The second day of the All Breeds Championship Dog Shows organised by the Madras Canine Club was a treat for the visitors, who were able to spot dogs of several breeds and got the opportunity to interact with their owners and handlers.
The curtains came down on the two-day event with a prize distribution ceremony. A number of breeds won prizes in the championship dog shows with a Golden Retriever and a Doberman winning top honours in the 135th and 136th shows respectively. Native breeds, including a Rajapalayam, Kanni, and Mudhol Hounds too won prizes.
The Hindu Trophy for ‘Dog of the Year 2019-20’ was awarded to an American Cocker Spaniel owned by Pallab Saha.
Speaking at the event, Finance Minister P.T.R. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan acknowledged the history of the Madras Canine Club, which has been active for over 45 years now. “l would like to point out that in the budget this year, we have allocated ₹20 crore for the welfare of abandoned pets called the Vallalar Palluyir Kaapu Thittam,” he said.
The Minister said they were finalising the recipient NGOs which had been doing good work for animal welfare. “It is a mark of humane society that we should encourage kindness towards all. I applaud all the participants today, and we would also like to see more of these international quality competitions with many dogs, owners and trainers participating,” he added.
T.M. Anbarasan, Minister for Rural, Cottage and Small Industries, applauded the participating dog owners and trainers, and said that the event should be held annually on a similar massive scale. “There are dogs of several breeds which have participated, including Tamil Nadu’s Chippiparai, Rajapalayam and Kombai. It is heartening that Chennai has played host to this event,” he said.
C.V. Sudarsan, president of the Madras Canine Club and N. Ram, Show Chairman and Patron, and Director, The Hindu Group, were present at the awards distribution ceremony. This year, over 570 dogs from 69 different breeds were registered for the dog shows which were held after a two-year hiatus owing to the pandemic.
