Friends of the Elderly’s Alton Residential Care Home Hosts Annual Super-Paw Dog Show For The Third Year
To celebrate this year’s Care Home Open Week, The Lawn, the Alton-based residential care home run by charity, Friends of the Elderly, which is celebrating its 120th Anniversary this year, is ‘em-barking’ on the preparations for the care home’s third annual community Dog Show, which is affectionately known as ‘The Scruffies’.
“Both the 2023 and 2024 ‘Scruffies’ were such ‘pawsome’ community events, the inclusive, accessible and fun day is now a ‘fur-m’ fixture on our events calendar,” said Catalina Constantin, The Lawn’s Activities Coordinator. “Each year, the residents love getting involved with the preparations and making the rosettes and doggy treat bags. The residents not only love dogs, but all animals and frequently reminisce and talk about pets they have had and loved as children or with their own children. Between them, there have been cats, birds, rabbits – and of course dogs, it’s quite a list any zoo would be proud of.”
The 2025 ‘Scruffies’ will take place at The Lawn Residential Care Home at 119 London Road, Holybourne, Alton, GU34 4ER on Friday 20th June 2025 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“Each year, the residents have a wonderful time at ‘The Scruffies’, interacting with the ‘’tail-ented’ dogs, their owners and our local community,” continued Steve Swift, the Registered Manager at The Lawn. “It’s a great event for the residents and also supports and reinforces our ongoing commitment to, and our strong links with, our local community.”
“For the 2025 ‘Scruffies’, we have 11 award categories,” continued Catalina. “The categories will be Most Handsome Dog, Prettiest Lady Dog, Best Rescue Dog, Best Junior Handler, The Waggiest Tail, The Best Behaved Dog, The Scruffiest Dog, The Dog Most Like Its Owner, The Winner of The Sausage Eating Race and, finally, The Dog The Judges Would Like To Take Home; with the final, prestigious award going to Best in Show.”
“We will set The Show Ring up on the lawn outside the care home’s dining area, giving everyone a good view and the opportunity to see the ‘claw-ver’ dogs ‘un-leash’ their ‘paw-tential,” added Steve.
The Entry Fee will be only £5 per dog for as many categories as you’d like to enter. The Lawn’s residents will act as Judges for the event and handmade rosettes will be awarded to the top three winners in each class. In addition, the winners of the Best Behaved, Best Trick, Best Rescue Dog and Best in Show categories will win a £20 gift voucher.
However, no pup will leave with empty paws, as each dog who enters will be given a doggie bag of tasty doggie treats which the residents will also make for them. “All the money we raise from the 2025 ‘Scruffies’ will go into the Resident’s Activity Fund,” said Catalina.
In addition to all the canine fun, Steve and the care team will be on hand to give any visitors tours of The Lawn. “From 2 p.m. on 20th June, we will also be able to take visitors on tours of the care home. Hosting ‘The Scruffies’ is the perfect opportunity for visitors to see the care home – both inside and out – and see the dedicated care team in action as they deliver individualised, person-centred care to each resident and respite guest,” continued Steve.
There will also be ‘fur-bulous’ ‘whining and dining’ for visitors and all the dogs’ humans to enjoy too, as The Lawn will be offering tasty afternoon teas for only £5 per person. Hot and cold beverages will also be available to purchase.
If you would like to enter your dog into any – or all – of the 2025 ‘Scruffies’ categories, please email Catalina on: catalina.constantin@fote.org.uk or give her a call on telephone number 01420 84162.
“We look forward to welcoming as many dogs, their owners and visitors as ‘paw-sible’, to make our 2025 ‘Scruffies’ bigger and ‘bark-ier’ than last year – and really hope everyone will raise the ‘woof’. Knowing how much the residents love animals, they are ‘def-fur-nately’ looking forward to it,” concluded Steve.
