Aspin to compete in national dog show

Who would have thought that an aspin or asong Pinoy, a mixed breed mongrel, rescued from the streets would take centerstage in dog shows?

Two years ago, “Amiga” was found by Ryan Ong Cabahug outside his house in Mandaue City.

He decided to rescue the female aspin puppy and train her like his other pure-bred dogs in K9 Cebu Agility Run Enthusiast (K9CARE), a dog-training facility he runs.

Last year, Amiga joined her first frisbee catching competition in Cebu as the smallest entry.

Although she didn’t win, “she showed the people that she can compete with other trained pure-bred dogs and she gained a lot of fans,” said a proud Ong Cabahug.

He recalled that in a competition he joined in 2010, people used to say that aspins can’t compete like pure-bred dogs. He wanted to prove them wrong.

This weekend, Amiga and two other aspins from Manila and Davao will join 61 other dogs from all over the country in the First Philippine Dog Agility Championships at the Cebu IT Park in Lahug.

The event, dubbed as the “biggest dog sport event in the country,” is organized by the Philippine Dog Athletics Association (PDAA) together with the Cebu City government through the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF).

The competition includes events such as jumping (clearing hurdles, a beginners’ course); gamblers (an obstacle course involving a point system); starters and advanced standard agility (involving a set obstacle course, in which a handler guides the dog through); and the disc dog or frisbee event.

The president of the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA), Kenneth Tatsch, will officiate the event. USDAA is the largest dog agility organization in the world.

Apart from the competition, the association wants to promote dog welfare among pet owners all over the country.

Jojo Isorena, president of PDAA, said this is an important advocacy of the group.

Isorena is also a champion of asPins.

The group also wants to promote dog training and exercise as well as establish camaraderie among dog lovers like themselves.