On all fours: Pet show has Peshawar’s animal lovers purring

Dogs, birds, horses and rare species thrill visitors

PESHAWAR:

Barks, neighs, meows and squawks were the order of the day at Pearl Continental Hotel in the city where a pet show was held on Saturday.

The show displayed different varieties and breeds of dogs, birds and cats. The dogs strutted their stuff and included shih tzus, pugs, labradors and rottweilers; all of whom kept the audience thoroughly entertained. Meanwhile, a lone horse stood tall and proud, honouring the occasion with its majestic presence.

It was an eventful day for animal lovers and the sunny conditions complimented the nature of the show. People were amazed to find that all the animals seemed in harmony, but that was hardly surprising as they were thoroughly spoiled and pampered by their people.



An African grey parrot clutched onto the hands of young Sardar Hamza. “Being from Peshawar, I am delighted that such an event is being held in my city,” Hamza said with a hint of excitement in his tone. “This is my first time at any pet show and it’s great to see Peshawar evolving in a manner which allows such beautiful events.”



Like Hamza, most of the humans and their pets were residents of Peshawar and it was also their first exposure to such an event. Cradling a punch-faced Persian cat in his arms, Danyal said he was excited to be in the midst of animal lovers.



The event greeted foreigners too as they came to spend some time with two and four-legged friends. Besides the pet show, the event had plenty of food and drink, while accessories for the animals were on sale. Veterinarians were also at hand and ever ready to pass on a tip or two for the well-being of the animals.

The judges of the show included veterinarian Dr Masoom Khattak, Pearl Continental General Manager Shehryar Mirza and the hotel’s public relations manager Imtiaz Ali. The finale of the pet show saw stiff competition between the animals in three phases. In the first phase, animals were displayed before the judges to choose the best example of a particular breed. In the second phase, the animals were mixed and judges had to choose a winner from all the creatures. Finally, the last stage was a competition between the rare breeds of animals.



Head Organiser Ammar Gul Khan said he had arranged such events in the past, but this was the biggest among them. According to Ammar, “Events such as these are actually the face of developed countries. If we hold such events, it would show that we are heading in the right direction as well”. He also spoke about the woeful condition of the animal industry in Peshawar. “Such events would help create a soft corner among the people who are generally apathetic towards the well-being of animals,” Ammar added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2015.