Rubbish heap puppy beats the lot

The Gozo Dog of the Year Show was held at the football ground in Victoria with the main aim being to promote the adoption of dogs from the SPCA Centre into the Gozitan community.

The show saw a varied collection of dogs lined up for a dog show with a difference; it was only for SPCA rescued dogs and non-pedigree pet dogs - that is all the dogs that usually get left out of the "posh shows".

There was no question of chasing rosettes since, as lovely as they all were, this was a meeting for real dog lovers and their dogs. There were pets of every shape and size and maybe some of them were no oil paintings, nevertheless they were loved as much as any prize pedigree pooch could wish to be.

Classes were well filled and with classifications such as "the prettiest bitch", "the waggiest tail" and "the most appealing eyes" it was hard for owners to choose, so many opted to enter for everything. The show and all classes were generously sponsored by Royal Canin, with extra gifts donated by other local businesses.

Choosing the Gozo Dog of the Year was a hard decision, even for such experienced and seasoned judges as David and Jean Bagshaw. After much deliberation and suspense they finally decided on Spitz, a delightful, bright, terrier- type dog who had been found by his owners, as a tiny puppy abandoned on a heap of rubbish in a field near Sannat.