Thuin, Canine Capital of the World!

In 1954 the General Secretariat of the FCI settled in Thuin. It is curious to note that dog lovers throughout the world know the name of the town in which the FCI operates and offers the services that its 13 employees provide on a daily basis. Thuin now figures on the world map in the hearts of all dog enthusiasts on all continents! This is a reality that, although not on a grand scale, has not escaped the town’s elected representatives, who have on several occasions expressed their delight in counting an international organisation celebrating its centenary amongst their population of 14,650 inhabitants!

Conscious of the role that the FCI plays as an ambassador for Thuin, Philippe Blanchart – Acting Mayor – and the Town Council have named the city “Canine Capital of the World”. In this centenary year, this designation crowns the good relations between the FCI and the town that welcomes the Federation by focusing attention on Thuin, which would become a Mecca for dog fanciers, providing a positive window to the world by displaying knowledge, projects, initiatives and other breakthroughs concerning an animal that in this day and age has an important place in our society.

What could therefore be more natural than this designation knowing that Saint Roch, the Patron Saint of Thuin, is also the protector of animals and frequently portrayed with his dog?

Marie Luna Durán
FCI Marketing and Public Relations Manager
The Norwegian Kennel Club hosts International Dog Show in Bergen

On April 9 and 10, the Norwegian Kennel Club hosted their third international dog show of the year. As in previous years, the show took place in Bergen, with close to two thousand dogs making their way to the event.

Bergen is located in the county of Hordaland on the south-western coast of Norway. It is an important cultural hub in its region, recognized as the unofficial capital of Western Norway, and sometimes also referred to as the Atlantic coast capital of Norway!

International Participation

The show also had considerable international participation, with both dogs and judges from several European countries attending.

German judge Hassi Assenmacher-Feyel was given the honour of judging the Best in Show, and was full of praise for the line-up.

Top dog yet again...

In the end, "Xanta Av Quantos" was announced BIS. Assenmacher-Feyel elaborated on her choice:

- This is a truly beautiful German Shepherd in excellent show condition. She has an excellent and very feminine head with typical expression and an outstanding body to match. She moves parallel and with a lot of drive, and is an absolute dream to watch.

BIS Nr. 2 was the winner of group 10, the beautiful Greyhound Showline Sporting Step. American Akita Estava Rain Front Row was my BIS 3, while Klungerhaugen's Quality, the Labrador Retriever who won Group 8 rounded off my BIS 4.

The Norwegian Kennel Club would like to thank all participants for contributing to making this a successful show, and hope to wish you back to Bergen next year!

Norsk Kennel Klub