On Sunday I went to Pup Aid in Stanmer Park. It's like Glastonbury for dogs, but on a much smaller scale and the nearest you can get to drugs are joint supplements for arthritic Labradors. Oh, and it's for a very good cause - to raise awareness about the UK's cruel puppy farming industry. There were dog shows - unfortunately I arrived too late for the Prettiest Bitch heats, but at least it gave somedog else a chance of victory; there were celebrities - Brighton's very own Mark the Vet, Gresham Blake, Patsy Palmer and the Fast Show's Mark Williams. There was a hearing dogs display, lots of stalls selling all sorts of pet paraphernalia and a great live music line-up including Los Albertos and Bitter Ruin (I was hoping for the Corgis or Snoop Dogg but no such luck). There were bling bitches and diva dogs dressed to the (ca)nines; there was butt sniffing galore; but most of all THERE WAS CAKE.
What I don't understand is why, when surrounded by dogs of all breeds, shapes and sizes, humans gravitate towards the same breed of dog as their own. Whenever Humum sees another French Bulldog she rushes towards it like it's a long lost relative; with all the gushing and cooing you'd think she'd never seen one before, let alone lives with one. Then she'll start talking to the dog's human about, of course, French Bulldogs, whilst us dogs are left to get better acquainted. I think our humans assume that just because we're the same breed we'll automatically get on. Truth is, I don't like French bulldogs - I find the majority of them immature and clingy. Give me a British bulldog any day, or even an American one (preferably one that's just eaten). Unluckily for me there was a considerable number of French Bulldogs at Pupaid this year, which meant a lot of time hanging around bored whilst Humum waxed lyrical with other Frenchie owners. How would she like it if I rushed over, barking and salivating, to every 5ft 4in, green-eyed skinny brunette I saw?
But let's not forget what the day was really about - raising humans' awareness to the horrors of the UK's puppy factories. Compared to what some dogs are forced to endure, I really shouldn't grumble.
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