protest pure-breeding.

To read the full controversy, click here.

From the Associated Press:

The animal rights group Peta protested outside a well-known national dog show, comparing the American Kennel Club to the white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan.

Crowds gawked at a table set up outside Madison Square Garden on Monday afternoon, where People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals was protesting the start of the Westminster Kennel Club show. Peta contends that the American Kennel Club promotes pure-breeding of dogs that is harmful to their health.

‘Welcome AKC Members,’ read a banner hanging from the table – with AKC crossed out and KKK written above it. Two Peta protesters were dressed as KKK members in white robes and pointy hats, while other volunteers handed out brochures that read: ‘The KKK and the AKC: BFF?’ BFF is an abbreviation for ‘best friends forever.’ ‘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 the cable channel 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.’

Most passers-by seemed more puzzled than offended, though those who didn’t stop walked away thinking they really had seen the KKK.

The most common reaction was to pull out a cell phone and start snapping photos.

Police monitored the situation from nearby, but the scene was mostly calm. One shouting match broke out during the hour-long protest.

Earlier, a man strode away yelling, ‘That’s disgusting! I’m going to buy more fur!’ Fatima Walden, who spotted the protest during a shopping trip, called the KKK imagery inappropriate no matter what the message.

‘They could have used something else as an example,’ she said.

‘You should be considerate to everybody.’