EXCLUSIVE TO BRIGHT & EARLY

Huckleberry Hound has filed an official protest with the Westminster Kennel Club. The complaint was filed after the Best in Breed award was given to Uno, a tri-colored beagle, at Madison Square Garden.

The Huck campaign said it was exploring all available legal options to ensure a full accounting of the Saturday vote after “dubious final results.”

The odds of moving from best in breed to the prestigious Best of Show are not historically high.

While the movie “Underdog” was a big winner last year, a beagle is always a long shot on the Garden’s green carpet.

The best in show award has been presented 100 times by the Westminster Kennel Club and a beagle has never won. Part of the problem is the breed’s engaging, friendly nature.

Still, Huck vows to hang on and continue with the inquiry.

“We want a fair election up there, and we’re just not sure we had one,” Huck said in an interview on NBC’s “Today Show.”

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