Powys Pooches in the Park: Talgarth set for inaugural dog show this August

Powys Pooches in the Park, the brainchild of local dog lover Deborah Jarvis, is set to launch on Sunday, 23 August.

The day promises to be a celebration of dogs in the area with a dog show, displays and stands with all four paws on deck.

Powys Pooches in the Park will kick off at 10am at The Whole Yard, a five-acre secured area dog park on the outskirts of Talgarth and end at 4pm.

“When I saw posts on Facebook with the local charities, who are short of money because of the volume of animals they have going through, I thought rather than donating twenty-pounds, I would try and raise more money,” said Deborah.

“I’ve got the knowledge with dogs and some what knowledge of events from my previous job, so I thought why not create a family day out where people can bring their dogs and I find all these dog shows are mainly in England, so why not bring one to Wales,” she added.

Hay Animal Rescue, German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue in Gilwern, and Brecon Dog Rescue are the chosen charities for the event and will each benefit with a third of the money raised from the event.

Entry to the festival is £5 per individual, £15 per family and £2 to enter each category in the dog show.

The dog show consists of fifteen categories: Best Bitch, Best Dog, Best Young Handler, Best Golden Oldie, Best Puppy under 18 months, Best Trick, Best Coat, Best Sausage Catcher, Best Pure Breed, Best Cross Breed, The Waggiest Tail, The Best Stay Sit, The Best Fancy Dress, Scruffs not Crufts and whichever four-legged friend comes first from all those categories will be crowned Best in Show.

Dog-themed displays will be made throughout the day with the first dog in Britain to be trained to sniff out a knife making an appearance, and Dyfed-Powys Police dogs and their handlers at midday.

Deborah has worked tirelessly to involve dog themed businesses, individuals and charities in the area, whether they are sponsoring the event, offering raffle prizes or having a stand at the event. She has collected a near 100 dog-themed prizes for her raffle and competitions, that include treats, bags of food, dog grooming sessions, dog training sessions, dog walking opportunities and a whole lot more canine-themed prizes.

Speaking to The Brecon and Radnor Express, Deborah said: “The main thing that made me want to do it is that I love dogs,I have a real passion for dogs and have got five of my own and work full time with dogs now.”

A former police officer, Deborah is now a dog groomer, and dog dental cleaner for the last ten years.

“I hope it works out well. My aim was just to raise money and awareness for the rescues and their struggles but it gives you that warm, lovely feeling that you’re doing something good and at the end I can hopefully give them a chunk of money each,” said Deborah.