As you are reading this issue of the FCI Newsletter, the summer dog-show season is at its peak. The biggest event - a feast for all eager exhibitors – of this year was the FCI World Dog Show 2012 in Salzburg, Austria.
I would like to congratulate the Austrian kennel Club (ÖKV) and everybody who contributed to this outstanding canine event.

This issue contains a report and evaluation of this show. I would like to point out that unfortunately, abandoned dogs in closed vehicles at shows are a remaining issue. The speakers continually encouraged people to come to their vehicles and take their dogs out, even announcing particular license plate numbers of these vehicles, asking the owners to release their dogs immediately from the heat. Despite the joint effort of the police and paramedics, there was one dog who, sadly, didn‘t make it.Unfortunately, this has been a recurring scenario, even at the most prestigous shows. I am asking everybody to keep an eye on this problem and to look for ways to deal with it. Dogs hardly deserve to be treated like that.

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Stefan Stefik
FCI Treasurer
5 questions for a Dog Show: interview with the President of the organising committee, Mr Jiri Siska
Mr Jiri Siska

When was the first edition of the show held and how dit it develop?

The first time the Prague international dog show was held was in 1996. It took place in Prague exhibition venue, where the World Dog Show also took place in the 60ies. Later on, several dog shows took place in open-air horse races in Velka Chuchle; unfortunately there were bad conditions for organisers and for exhibitors, as everything depended on the weather. Nowadays, we organise the shows in an easily accessible exhibition centre: EXPO PVA Letnany, in the suburbs of Prague. The conditions for the organisers and the exhibitors are excellent there. The show grounds are in large halls, close to a spacious parking. The venue can easily be reached by cars, bus and underground.


Are you happy about this year’s edition?

We organise two shows per year – in Spring and in Autumn and we try to improve them every time. Each time we are a bit more satisfied but never fully, because there are always things which can be improved. Our priority is the exhibitors’ satisfaction.


How “international” can this event be considered (judges, exhibitors, etc.)?

From this point of view each show has different levels. We try to invite as many foreigner judges as possible and in Czech Republic we are one of those shows where you can meet a large international panel of judges – not only from Europe, but also from Australia, USA and Malaysia. Our show is well promoted in media before the show and also afterwards.


What is your strategy (if any) to attract more exhibitors, public and media’s attention?

We try to attract the media as much as possible as they can be very powerful, but in Prague there are many different events every weekend and that´s very difficult.


Did you have to take into consideration specific circumstances (social, economical, country-specific, etc.) when preparing and organising this big event?

Already during the preparation of the entry forms for next show we think about the entry fee for next year. We want to be the most profitable show in Czech Republic. So far this strategy is successful. We never had less entry than 3,100 dogs.