Dog owners attend first ever Dorset Dogs Day event in West Moors

The event, held in Fryer Field Recreation Field in West Moors, was attended by more than 500 visitors who brought their paw-some dogs to the event. 

Competitions were held for dogs and their owners, including the waggiest tail award, best child handler and a fancy-dress award called 'dachshund diva walk'. 

But the award everybody wanted to see was for the dog and owner who look most alike – a prize that could only have been won by Fi Macdonald with her very curly-haired dog.

Fi Macdonald and her dog - winners of Dog and Owner Most Alike award  Nicky Crowe, co-organiser for Dorset Dogs Day and founder of Facebook group Dog Friendly Dorset, said: “It has been amazing. This was our first event and we’ve had an amazing turnout. 

“We’ve totally sold out of tickets and we even had to turn people away.  

“We’re just so happy. We’re a really supportive community group Facebook group.” 

The day was also planned to help raise money so Dog Friendly Dorset can become a charity organisation. 

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Nicky added: “We do initiatives in the community to help dogs socialise with play dates.  

“We also help dogs who need stress-free meet ups and we also help humans who need support.  

“We really want to help emphasise this link between wellness and dog wellness and of course we want to have fun – and how can you not with all these dogs?! 

“There is an amazing team of volunteers who have helped us today – we couldn’t have done it without them.”

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Several stalls were also set up at the recreational group, with a focus on supporting local businesses. Ferndown’s 7One Studio and Poole’s Pawseidon, a hydrotherapy centre for dogs, were there amongst others.  

There was also massage facilities for dogs as well as humans, a singer performing for the crowd and food and drink on offer as well as an enrichment sensory zone for the dogs to “scent and sniff”. 

The organisers say the event will be planned for every year, after what was a hugely successful first time.