IT’S a large gathering of the rarest breeds of dogs and cats, happening today and tomorrow at the Jacob Javits Convention Centre in New York, USA. This week we highlight some of the cats and dogs who will be participating.

TABASCO: Champion Tabasco Chili Pepper (left), a four-year-old Chihuahua, meets Eurocastle Peanutter, a four-month-old European Burmese cat, during a preview of the second annual Meet the Breeds, sponsored by the American Kennel Club and Cat Fanciers’ Association Wednesday in New York.

Dog, cat get national honours

LOS ANGELES, USA (AP) — A once-abandoned dog that helped save lives after the Haiti earthquake and a three-legged cat that inspired a series of children’s books have received national honours.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced its dog and cat of the year awards Monday. Both are one-time California cast-offs.

Pearl, a four-year-old Labrador retriever was abandoned at a shelter, then trained and sent this year to Haiti with a rescue team from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The county’s seven rescue teams helped bring 12 people to safety.

Cat honours went to Henry, a stray, injured kitten found near San Diego in 2004. After his leg was amputated, he inspired the children’s books that have generated more than $50,000 for animal causes.

Seen in this photo released by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is Henry, a stray injured kitten found near San Diego in 2004.