Uno won one for the underdog.
For the first time in Westminster Kennel Club dog show history, a beagle took top honors Tuesday, beating out more likely favorites including two poodles, a Weimaraner and Akita.
But the 15-inch pup's triumph has raised concerns beagles might become the next Dalmatians.
"We're all wondering ... and a little more than worried," said Dotti Antis, treasurer of Beagle Rescue Foundation of America. "There have been many instances of popular dogs getting over-bred for profit with no consideration at all as to where they end up. Let's hope and pray that does not happen to our breed. '101 Dalmatians' comes to mind ..."
"Any time there's a Disney movie, or any movie (featuring dogs), people gravitate toward that breed," said Leigh Grady, director of the Sterling Animal Shelter.
Spotted dogs surged in popularity after the 1996 release of "101 Dalmatians," then ended up in animal shelters in record numbers when owners found the breed wasn't as cuddly and low-maintenance as the cartoon characters.
Television shows and even ads can have the same effect, with Eddie on "Frasier" boosting Jack Russell terriers and the Taco Bell mascot raising the profile for Chihuahuas, said Grady.
But Westminster isn't likely to have the same effect on the general public, she said.
Joyce Wilbur, whose family has bred beagles at Easton's Clover Valley Farm for 30 years, agrees.
"I don't think they'll go crazy," Wilbur said of potential customers. Beagles are "very popular anyway."
"Beagles are always popular," said Elaine Brem, a longtime volunteer at Baypath Humane Society in Hopkinton.
Unlike the Dalmatian, which ranked as the American Kennel Society's 77th most popular breed last year, after a high of 17th following the Disney film's release, beagles' appeal rarely fluctuates.
They've been fifth most popular on the AKC list for several years, fourth in 2004 and sixth in 1997.
"They're hearty dogs. They're very affectionate. They love being petted. They're a great companion pet," said Wilbur.
But a few traits can be turnoffs.
"We do tell people they take off," said Brem. "They follow a scent," wander away and get lost. "That and the fact they kind of bay.
"I guess it's possible" there'll be a run on beagles and a few more showing up in shelters, said Brem, "but beagles are easy to adopt.
"We get beagles and they go out pretty fast. We had a 10-year-old who recently got adopted. ... They're great with kids," said Brem.
Most people know what they're getting with a beagle.
"They either love them or they can't stand them," said Grady.
The Sterling shelter gets a steady supply of beagles and hounds from shelters in Tennessee, Virginia and the Gulf Coast, where the dogs are more likely to be used to hunt. "When they're no longer doing their job, the owners just turn them loose," said Grady, and the Southern dogs end up in the Northeast, where spaying and neutering is common and the puppy population is smaller.
Shelters in this area also tend to have stringent adoption guidelines that make it less likely Uno buzz will mean a beagle goes home with someone unaware of the breed's pros and cons.
"Uno is a great representation of the beagle we all love so much," said Antis.
