For the Love of Dogs

Every year, as many as 3,000 dogs from all over the world—from tiny Chihuahuas to towering Great Danes—descend on New York City to compete in the famous Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Established in 1877, it’s the oldest show of its kind. It’s also one of the biggest, drawing crowds of dog lovers eager to see some adorable contestants show off their grace and beauty. Behind the scenes, Paul Campanella orchestrates it.

Campanella is senior director of event operations for the Westminster Kennel Club. He leads a team of people who take care of every detail to bring the show to life. Campanella’s job requires careful planning, whether he’s coordinating schedules, managing budgets, or ensuring the comfort and safety of dogs and their handlers. In 2025, show events were held at Madison Square Garden and the Jacob Javits Convention Center, both in New York City. Campanella’s team worked with the venues to determine everything from lights to decorations to floral arrangements, while working closely with the television networks that broadcast the show. The competition takes place once a year over a span of three or four days. Planning for the following year begins the moment the show ends.

One of Campanella’s biggest responsibilities is handling the budget. That’s a plan for how much money can be spent to make the event happen. Since the Westminster Kennel Club is a nonprofit organization—meaning that its purpose is not to make money but to support a cause—it’s important to stick to a budget and track every dollar spent. “At the beginning of the year, we set a budget for the show, for individual aspects of the show,” Campanella told Your Hot Job. “And then we try to stay within that budget.”

Campanella started working for the Westminster Kennel Club on a part-time basis as head of security, in 2001. At the time, he worked for the New York City Police Department, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. When he retired from the NYPD in 2013, the Westminster Kennel Club hired him full-time. His job was to create two new events for the annual show in which dogs compete in obedience and agility.

For Campanella, this was more than a career move: It was a dream opportunity. He has loved dogs and dog shows since he was 12, when his parents gave him a basset hound named Starr. Today, he serves as a judge for other events. He also shows his smooth fox terrier, Nigel. Each year, he gets to see amazing dogs strut their stuff in front of huge crowds. And since dogs will always be dogs, there are plenty of memorable moments.

“[The dogs are] not used to these big crowds at the New York City shows,” Campanella says. “It’s interesting to see them, how they react to the crowds. And the crowds, of course, will cheer. It’s pretty amazing.”

Although Campanella majored in criminal justice as a college student at State University of New York, Brockport, he believes a business degree is the best foundation for a career in event operations. Success in the field also requires specific skills. “You have to be very organized and be able to organize other people,” Campanella says. He also notes that it’s important to know how to “work with numbers” in order to negotiate contracts with the different companies hired for the event.

In a live show, anything can happen. So another key part of the job is thinking quickly when unexpected problems pop up. “During show days, you have to be able to adjust to challenges that may arise that you’re just not aware of, and to pivot and make adjustments.”

What does Campanella enjoy most about his job? “I get to work with dogs,” he says. “It’s my life’s passion.”