Among the eerie-sistable classes being contended are ‘Ghoulden Oldie’, ‘Frankenpup’ and ‘Fangtastic Grin’
A Halloween dog show in Hull is set to give pooches a treat with organisers offering up spooky awards including “Best Bone Snatcher” and “Tiny Terror”. Oakwood Dog Rescue is hosting a show that spans 18 classes, all with bewitching titles.
Staff and volunteers at the organisation, which specialises in rescuing and re-homing stray and abandoned dogs from Romania, hope to attract plenty of entrants for the event at The Dog Hub on Chanterlands Avenue on Sunday, October 12. Sponsored by local firm Willerby Mortgage Services, the show is being part of wider efforts to raise vital funds for the care of the ex-street dogs as Oakwood looks to find their forever homes.
Oakwood animals often come from “kill shelters” in the Balkan country, where animals are euthanised when they are not claimed or adopted. That charity’s frequent fundraising helps it fly the dogs to the UK, provide treatment and nurse them back to health. Its centre costs about £14,000 per month to run.
Meg Morris, manager of the charity’s shop on King Edward Street, explained: “We do a couple of dog shows a year to raise important funds for the charity. This is our Halloween one and it will be on Sunday, October 12, with doors opening at 10am.
“We’ve renamed the classes with very cute names. People can come and enter their dog into the classes they want, and they’ll be judged by sponsors of the class. And if they win, they’ll get a little rosette.”
The turnout for previous Halloween dog shows has been good, says Meg. But with rising costs facing the charity, Meg and the team are hopeful of a particularly strong turnout. Members of the Dog Hub can enter for free, while non-members will pay £2, with the action kicking off from 10:30am and going on until 3:30pm.
Among the creative names given to the classes for the show are: “Wonderful Wizard”; “Slime, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails” and “Drop Dead Gorgeous”.
Meg added: “The money will go towards all the running costs of the rescue; feeding the dogs; making sure their vet bills are all paid for; keeping a roof over their heads – the rent increases are coming thick and fast for the rescue. So it’s about making sure we can continue doing it really.”
It is expected that some of Oakwood’s now re-homed rescue dogs will appear at the show as owners often keep a close relationship with the charity. The charity currently has 17 dogs in its care – but can have up to 30 – with the team working hard to prepare them for adoption.
Staff and volunteers talk of their ‘one home only’ approach to re-homing, meaning the charity is not looking to find owners as fast as possible, instead matching dogs to the best homes they can to ensure they stay in the home they have found. The charity also runs three shops including the one on King Edward Street, one on Hessle Road that is open at weekends and one in North Point Shopping Centre that is open Wednesday-Friday every week.
Oakwood was set up in 2009 by Gill Williams, founder of Oakwood Canine Services. It helps dogs of any breed, and regardless of where they come from in the world or age including those with special needs or behaviour issues.