Dogs day out at Paws in the Park

Hamilton’s drooling pooches will compete alongside other canines sporting the pointiest ears and loudest barks at this month’s Paws in the Park.

Attracting hundreds of dog owners the annual event is one of New Zealand’s largest dog gatherings. This year the event is on Saturday, 24 November at Claudelands Park and will be hosted by Hamilton City Council with support from Pet Doctors, Masterpet and More FM.

With more than 10,000 dog owners in Hamilton, the event is Council’s way of acknowledging responsible dog owners who love their pooches and follow dog ownership rules.

Prizes for the best dressed pooch, pointiest ears, shiniest coat, cutest dog and the popular owner ‘look a like’ competition will be up for grabs on the day; while a kid’s navigation course lets younger owners demonstrate their dog handling skills.

Throughout the day animal experts, dog obedience trainers and staff from Council’s Animal Education and Control team will be on hand to chat with dog owners. The event will conclude with a display from the Police dog section.

Mayor Julie Hardaker, owner of dogs Poppy (a King Charles Spaniel) and Fifi (a Chihuahua), is a strong supporter of the event.

“Exploring Hamilton’s wonderful walkways and parks with my dogs is a highlight of my weekend and I’m looking forward to bringing my dogs along for the day to meet other dog owners. This year I hope we can set the record for New Zealand’s largest dog walk,” she says.

Returning for its third year, the event starts at 1pm, and runs until 4pm. Dog owners are asked to keep their pets on leads at all times, and bring plastic bags to clean up after their dogs if necessary.

Further information is available on the Paws in the Park webpage.