The cream of canines and the cutest, cuddliest and wriggliest competed! (From Surrey Comet)

The cream of canines and the cutest, cuddliest and wriggliest competed!

3:14pm Tuesday 27th July 2010 in

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By Community Correspondent Richard Sharp

Hampton Hill’s ‘Hounds and Pets of the Hill’ competitions drew nearly two hundred entries at the Hampton Hill Summer Festival on Saturday 17th July. The event was staged on the Holly Road Recreation Ground and was organised by The Hampton & Hampton Hill Voluntary Care Group (The Greenwood Centre). It was certainly one of the star attractions of the day. Together with the Greenwood Centre’s ‘World of Music’ and the plant and produce stand up in the High Street, a total of £750 was raised for the charity.

Categories in the competition for dogs were the Waggiest Tail for the most exuberant tail motion (of the dog, not the handler!), Owner Lookalike, which dog looked most like their handler/owner, Terrific Trickster, showing off dog's talents both ordinary or extraordinary! Then came 'Most Take Home’ Appeal, the perfect blend of cuddliness, personality, adorability and entertaining companionship, the Most Obedient, the chance to show off how well behaved dogs can really be and finally Best Child Dog Handler, the category for dog handlers aged 7 to 15.

Stan Rawlinson, the UK’s leading dog behaviourist and obedience trainer was at the show as a judge and with demonstrations and personal advice for dog owners. Stan is renowned for his Dog Training, the Gentle Way.

Winners received trophies with rosettes for the runners up.

‘Pets of the Hill’ saw Hampton Hill’s cutest and cuddliest and even wriggliest and scaliest pets. The ‘categories’ (!) were Rabbits, Mice and Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, Reptiles, Peculiar Pets and Others and of course cats!

Annie Murray from Teddington said, “What a splendid way of bringing the local, vibrant, dog owners community together. All the contestants and their owners were perfectly behaved and the event was thoroughly enjoyed by all.”

“I am so glad it was all such a success and that so many owners came along to show their much loved pets.”

said Fiona Brennan, the Organiser and Director of the Greenwood Centre. “I was so pleased that Stan Rawlinson agreed to join us and show us all more about training our dogs. On a more serious note, it was a wonderful opportunity to talk about the work that we do at The Greenwood Centre and to raise much needed funds for the charity. In a financial climate of decreasing funding from our main sources, we rely increasingly on voluntary contributions from residents and businesses.”