TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Dogs Of All Sizes Will Woof, Yap And Howl Their Way To Victory

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 10, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - You never know what you're going to see at a dog show.
Joe Napolitano of Lutz, chairman of the Tampa Bay Kennel Club and a longtime professional dog handler, recalls the time a handler took a dog on a demonstration stroll in the ring and failed to notice the animal's collar had slipped off. The handler blithely trotted along with the collar and leash while the dog sat and waited with the judge.

Napolitano, who has shown dogs at Westminster, the Super Bowl of dog shows, will work with Labrador retrievers, French bulldogs and Samoyeds at Florida Classic Clusters, the biggest dog show in Florida, which continues this week and next at Florida Classic Park in Brooksville.

The shows, free to the public, run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day but Tuesday through Jan. 18. Parking costs $5. On Monday, parking is free for visitors age 60 and older; just mention at the gate that you're a senior. On Sunday, the first 100 kids 15 and younger who take the free AKC show tour will get a baseball cap.

To get to the park from the Tampa area, take Interstate 75 north to exit 301, then State Road 50/98 West to Lockhart Road and south to the site. For information, call (813) 465-4525 or go to www.floridaclassicpark.com.

A staff report

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT