The show was organised by Bidhannagar New Town Rajarhat Dog Lovers’ Association but the venue was Deshbandhu Park in Shyambazar. “While we traditionally hold the show in Salt Lake, this time we held it at a venue outside yet near enough so dog lovers of adjacent areas could participate too,” said secretary Subhankar Basu. “And indeed we saw about 125 dogs taking part, which is more than what we usually get.”
The show, he said, was held at the express request of trainers and handlers. “With most shows being called off due to the pandemic, dog owners were on the verge of sacking them,” Basu said.
The best in show in one ring went to Goutam Giri’s Golden Retriever while the second best went to Manas Ghosh’s German Shepherd Dog (GSD). In the second ring, the results were just the reverse. Here are some of the four-legged participants that stole the show -
Model doggie
Honey, the American Golden Retriever, had come with Tollywood actress Falaque Rashid Roy. "I may be an actress but even Honey is a model and has featured in several advertisements. I would love to do a movie with her some day,” she smiled, feeding treats to the doggie.
Giant lap dog
The name Genghis Khan might evoke terror but Genghis, the Great Dane of FD Block, was anything but. “He’s grown so big but he thinks he’s still tiny,” smiled Giridhari Hazra, as Genghis sat on his lap, that of his handler and that of anyone who came to pet him.
Pictures by Basudeb Behara