It was raining dogs all weekend at Earls Court, but a cute canine called Jaffa shone above the competition to become the Scruffts Family Crossbreed Dog of the Year.

The final of Scruffts, the nation’s favourite crossbreed competition, took place on Sunday 9^th November at London’s leading dog event, Discover Dogs, and was judged by celebrity judge Summer Strallen, famous for her roles in Hollyoaks and the West End hit, The Sound of the Music. Jaffa, aged 11 months, managed to out-shine the competition with his owner Lindsey Truss from Hainault, Essex, to win the overall prize.

Lindsey is deaf and visually impaired, so she communicates with Jaffa through hand signals. Through her interpreter she said, “I’m over the moon”.

The fierce but fun competition in the main ring saw almost 60 wonderful crossbreed dogs showcased in one the following four Scruffts classes:

•        Most Handsome Crossbreed Dog (6 months - 7 years)

•        Prettiest Crossbreed Bitch (6 months - 7 years)

•        Child's Best Friend* (6 months - 12 years)

•        Golden Oldie Crossbreed (8 years or over)

*Handled by a young person from 6 to 16 years of age inclusively

The winners from each of the four categories were then put head to head to compete for the coveted overall prize of Scruffts Family Crossbreed Dog of the Year 2008.

When judging the competition, Summer took into account the importance of dog training and responsible dog ownership, and judged all the entrants on good character, health and temperament.

Summer Strallen, said “I chose Jaffa as the winner because the dog was so nice with a calm energy. He really is a pretty crossbreed, being a Shar-Pri crossed with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

“Jaffa is such a typical dog; lively, and willing to learn from his owner.”

In contrast to Crufts, the world famous dog show open to pedigree dogs, Scruffts caters exclusively for crossbreed dogs: a dog of mixed blood whose parents are of two different breeds, or a mixture of several breeds. The finalists were selected during regional heats which were held across the length and breadth of the UK throughout the year.

All the finalists received goody bags, which included merchandise from the Company of Animals and Equafleece, as well as discounts on Royal Canin products and Overwater Hall, a country house hotel in the Lake District, which is proudly part of the Kennel Club’s ‘Open for Dogs’ initiative. Jaffa also received a three months’ supply of Yumega products as part of their prize.

Caroline Kisko, speaking for the Kennel Club, said, “Just as anticipated, the Scruffts Crossbreed of the Year Competition has provided an exciting and fascinating grand final. The competition saw almost 1,500 dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes from across the country joining in the fun during the year.

“Congratulations to everyone who took part, and especially to Jaffa and Lindsay. Scruffts is a great way to enjoy time with your dog and family and we encourage everyone with a crossbreed to get involved in the competition next year by entering their local regional heats.”

Scruffts is run in support of the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, which awards around £500,000 worth of grants to benefit the canine world each year. Its mission is to make a difference for dogs through charitable donations and funding research into canine health problems.

The Scruffts Family Crossbreed of the Year grand final was just one of the many great events that took place at Discover Dogs. The event, organised by the Kennel Club in association with Royal Canin, celebrated its 13^th year of delighting dog devotees from all over the UK, with new and exciting attractions alongside a range of traditional crowd favourites.

To find out more about Scruffts please visit www.scruffts.org.uk, or to find out more about Discover Dogs go to www.discoverdogs.org.uk.

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