Inspiring festival stories; A final celebration of a golden oldie

Last year, Ellie and her family brought their 14-year-old Dalmatian Charlie to the North East Dog Festival.

Charlie had a bad fall in early 2022, which for a couple of weeks left him mostly bed-bound. Unfortunately, they had to reduce the amount of walks he went on and how long he was out for whilst they helped him get back onto his paws.

Being able to bring him to the festival was fantastic in itself, but what made it even more amazing was the fact that Charlie came first in the Best Golden Oldie in the Newcastle Dog and Cat Shelter charity dog show.

"Charlie's win at the festival brought so much joy to our family," says Ellie. "It was a reminder that even in his old age and after his fall, he was still a champion in our eyes." Ellie and her family were devastated to announce the passing of Charlie on February 6, 2023. But they are grateful to have his rosette from the festival as a lovely reminder of the day and a cherished memory now that he is no longer with them.

"The North East Dog Festival provided us with an experience that we will always treasure," says Ellie. "It was a moment of happiness that we shared with our beloved Charlie, and we will forever be grateful for that."

Rebecca and Dawn; festival directors commented “I’m not going to lie, when this came into the inbox, it caused a few tears. As a team we are deeply involved with the dog world and own multiple dogs between us; some of which are now in their senior years. To read about Charlie was wonderful, and knowing we were able to give them this opportunity makes us extremely proud”.