Top Dogs to Compete in Charlottetown
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, May 8, 2015 – The Canadian German Shepherd Dog Championships will be held on Prince Edward Island for the first time in its 35-year history. The event will be hosted from July 30 to August 2, 2015 by the East Region Schutzhund Clubs with support from the City of Charlottetown’s sport tourism initiative, SCORE!, and the Charlottetown Special Events Reserve Fund (SERF).
The event has been held annually since 1979, moving across the country on a five-year cycle. Each year, the championships attract about 130 canine entries and handlers, but the event has also amassed a loyal following of spectators who attend whether or not they have a dog entered in the competition.
“We’re pleased to support this long-standing and well respected sport and feel fortunate to be able to bring such unique, exciting events to the Island,” said Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee. “It must take an incredible amount of time and effort to train dogs to this standard and qualify for the championships. We’re looking forward to this event and wish all of the participants – human and canine – the best of luck.”
The sport dogs in the championships have all qualified by obtaining International Working Dog titles, which include tracking, obedience and protection. Many of the world’s service dogs – police, military, border patrol, search and rescue – come from dogs that have earned the IPO working dog title, which is the internationally recognized breed standard for German Shepherd dogs.
The 2015 event will be held at the Prince Edward Island Firefighters Association training facility at 68 Miles Boulter Drive in Charlottetown-Miltonvale Park. It is open to the public at no cost.
“Besides the working dog trial that is being held, we will also host Canada’s largest show for German Shepherds,” said Raino Fluegge, Chairman of the 2015 Canadian German Shepherd Dog Championships. “We are pleased to welcome judges from Germany for this event. It’s going to be a great event and we encourage everyone to attend.”
The national championships are the final qualifier for Team Canada. The top five eligible handler-dog teams from this event will go on to represent Canada at the World Championships being held is Lahti, Finland in September.
For more information, visit: http://gsscc2015.com/
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About SCORE!:
SCORE! is an initiative of the City of Charlottetown that was created in 2005 to expand the lucrative sport tourism industry within the Capital City. Managed by the City’s Events Development Officer, Wayne Long, SCORE! attracts and assists in the hosting of sport events in Charlottetown that offer a pronounced opportunity for economic, tourism and community growth. SCORE! attracts events worth millions of dollars annually to the provincial capital. For more information, visit: http://scorecharlottetown.com/
About the German Shepherd Schutzhund Club of Canada and East Region Schutzhund Clubs:
The German Shepherd Schutzhund Club of Canada (GSSCC) is an organization promoting the responsible ownership, training and breeding of German Shepherd dogs, promoting the sport of schutzhund in Canada. The GSSCC has approximately 40 clubs and more than 400 members across the country. The GSSCC East Region is comprised of six clubs covering the Maritime Provinces – New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. Each club has weekly training sessions and also hosts a variety of activities, such as trials, shows, seminars and working weekends each year. For more information, visit: www.schutzhundeast.ca<http://www.schutzhundeast.ca>
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