The American Kennel Club & Eukanuba Present Celebrate Dogs!; Nations Largest Dog Event Arrives in Orlando Dec. 15 & 16

Family Fun Celebration Features More Than 140 AKC Meet the Breeds® Booths,

Eukanuba Super Dogs, Holiday Shopping for Dog Lovers & More!

Mark your calendars, dog lovers! Come “Celebrate Dogs!”as the largest celebration of man’s best friend in the United States launches in Orlando on Dec. 15-16 at the Orange County Convention Center. Dog lovers will experience two days packed full of exciting canine-centric, family-friendly, dog-gone fun.

Presented by The American Kennel Club and Eukanuba, Celebrate Dogs! is open from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and features events that guarantee fun for the whole family including:

Family Fun for Dog Lovers!

·         AKC Meet the Breeds® - where more than 140 different dog breeds and breed experts will be on hand to meet the public. Meet the Breeds is the perfect venue to learn about the different breeds so that prospective dog owners can find the right breed for their lifestyle. Don’t miss out – this fun and educational AKC event is only held twice a year: in October in New York City and at Celebrate Dogs! in Orlando this December.

·         Dock Dogsdemonstrating their amazing and extreme dock diving talents

·         Eukanuba Extreme Soccer Dogsplaying soccer with children in attendance

·         Eukanuba Super Dogs, a delightful, family-fun show featuring talented canines displaying a variety of skills such as the world’s highest jumper and the quickest disc catching dog in the land.

The Competition Heats Up!

·         The 12th Annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, the only dog show hosted by the American Kennel Club, features thousands of the world’s top canine competitors from across the country and around the globe as they vie for Best in Show honors, the title of National Champion and a total of $225,000 in prize money.

·         Watch canine athletes race against the clock over challenging obstacles in the AKC Agility Invitational.

·         See dogs put their best paw forward for the AKC National Obedience Invitational.

·         Skilled youngsters and their dogs compete in their own age divisionsin conformation, agilityand obedience.

·         Top dogs from more than 40 countries around the world competing in theEukanuba World Challenge.

Additionally, the Canine Celebration vendor mall will offer holiday shoppers more than 140 different doggie boutiques to pick out gifts for dog-loving family and friends. Shoppers can show off their breed loyalties with a dog breed shirt, pick up a new dog bed for the Beagle, and find exquisite, hand-crafted pet-oriented jewelry.

Celebrate Dogs! will comprise 800,000 square feet of event space in the West Building of the Orange County Convention Center. Convenient parking and free shuttle transportation will be available.

Celebrate Dogs! tickets will be on sale Friday, Oct. 19 and will be available through theAKC Website. Celebrate Dogs!  tickets also can be purchased in person at the Orange County Convention Center Box Office on the days of the event.

Day Ticket for Saturday OR Sunday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

Celebrate Dogs! features a variety of exciting demonstrations and competitions including: the AKC Agility Invitational, the AKC National Obedience Invitational, AKC Meet the Breeds®, Dock Dogs, and the daytime dog show judging of the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.  For more information, please visit http://www.akc.org/aenc/

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Local market media contact:

Bitner/Hennessy Public Relations

Kimbra Hennessy, 407/415-6656, [email protected]

Nancy Glasgow, 407/375-2433, [email protected]