Pug owners from around the nation gathered over the last week at the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green for the National Specialty Show, organized by the Pug Dog Club of America.
“The Pug Dog Club of America is recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as the official Parent Club for the Pug Dog,” according to its website. It states that this group of “pug enthusiasts and breeders” has a fiduciary responsibility to preserve the pug breed.
Robert Gravel, vice president of the Pug Dog Club of America, participated in the week-long competitions with his 2-year-old pug, Luke. Gravel said he traveled to the event from his home in South Carolina.
Gravel said he has been doing specialty shows for about 30 years now, but Luke started about a year and a half ago.
Gravel said during the competition, competitors are called with groups into the ring to perform individually, and then cuts are made by the judge. The judge reduces the number of competitors until there is a final winner in each competition category.
Gravel said the organization sponsors educational and health events aside from just showing off well-bred dogs.
There were three to four days where attendees could get health testing specific to the pug, Gravel said. The tests checked the pugs’ breathing airways, knees and hearts.
“We had a certified veterinarian here doing all three of those tests, and we had a lot of participants,” Gravel said.
Helen Banes, a competitor from Massachusetts, competed with her 9-year-old veteran pug throughout the week-long event. Banes said his full name is Grand Champion Silver Cedarwoods Henry McCarty, but he usually answers to “Mack.”
Banes said Mack has been doing shows for pretty much his entire life.
“He’s taken me places that I’ve never been,” Banes said. “He’s taken me here to Kentucky. I’ve never been here to Kentucky.”
Banes said pugs are smart and capable of many things.
“It’s unbelievable what a pug can do,” Banes said.
Between competing, attendees could buy tickets for a chance to win a raffle prize. Some of the prizes included pug-themed items, decorations and liquor.
Attendees could also buy items from several booths around the room, including pug merchandise, dog collars, dog clothing and dog food.
Stores like the Blissful Dog Boutique and representatives of Purina Pro Plan were present at the event.
Annie Fairconth, president of the Kentuckiana Pug Rescue, said KPR attended the event as a vendor for the Pug Dog Club of America. She said the organization tries to attend events any chance they get.
Fairconth said KPR covers Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois and sometimes other states they are requested at. She said the organization is all volunteer-based, and KPR has foster homes spread out across four states.
The KPR booth sold a variety of pug-themed items ranging from $4 to $40, Fairconth said. She said the funds go toward supporting KPR, its foster pets and their medical needs.
Fairconth said KPR loves attending pug-based events because the show people are very receptive, kind, and supportive of KPR’s rescue efforts.
“I just think pug people stick with pug people,” Fairconth said. “They know that we all have to be here doing our job or we all will be in trouble because there would be a lot of Pugs around in the streets.”
Fairconth said she loves all dogs, but pugs are the “most spectacular breed in the world.”
“I feel like once you have a pug, you usually want to always own a pug,” Fairconth said.
