“Best in Show.”

Say it in most of the country, and people are likely to assume you’re talking about the funny movie. If they’re seriously into canine competition, they might think you’re referring to the winner of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. But say it in Vegas, baby, and you’ll get a different response. Here “Best in Show” means the annual fundraiser for the Lied Animal Shelter, an event that always has folks scrambling for ringside seats. Having missed it in years past, I made a point of getting myself over to the Orleans Arena on June 1 to see to see why everyone who attends always wants to go back.

The Orleans Arena is a cavernous indoor sports venue that usually hosts events like hockey games and circuses. But even though it has enough seats to accommodate the population of a small town, the arena was not too large for the local crowd that turned out for “Best in Show.” I had to park the equivalent of two blocks from the entrance, and I joined a stream of people aged 0 to 90 as I headed for the door. After paying $12.50 for a ticket, I picked up a program, walked past tables laden with dozens of items up for bid in an ongoing silent auction, and headed into the arena.

Like such events everywhere, fundraisers in Las Vegas often feature local talent. The difference is that local talent in Las Vegas is not the president of the Toastmasters club or the neighborhood chiropractor who knows how to juggle. Kicking things off at “Best in Show” was Vegas resident Robin Leach, who greeted the crowd with his signature “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” accent. Another well-known local, comedian Louie Anderson, warmed up the audience before the show’s master of ceremonies emerged from backstage. Looking dapper in a linen suit was John O’Hurley, star of “Spamalot” at Wynn Las Vegas.

While O’Hurley welcomed the crowd, I scanned the scene. Ladies in evening dresses, men in suits, and kids in their Sunday best were seated at decorated tables on the arena floor. Major donors, I surmised, the same folks whose names were scrolling around the electronic marquee that ringed the upper tiers. In the regular seats like the one I occupied, every sort of person was represented. A row of silver-haired ladies sat right in front of me, and a 30-something dude with a ponytail was reading the program on my right. Behind me was an extended family speaking Spanish. In all, I estimated, close to a thousand people had turned up for “Best in Show.”

Had this been the Westminster show, neither the crowd nor the formally dressed VIPs would have been a surprise. But this show’s dogs are not purebred champions. They are the ordinary inmates of the Lied Shelter, a facility that takes in an average of 150 unwanted animals a day – many of them neglected and all of them looking for love. To raise money and awareness about the many lovely animals that are abandoned by the thousands every year, the shelter’s staff selected 63 of Lied’s dogs to be judged by professional judges and auctioned off to caring new owners.

Assisted in each round by more local talent in the form of newscasters and weathermen, O’Hurley first oversaw the parade and judging of the smallest dogs. Darby the corgi and Peaches the poodle, escorted by their “sponsors,” paraded in front of a judge certified by the American Kennel Club (AKC). Eight other dogs followed, including a miniature pinscher, a Pekinese and a puggle.

“A puggle?” O’Hurley asked. “What’s that, a cross between a pug and a poodle?”

After learning that a puggle is actually the result of a union between a pug and a beagle, he said, “Ah, yes. I thought she looked too butch to be a poodle.”

O’Hurley’s comments continued with the medium-sized dogs. Reading from his notes that one of the dogs liked cats, he asked the dog, “And how do you like your cats prepared?”

When one of the dogs strained on his leash so hard that he was walking at a 45-degree angle from the ground, O’Hurley quipped, “Yes, he does list to one side. But — and the judges will back me up on this — it’s a characteristic of the breed. They all list to one side.”

John O’Hurley’s funny remarks, a steady stream of cute dogs, songs by local duo Zowie Bowie, and a visit from the Las Vegas Wranglers’ fuzzy green mascot made three hours speed by. A video featuring event chair Dale Wynn (sister-in-law of Steve Wynn) showcased the Lied Shelter, illustrated the rewards of adopting an animal there, and emphasized the importance of spaying and neutering. In the end, Steve Schorr, a local nabob who is also an official AKC judge, named one dog “Best in Show.”

Was it the adorable American Eskimo with a tail like a big white feather? How about Stanley the schnauzer or Molly the boxer? No! The winner of the huge silver cup was … Dexter the Rottweiler!

Immediately after Dexter was declared the winner, an auctioneer began calling for bids. He finally yelled, “Sold!” when the price had climbed to $1,100. After that, what looked like pandemonium on the arena floor slowly resolved itself into dozens of simultaneous auctions for all the dogs who had come to the show. Among those available was a trio of “special needs” dogs. All three found homes, including a three-legged Jack Russell Terrier that went for $350. The sight of dozens of shelter dogs getting so much frantic attention was the best part of the whole event.

While it was shocking to learn how many animals are euthanized every year at the Lied Shelter, it was undeniably heartwarming to see the 62 featured dogs find homes. (The winning bidders must go through the shelter’s standard adoption process, which includes filling out an application and getting approved by an adoption counselor.) Click here to read more about this process!

“Best in Show” was not only entertaining, it succeeded in its mission to raise awareness about the horrors of animal overpopulation. It’s a creative way to raise money — this year’s event brought in over $250,000 — and to spread the shelter’s message using talents and facilities unique to Las Vegas. I’ll definitely be a part of the even bigger crowd that’s certain to gather next year.