The way to Westminster is never easy, but some dogs have a bumpier road than others. Deadly rattlesnakes, a devastating house fire and Hurricane Rita might have put an end to three promising pups before their careers even started, but when they debut at the prestigious show Feb. 12, these invitees will rank among the top five dogs in their respective breeds.

Rhodesian Ridgeback Ch. Redawg Christofel O’Copprrdg was only 10 months old when he and six other Ridgebacks owned by Lin Hainlen of Scottsdale, Arizona, faced off with a nest of rattlesnakes on their morning run in the desert. Bitten twice, Chris required three shots of antivenin and still seemed unlikely to pull through. Only a course of morphine to relieve the terrible pain gave him enough relief to begin recovery.

“His face swelled so much, like a big basketball, that his skin started to split, so he has some scars, but he’s still a beautiful dog and does very well in the show ring,” Hainlen said. Honorable scars don’t count against show dogs.

The now 3-year-old ridgeback began his show career last year and is the No. 4 ridgeback in the country. When he’s not in the show ring, he’s chasing a lure or stealing pizza.

Flames probably burned steadily for several hours before destroying the second and third stories of Lynn Vogel’s home in Statesboro, Ga., sending them crashing into the first floor, which housed her kennels. A bitch and six puppies died, but the other Kuvasz — giant flock-guarding dogs — escaped to the ends of their outdoor runs, some suffering severe burns but all alive. Six-month-old Luna was among them. She escaped injury, but her impending show career was at a standstill.

“Most of my dogs go to shows very young and learn the ropes, even if they’re not in the ring,” Vogel said. “She missed out on that because we were so tied down to rebuilding.”

It didn’t stop her. Now she’s Ch. Aegys Lunatic Fringe, the No. 3 Kuvasz, and has an unmistakable presence in the ring.

“I’ve been showing for almost 15 years and never really had a dog that I felt would be competitive at Westminster,” Vogel said, “but she’s definitely that.”

When Alyce Gilmore woke up at 5 a.m. to learn that Hurricane Rita was bearing down on her hometown of Lake Charles, La., she crammed 13 adult Beagles and a litter of puppies into her Suburban and hit the road for Thibodeaux to take refuge with her sister.

Slide show Westminster moments Take a look at the dogs and their handlers as they prepare for and compete in the Westminster Dog Show. more photos

Two weeks later, she returned to find that part of the roof was missing, her fencing was gone, and her kennel had significant damage. That meant finding other housing for the dogs until the house was livable again. Trouble, a 15-inch tricolor beagle who was 18 months old and hadn’t yet completed his championship, went to the home of his co-breeder, Sharon Wilkerson, in Austin, Texas. As Gilmore handed off Trouble to Wilkerson’s son, Adam, he offered to show the Beagle for her.

“Well, sure, if you want to,” Gilmore replied.

It was the right thing to say. That’s when the flashy beagle with the large white collar and black saddle started winning. Last summer Trouble — formally known as Ch. Bayou Oaks Longhorn — took Best in Show at the National Beagle Club of America specialty show and is currently the third-ranked 15-inch beagle.

“It was something nice that came out of something disastrous,” Gilmore says.