Pet and Animal Expo
2013 Pet and Animal Expo….Pictures below..scroll down to view and click on each image to enlarge
Held at the Melbourne showgrounds on Saturday 2nd. And Sunday 3rd. February
A lovely weekend of mild weather brought the crowds out at the Animal and Pet Expo. Our volunteers and griffons had a constant and steady stream of visitors to our Griffon booth. Many had never seen the grifs before so they received many admiring comments usually beginning with “I love the beard….or they remind me of an Ewok…or they look like pugs” and so began the discussion about our wonderful dogs and their origins and personalities.
Many others came who already knew the breed and so continued their ‘love affair. “I have a Griffon and I love her so much”, was a constant statement. Some were beginning their quest to find a companion for their cherished Grif. Others were looking forward to getting their first griffon in a few days’ time.
Throughout both days several people came back to the booth time and time again for another look or another cuddle or another chat. They just could not get their fill and wanted to soak up every minute with the dogs. One lovely lady sat on the rocking chair with one of the Grifs and there she stayed for over an hour. Both dog and human were quite content and it was with reluctance she finally got up and dragged herself away.
The dogs themselves were brilliant ambassadors…they were patted and cuddled time and again and never protested. Why would they when they were the centre of attention? After food, cuddles are the next most important thing in a Grif’s life aren’t they? Having the play pen, we often rotated the dogs around so that they could have a rest. Some, like Lucy who was our oldest Griffon present at age 9 ¾ yrs. were quite happy to have a snooze but the puppies would look at us as if to say “What are we doing in here?”
The expo would not have been such a great success without the dedication of our members who gave up their time to ‘man’ the booth as well as bringing along their Griffons to participate. I have to include a comment from one of our newer members who helped out on Sunday… “I will come along but I won’t talk to anyone” was his initial statement to his wife…later in the day he told me what he had said but finished the statement with… “ but you can’t help but talk about the Griffons and it was easy”. Everyone who volunteered went home tired but very happy to have spent the day educating people about the Grifs and enjoying the opportunity to do so.
A very big Thank You to all who volunteered and all who visited us. We hope to see you again at the Dog Lovers Show being held from May 3 – 5 at the Exhibition buildings.
Contact Details
President - Mrs Beth Canavan p[email protected]
Secretary -Mrs Robin Simpson [email protected]
Puppy enquiries - Beth Canavan [email protected]
0490085215