Today, 22 October 2006, starting at 11.00 am, the BIG Match Show charity dog exhibition will be taking place at Tallinn’s Song Festival Grounds. The aim of the show is to draw attention to the problem of stray dogs in Estonia today.
All dogs are invited to take part in the BIG Match Show: both trained pedigree dogs and mutts taking part in such an event for the first time. All money raised from the event will be donated to the Tartu animal shelter.
According to Aire-Piret Pärn, a member of the board of the Association of Estonian Dog Owners, the organisers of the exhibition are looking to raise awareness among the public that taking on a pet is a big responsibility and is something that cannot be done on a whim, as it is not a decision that you can easily back out of. “Throwing a dog out onto the streets is a heartless thing to do, but is something that happens with regrettable frequency in today’s world,” said Pärn.
BIG’s project manager Taavi Esperk says that BIG is sponsoring the organisation of the charity dog show because very little attention has been paid to the problem of stray dogs in the face of Estonia’s economic boom.
According to the statistics of the Association of Estonian Dog Owners, the majority of shelters for stray dogs in Estonia are in poor condition and need financial support. The profits from today\'s BIG Match Show will be donated to the Tartu animal shelter, which plans to put the funds that are raised into improving the living conditions for their dogs, for example by constructing running yards for those animals staying at the shelter.
This is the second year that the charity Match Show has been held. The inaugural event was attended by more than 570 people and a total of 160 dogs took part in the show. As chief sponsor and co-organiser of the exhibition, it is BIG’s wish to turn the large-scale charity dog show into an annual event.
Registration for participation in the BIG Match Show will take place on site between 9.00 am and 10.50 am. Participation costs 50 kroons (in total for dog and owner). Tickets for adult visitors to the show cost 25 kroons, while children, students and pensioners can watch the dogs for free. The event is being arranged by BIG in cooperation with Koertekoda and the Association of Estonian Dog Owners.
For more information about the dog show and participating in it, take a look at www.big.ee, www.koertekoda.ee or www.koeraomanikud.ee.
Journalists please note: You are invited to take part in the BIG Match Show. To ensure free entrance to the event, please get in touch with Taavi Esperk on 56 504 875.
For more information and comments please contact:
Aire-Piret Pärn
Member of the Board
Association of Estonian Dog Owners
Mobile: +372 5555 5138
airepiret@koertekoda.net
Taavi Esperk
Project Manager
Balti Investeeringute Grupi Pank (BIG)
Telephone: +372 630 9928
Mob: +372 5650 4875
taavi.esperk@big.ee
