A Baldwin Borough beagle is headed to the Big Apple and the big show at Madison Square Garden. Champion Lanbur Northern Oak is one of the 2,500 dogs competing at the Westminster Kennel Club.

Although his chances of winning Best In Show are slim, it's an honor just to be there, and his family is very excited that he'll be competing on Monday.

At home they call him "Oakley." The 2-year-old is the much-loved pet of the Johnston family: 14-year-old twins Tori and Mandy, 11-year-old David, 6-year-old Heidi and their parents, Mike and Tammy.

The children had never had a dog, and they wanted one. So their mother researched breeds and breeders on the Internet. She drove to Advance, N.C., to buy the perfect 12-week-old puppy from Jon Woodring and Wade Burns, who have been breeding champion beagles for more than 30 years.

"We didn't want a show dog. We just wanted a pet," Mrs. Johnston said.

Oakley was just a pet for more than a year, when Mrs. Johnston wondered if his "looks" were as good as the many champions who make up his bloodlines. His relatives include the famous Uno, the 2008 Best In Show winner at Westminster.

Mrs. Johnston started showing Oakley, and he won ribbons every step of the way. She was the handler when Oakley earned almost all of the 15 points he needed to earn the "champion" title. Mr. Woodring handled the dog in one show when the Johnston family watched Tori and Mandy compete in an important basketball game.

This is a big deal in dog show circles because owner-handlers generally have a tough time competing against dogs that have professional handlers. And that's why Mr. Woodring will handle Oakley at the New York City show while Mrs. Johnston and Tori watch from the stands.

Tori and David also compete with Oakley in junior handling competition, and they're all doing very well in those events.

"We've been doing this for less than two years, and Oakley is ranked in the top 20" for 13-inch beagles (there are also 15-inch beagles) competing at American Kennel Club shows, Mrs. Johnston said.

At home Oakley is a laid-back, lovable couch potato, she says. He has the run of the house, somewhat to the dismay of Charlotte, the family cat.

Yet Oakley is not perfect. He delights in chasing -- but never hurting -- Charlotte. But when he's wearing his show lead, he's all business -- and a real champion.

Go to www.westminsterkennelclub.org for further information, including the judging schedule for all breeds. You can go to that website all day to see a running tally of winning dogs.

Most of the show is not covered live on television. We won't see Oakley unless he is picked as the top 13-inch beagle at the show, in which case he would compete in the Hounds group, which will be televised on Monday night.

Other groups televised and judged on Monday are Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding. On Tuesday, Sporting, Working and Terrier groups will be judged.

The Westminster show will broadcast live 8-9 p.m. Monday on USA network, then switches to CNBC from 9-11 p.m. On Tuesday, USA will broadcast from 8-11 p.m., which includes the grand finale, Best In Show.

At Quilters Depot in Castle Shannon, the owners and customers are hand-making toys for dogs and cats at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society. Stop in and check out the quilting patterns for dog and cat beds and crocheting instructions for toys and beds. Even non-sewers can make tug toys from fabric scraps.

Owners/operators Jennifer and Pauline Shushnar would also like to collect and share instructions for any product pet lovers have made for their own pets. They're collecting cash donations for the shelter animals.

Quilters have made a quilt for the WPHS Cupids & Canines event, which has been moved to March 27 because of relentlessly falling February snow.

Quilters Depot is in the Lighthouse Plaza, 4160 Library Road. Go to www.quiltersdepotpa.com or call 412-308-6236 for more information.