On Sunday 24th April, we invited local dog owners to our site to take part in our first ever dog show.
We were delighted to see so many people bring their four-legged friends to visit the stalls of local pet businesses, gain valuable insight from our supporters (the RSPCA and Derwent Valley Vets), take part in the various competitions, and of course, meet other dogs and owners in the mill yard.
The stalls offered a wide range of treats, accessories and pet-related gifts. This included organic, healthy foods as well as bandanas and bespoke portraits.
Lots of owners also submitted their dogs for various categories in the competition. These competitions were judged by our excellent judging panel, representing Derwent Valley Vets, RSPCA Chesterfield and North Derbyshire and the Arkwright Society. As there were only rosettes for first and second place, it was incredibly difficult to make these decisions. Assessments and deliberations were thorough, with each category being very competitive with lots of beautiful dogs. Most events were completely full, with thirty dogs taking part.
During the judging, many owners shared their personal stories – prompting smiles and in some cases, tears of joy from participants and our dog-loving judges. It was such a privilege to hear these stories and hear stories about owners enhancing their dog’s lives, but also dogs enhancing their owner’s lives.
We’ve since created a video of the event, which is now live on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxVysDhviUs
Our hope is that the Dog Show returns and is even bigger and better next year. We hope to see you there!
