Over the weekend, Chennai will be witness to a historic event – the centenary dog show of the Madras Canine Club. This year, a record number of dogs and breeds, including some contestants from overseas, will come together to make this milestone event memorable.
The Madras Canine Club was founded in 1976, with Leela Ratnam as its founder president, C.V. Sudarsan, founder secretary, and Shyamala Murugesan, founder treasurer.
“If at all we have been able to reach the magical figure of the 100th show in the short span of 34 years, this has been largely due to the untiring effort and hard work of the committee and members,” says Mr. Sudarsan, current president of the club. “During these years, we have been effectively conducting dog shows, training people to show their dogs, propagating responsible ownership and conducting veterinary camps.” The centenary show will be held on December 10, 11 and 12 at University Union Grounds, Chetpet. In addition, two international shows, the Kennel Club of India's 9th, and the Federation Cynologique Internationale's 10th, will be held at the same venue.
A record number of participants had registered, Mr. Sudarsan said. As many as 750 dogs, including some really rare breeds would be on display, some of them coming from Brazil, Germany, the United States, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. A total of 65 breeds will be present during the weekend. Apart from three all-breed shows, five speciality shows will also be held for breeds such as Rottweilers, Dobermans, Great Danes, Labrador Retrievers, and Golden Retrievers. The three all-breeds championship shows as well as the speciality shows will be judged by an international panel of judges. Also, to commemorate the centenary show, it has been decided to collect donations to build a special crematorium for small pets – cats and dogs. Cheques for any amount will be accepted from those willing to contribute towards providing a decent final send off to their pets, Mr. Sudarsan added.
