Darlington Dog Show, at Newby Hall, near Ripon, attracted nearly 8,200 entries (From The Northern Echo)

Darlington Dog Show, at Newby Hall, near Ripon, attracted nearly 8,200 entries

7:59am Saturday 19th September 2009

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8,200 pampered pooches aim to be top dogs.

THOUSANDS of people have attended the opening day of the region’s premier canine event.

Organisers of the Darlington Dog Show, held at Newby Hall, near Ripon, in North Yorkshire, have said that despite the recession the event has been a great success attracting nearly 8,200 entries.

The show has now been held at Newby Hall for five years, after moving from its original home in Darlington.

The organisers say the success of the location mean it is unlikely to return to Darlington in the foreseeable future.

This year, the show is promoting responsible dog-breeding, and the Kennel Club is also supporting Puppy Farm Awareness Day.

To this end, it is organising a photocall today of more than 600 puppies entered into the show.

Sarah Allsopp, vicechairwoman of Darlington Dog Show Society, said: “The show’s going very well, obviously the weather’s been very kind to us.

“I would suggest that, for the foreseeable future, we won’t be going elsewhere.

“It’s a beautiful, picturesque location and the dogs are shown to their best advantage when there’s lots of grass about.”

The show is a qualifier for Crufts and attracted a host of international judges from as far afield as Norway, Australia, Holland, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Spain.

The Kennel Club was also on hand to educate dog lovers about responsible ownership and the dangers of puppy farming.

Heidi Ancell from the Kennel Club said: “Puppy farming is a growing problem and we want to highlight the importance of being Kennel Club registered breeders.

“We really want to raise awareness of this and having the setting of Darlington Dog Show helps do this.

“We want to show that there are breeders who care for dogs and want them to live healthy happy lives, unlike puppy farms who have no regard for health and welfare and often keep the puppies in crowded, unsanitary conditions.”

As well as the exhibitors, the show boasts more than 60 trade stands.

There is also a marquee highlighting vulnerable native breeds.

The show continues today and tomorrow.

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