Jolly Farmer Dog Show

Arescue dog from Bulgaria walked away with the top accolade at a new fun dog show.

Dr Indiana Jones was hailed Best in Show at the first ever Jolly Fun Charity Dog Show at The Jolly Farmer pub in Hurst.

There were waggy tails galore when the pub staged their inaugural dog show in aid of St Nicholas Church in the village and Alzheimer’s Research UK.

The dog show had numerous fun classes including the Loveliest Lady, Fabulous Fella, the Waggiest Tail, Best Tricks/Obedience, Best Senior (seven years and over), Best Puppy (four months – 18 months), Young Handler (10-16 years – the human), Young Handler (nine years and under – the human), Best Rescue and Best in Show.

But it was Angelique Hathaway’s rescue that stole the show.

“We found him wandering the streets during a skiing trip to Bansko in Bulgaria. His feet were turned the wrong way and we just couldn’t bear to leave him.”

That was in 2019 and the Corgi/ Labrador/Retriever mix was given his name as he got out of the country ‘just in the nick of time’ before Covid closed borders.

Anqelique believes the pup was about 12 to 18 months old when they got him, but vets gave him just a year to live. Now three years later he is thriving.

His owner says it was relatively simple to bring him back to the UK, easier than adopting a rescue in this country.

And following the experience, she has become involved with the charity Hope for Paws. The charity fosters the dogs and gets them fully vaccinated until air-conditioned vans can bring them to the UK.

Angelique said: “I’m so proud of him. It just shows what you can do with a bit of kindness – anything is possible. He was bred for something and when he wasn’t perfect, he was just turned out onto the streets to fend for himself.”

Dr Indiana Jones has settled right into the family, allowing the chick- ens to jump on his back and gets on well with the family cat and new puppy.

Pub manager at The Jolly Farmer, Rick Haynes said he was a worthy winner and added: “The day was a fantastic success. We had an unprecedented amount of people for any event we’ve held. The weather was amazing, and everyone had so much fun.”

And Angelique added what a lovely show it was: “So many dog shows are so professional, they are almost a showcase for businesses. This one allowed dogs that aren’t perfect pedigrees a chance to join in. There was such a lovely atmosphere.”

The event was organised to raise money for St Nicholas Church in the village and Alzheimer’s Research UK. At the end of the day, they had raised £1,500 which will be split between the two charities – and they hope The Jolly Fun Dog Show will become an annual event.