01 Jun Lincolnshire Show is a bit of a doggy-do…
This year’s Lincolnshire Show is a bit of a doggy-do for tail waggers…..
For it’s the first year that dogs have been allowed on the Showground and there are all sorts of treats in store for four-legged visitors.
As well as just being allowed to have a bow-wow with the other hounds around, the best-behaved mutts will be able to strut their stuff in the dog ring in the Discovery Zone. For the Kennel Club is holding a Scruffts Competition for cross-breed dogs, sponsored by James Wellbeloved, which takes place during Thursday’s Show.
And dog-owning visitors will be able to leave their pooch down at the canine- crèche, being run by local animal charity, Jerry Green Dog Rescue.
“This year is a real first for dog lovers and it’s great to see how much support there has been,” said marketing manager Sarah Poucher. “It’s been on the agenda for some years and needed careful consideration because of issues of hygiene, the livestock on site, and the areas which are not open to dogs such as the food court.
“Obviously dogs have to be on leads and some areas are out of bounds, but other shows have been trialling it and we’ve been learning from their experience, and are looking forward to seeing some happy tail wagging this year!”
Any crossbreed dog owners who are interested in competing in the Scruffts competition can just turn up on the day and pay £1 entry, and all the money raised go to the Kennel Club Charitable Trust. The judges will be looking for good character, health and temperament in the following classes:
Most Handsome Crossbreed Dog : 6 months – 7 years
Prettiest Crossbreed Bitch : 6 months – 7 years
Child’s Best Friend : 6 months – 12 years and handled by a young person between 6 and 16 years
Golden Oldie Crossbreed : 8 years or over
ENDS
Editor’s Note: Heats for the 2011 Scruffts competition are being held from February to October throughout the country, with the Lincolnshire heat taking place at the Lincolnshire Show on 23rd June. First place finalists from each of the regional heats will be invited to compete in the grand final at Discover Dogs in November, where a celebrity judge, will take into account the importance of dog training and responsible dog ownership, and will judge the entrants on good character, health and temperament as well as looks and ‘star appeal’. The overall winner of this year’s Scruffts competition will receive the ‘Wendy Richards Trophy’, in honour of the late EastEnders star, who was a long-standing supporter of the competition, Discover Dogs and many canine charities. The trophy will be presented by her husband, John Burns. Scruffts is run in support of the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, which has donated over £4m worth of grants to benefit the canine world since its inception in 1987. Its mission is to make a difference for dogs through charitable donations for health, welfare and support initiatives.