Everyone's gone dog-gone crazy

The Pedigree and Whiskas Pet Show 2009 recently welcomed thousands of dogs and cats, along with more than 30,000 of their barking mad human companions, to the show's brand new Dubai Festival City venue.

As in previous years, the highlight of the show was the famous Pedigree Dog competition, which drew a large number of entrants for the various classes throughout the day.

Bigger and better

The furry extravaganza has grown significantly throughout the years; the first competition held in 1986 welcomed just 134 dogs and received a little over 1,000 visitors.

As in previous events, last week's show also gave animal charity organisations a unique forum to raise money for their causes.

This year a nominal entrance fee of Dh10 was charged to all visitors to contribute even more to the significant work undertaken by the animal charities.

“We bring all stakeholders of the petcare community together so that animal lovers benefit from the most up-to-date information on how to care for their pets in the best way possible.

Overall, it was a fantastic, fun day out that celebrated the joy of living with and caring for pets,'' said Jennifer Paoli, Petcare Marketing Manager for show organiser Mars.

Team of experts

A panel of three specialist dog-show judges were invited from the UK to preside over the competition including Marion Spavin, a world-renowned expert who has officiated in almost every country of the world, with credentials including Crufts and other prestigious shows across the US.

Renowned international specialist on toy and utility breeds, Terrence Burgess, was also on the judging panel, joined by Julie Amoo, a regular visitor to the Emirates and the show.

“I am really happy with the win. I've been showing dogs since 2003 and winning something every year.

Dubai Pet Show is a great way for us to show our dogs, and we always enjoy the day.

It's always a fantastic event,'' said Mohameed Sarpaty, whose dog Abby won Reserve Best in Show.

Region's finest

Highlights of the day included a display from the police dog training officers from the Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain police departments; a veterinary tent which provided free, on-the-spot advice and support for pet owners regarding petcare; and a specialised Whiskas Cat Tent — in partnership with local cat-loving charity Feline Friends — where visitors could view a vast number of different breeds of cats, ranging from the beautiful and elegant to the cute and cuddly.