THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 3, 1996 TAG: 9605010166
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY XIAOHONG ZHANG SWAIN, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
The practice field of Oscar Smith High School will be the competition ground for more than 1,000 dogs this weekend.
As part of their observance of ``Be Kind to Animals Week'' and ``National Pet Week,'' the Chesapeake Dog Fanciers Association and the Tidewater Kennel Club of Virginia will sponsor two dog shows on Saturday and Sunday.
``There will be 875 dogs on Saturday and 974 dogs on Sunday,''said Carol Cooke, president of the Dog Fanciers Association. ``People will be coming from all over the East Coast, the South and the West.''
Some of the dogs are entered for both shows, Cooke said.
A two-day outdoor event was held last year at Oscar F. Smith High.
``It was the first dog show in Chesapeake,'' Cooke said. ``It went so smoothly, we had a lot of compliments from judges and the exhibitors.''
Cooke said this year's event has grown in the number of entries, with an increase of about 200 dogs.
``We're going in the right direction,'' Cooke said. ``We plan to do the shows every year.''
Each show will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Sunday show will also include an obedience trial competition.
Cooke said she wishes Chesapeake had a facility for showing dogs in other seasons.
``We'd like to do dog shows in winter,'' she said. ``We can draw more entries because not many clubs do shows during that time. But we don't have a place to do it indoors in Chesapeake. We have to do shows in spring and fall.''
Cooke said her club invited the Tidewater Kennel Club, which is based mostly in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, to join in sponsoring the event this year. It's better to have more than one show, Cooke said.
``It's an incentive for people to travel,'' said Cooke. ``People will have more opportunities to win points.''
Besides preparing for the dog shows, the Dog Fanciers Association has been working with four area veterinarian clinics and hospitals to promote proper health care for dogs through a contest sponsored by the American Kennel Club.
Clients of Chesapeake Animal Hospital, Churchland Animal Hospital, Deep Creek Animal Hospital and Island Wharf Veterinary Clinic can enter the fill-in contest by completing a promotional slogan. The winning entry from each vet's office will be submitted to the American Kennel Club for a national grand prize, said Cooke.
``We chose an office from each area in Chesapeake so all the areas will be represented,'' Cooke said. ``It's so beneficial to join forces with our local veterinarians to share the message of responsible pet ownership with the community.''
The local winning entries will be announced Monday, Cooke said.
More information about the dog shows is available by calling Carol Cooke at 421-2656. by CNB