Dogs on the catwalk

Echoing the unsur-passed success of the previous year’s shows, Handyman Do It Best Home Center (Handyman) once again gathered dog owners, breeders and enthusiasts to celebrate, this time, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, lover of all creation, saint of pets, a day of pet blessing, fun and fashion.

Superstar dogs were all dressed up and got treats. With their owners in tow, dogs ruff’d and gruff’d and strutted their stuff on the…yes, catwalk.

Co-presented by Bow Wow Dog Chow, quality dog foods carried and distributed by Handyman, “Bow Wow Dog Day” gathered dogs, their proud owners plus a lot of dog lovers who were simply drawn towards the deck parking of Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas.

There were Labradors, Poodles, Chow-chows, Bulldogs, Maltese, Golden Retrieves, Shih Tzus, Pomeranians, and other pooches who were blessed by Fr. Leo Nilo Mangussad of the Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA).

Certificates of Blessing were awarded to each dog and owner as a memento of the event. Following this was the fashion show that wowed the audience with the dogs’ regal costumes that ruled the ramp.

Participants of this year’s Bow Wow Dog Day were not only judged by their showmanship, and appearance, overall impact and audience appeal but also by the amount of Bow Wow Dog Chow they consumed in the least amount of time.

The panel of judges included Junjie Rayos, group property manager of Robinsons Galleria; Ramon Abrenica, president of Ampro Nutrition; and veterinarian Gil Palaganas.

Diva dog and Bow Wow of the Crowd winner Nicoy, a four-year-old Toy Poodle, garbed in a devil’s costume with sunglasses, bagged the top prize and earned the well-deserved “2008 Bow Wow Best in Costume” title. With the prestigious award, Nicoy and owner Doods Jimenez went home delighted with 16 kilos of Bow Wow Dog Chow, P8,000 worth of gift certificates, and a gold medal.

Chelsea, a four-month-old Chow-chow owned by Daniel Santos, bagged second place. She took home P5,000 worth of gift certificates and 10 kilos of Bow Wow Dog Chow. Third place went to Walter, a four-year-old Labrador owned by Jane Buquid. He went home wiith P3,000 worth of gift certificates and five kilos of Bow Wow Dog Chow.

Aside from the fun dress-up category, the event was also a dog food-eating competition, thus a special award was bestowed on “Bow Wow Eaters” like Georgia, a nine-month-old Shih Tzu owned by Tracy Ryan Garcia; and Vladimir, a three-year-old Labrador owned by Edgar Dancelon. The winners ate their hearts out and bested other breeds in the Small and Big Dog categories, respectively.

Dogs are indeed man’s best friend and owning one has become more of a lifestyle than a mere hobby. This is why Handyman has always been supportive of dogs, pet owners, breeders and trainers by providing a complete and balanced nutrition for all pups and dogs through Bow Wow Dog and Puppy Chow and Bow Wow Lamb & Rice meal for your canine’s well-deserved delight.