WOW, TAKE A BOW
Kenneth Koh, The New Paper 18 Mar 08;
PETS galore, pets in the spotlight. And people took a backseat for a change.
My, look how we've become an all-inclusive society.
All eyes were glued to our furry little citizens and applause accompanied their every little trick.
Like when Whisky the miniature schnauzer padded across the stage with a ring borne in her mouth. When she obediently put the ring on a stand, the crowd roared.
What a clever little doggy!
The big crowd was there on a Sunday afternoon to enjoy Singapore's largest pet party organised by Cats Classified of Singapore Press Holdings.
It was held on a grass patch next to the hawker centre at East Coast Lagoon.
Back to Whisky, no one was more delighted by her performance than her owner, Dr Annette Kho.
'She was not nervous while on stage and she learns very fast,' said the doctor with more than a hint of pride.
'I don't have to reward her with food while training her.'
Top dog, indeed.
Earlier, in order to impress the three judges, 6-year-old-year Whisky had walked on three legs.
Then she had a quick nap on a bedsheet laid by Annette before doing her final act of putting the coloured ring on a stand.
For her performance, she won $150 cash, a medal and prize.
Mummy will keep the prizes for you, dear.
Equally impressive on stage was Mr S Elamparithi's shetland sheepdog, Rocky.
He was a veritable gymnast, zipping through a hoola hoop without any difficulty.
FAST LEARNER
His 40-year-old owner, who works in the airforce, said: 'I took one week to train him.'
What a natural! How did he learn?
'The first lesson is to put the hoop on the ground and get him to go through it while on leash. Then I will praise him by saying 'very good boy'.'
Mr Elamparithi said that he raised the hoop higher as the lesson progressed.
Rocky got the picture. Good boy.
The crowd also roared with approval when Rocky pretended to drop dead when his owner pointed his hand in the shape of a gun at him.
For this entertaining display, Mr Elamparithi (and Rocky) walked away with $300cash and a medal.
Ah, what a rare Sunday it was. The dogs got to mingle with their four-legged friends.
LUCKY POOCH
But for a silky terrier called Tessa, she looked more like a marsupial as she was carried everywhere in the haversack of her owner, Trevor Seet, a teacher.
He said: 'It is like a mother kangaroo carrying its young. I am keeping her free from ground ticks.'
You can't be too careful about such things.
The afternoon rain did not dampen the mood of the 5,000 pet lovers.
So nice to get the temperature down a bit, right? Mind that puddle.
But the soggy ground did nothing to hamper the dogs' movement.
And to treat the little tykes, there were stalls selling dog-related services and products.
Some dog owners took the chance to give their canines' fur a trim, while others settled for nail trimmings.
A little preening always helps to keep pet and owner looking good, doesn't it?
When's the next pet party, dear?
