Woof Factor 2015

Oldies Club is celebrating older dogs! We are holding a fundraising photo competition for the seventh year running especially for dogs age 7 and over. The winning dog will represent the Oldies Club for the following year. The only rule for this competition is that dogs entering need to be veterans, they do not necessarily need to be rescue dogs to enter.

We have divided the UK up into 7 regions (North East, North West, South East, South West, Midlands, Scotland and Wales. The winner of each region will go forward to the Grand Final.

The competition will run for the month of March, closing at 9pm on Tuesday 31st March 2015.

PLEASE don’t leave it till the last minute and risk missing out!!

How to Enter

Entry cost is £2 per entry (one photograph per entry). You may have as many entries as you wish. Payment can be made by Paypal or cheque.

Our address for Paypal is paypal@oldies.org.uk Please can you state when sending the money that it is for WOOF FACTOR, who you are and which photos the payment relates to.

If anyone wishes to pay by cheque please can it be made out to Oldies Club and sent to : 49A Kinross Close, Cinnamon Brow, Warrington, Cheshire, WA2 0UT (Please do NOT send photographs to this address). Please can you make sure you send a note with your payment so we know who you are and which photos the payment are relates to.

NB. You must own the copyright of the pictures you are posting as any photos entered may be used for future promotional material by Oldies Club. No studio shots such as those taken at Pets at Home events.

Oldies Club Committee members are unable to take part in this competition. This rule does not apply to helpers or other associates.

Photos should ideally be a headshot or show the dog clearly.

**Please resize your photos to 640 x 480 pixels before emailing them.**

Photos will need to be sent to events@oldies.org.uk. Please state name and age of the dog and also which region you are in. Please do not send us hard copy photos through the post.

Only those photos which have their entry fee paid by the deadline will be sent to the judges.

Rosettes will be awarded to the 1st – 3rd place winners in each region. Regional winners will also win goody bags.

Rosettes have kindly donated by Marlin Rosettes.

Overall Winner will receive a Taster Box of Treats kindly donated by Lazy Storm, a pet portrait commission kindly donated by judge Gillian Ussher, Anicura set (including Spray, Gel Ointment, Shampoo & Conditioner ) & an item from Izabela Peters Pet Range

Five runners up will receive a copy of Handbags & Poobags – Tales of a Soho Boxer Dog kindly donated by author Alice Wright, supplements kindly donated by Pooch and Mutt & shampoo from Anicura

If you have any questions please contact a member of Oldies Club at events@oldies.org.uk

Presenting the Judges

Marc Abraham

Oldies Club Patron Marc Abraham known as ‘Marc the Vet’ is CEVA’s current Vet of the Year, the nation’s favourite TV vet giving our nation pet advice, promoting animal welfare, responsible pet ownership, and rescue pet adoption. Marc is a practicing vet and also founded the PupAid campaign to end the cruel industry of puppy farming. Marc has his own iPhone app for dog-owners Canine Care, and has written two books Vet on Call, and for animal-loving children Pets in Need. For more information about Marc the Vet visit his website www.marcthevet.com, follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/marcthevet or like his page on Facebook www.facebook.com/MarcTheVet.

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Andy Bradshaw & Peter Knowles

Andy Bradshaw and Peter Knowles own and run the Hamptons interiors store and Blue Pelican Café in Penarth, South Wales. They also have an interior design business which is based at the Hamptons store. They are ably assisted in the running of Hamptons by Millie, Georgie and Daisy who come to work with Andy and Peter each day. All three are Westies who had previously lived on puppy farms and were re-homed with Andy and Peter by Many Tears Animal Rescue. Millie is the official “oldie” and together with Georgie and Daisy writes the blog on the Hamptons website – www.hamptonspenarth.co.uk The Blue Pelican Café has a dedicated Doggie Dining section with tables reserved for customers visiting with dogs. All of the doggie customers are treated to a free doggycino when they visit. All of the 5p carrier bag charges at Hamptons are donated to Many Tears and since the charge was first introduced in Wales a total of almost £4,000 has been raised.

Lucy Dillon

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Lucy Dillon grew up in Cumbria and read English at Cambridge university, then read a lot of magazines as a press assistant in London, then read other people’s manuscripts as a junior fiction editor. She now lives in a village outside Hereford with two basset hounds, an old red Range Rover and too many books. She has written five novels set in Longhampton, and her newest book, One Small Act of Kindness will be published in April.

Janetta Harvey & Susie-Belle

Janetta Harvey is author of “Saving Susie-Belle” and writes and campaigns widely on the subject of puppy farming. Two of her three dogs are survivors of the puppy farming industry and living with dogs who have been harmed by humans and yet can put that behind them, move on and enjoy their lives, inspires her every single day. As well as campaigning and seeking to educate the puppy buying public about the ugly side of the breeding industry, Janetta regularly fundraises for rescues and champions senior dogs whenever the opportunity arises. While cute puppies are always adorable, Janetta is on a mission to get others to look beyond the cuteness, and to celebrate the joy of oldies. Her next book “Saving One More” is due out in September and shares the story of her dog Twinkle’s journey to normal life after the puppy farm and explores the global nature of abusive commercial puppy breeding.

More on her campaigning and writing can be found on her Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Susie-Belle-Schnauzer/ , her blog http://susiefoodie.blogspot.co.uk/ and she can be followed on Twitter https://twitter.com/SusieBSchnauzer

Jo Middleton

Jo is the principal trainer at www.dog-first-aid.com and specialises in providing those who work with dogs with lifesaving emergency dog first aid skills and the confidence to use those skills should they need to. Jo grew up around the show ring mainly showing Belgian Shepherd Malinois at Crufts level, however in her early 20’s got involved in rescue and has been heavily involved with all aspects of rescue for many years. Jo is honoured to have been asked to be a judge for “The Woof Factor” and fully supports that fantastic work that Oldies Club do.

Jane Sobel

Jane Sobel launched her photography career in 1976 as the first photographer to scale the cables to the top of the Verrazano Bridge to get a shot of the start of the New York City Marathon. Jane was the official photographer of the New York City Marathon for the next 10 years. Mother to up and coming filmmaker, Kacey, she lives with her husband Arthur, their two therapy dogs, Charlie and Sam, and two cats, Lucky and Humphrey, in rural Vermont.

Over two years ago, Jane started Project Unconditional, a collection of photos and stories focusing on the powerful relationships between people and their older dogs. Two passions collided to embody this project on a day in 2012 while Jane sat in her insurance brokers office. She found herself much more interested in Angela and her old bulldog, Clementine, who came to work with her everyday, than in insurance questions. On that day, Jane’s livelihood and first passion, photography, serendipitously melded with her love of dogs. The idea that eventually developed was a collection of photos and stories documenting the very special relationship and connection between people and their dogs in the twilight of their lives. Since that day, Jane has photographed and collected stories of more than 150 people and their senior dogs in over 15 U. S. states, and has collaborated with many organizations like Grey Muzzle, Guiding Eyes, Orvis, and AKC Family Dog. Jane is currently working on creating a book highlighting these relationships.

Jane’s Project Unconditional website: www.projectunconditional.info

Gillian Ussher

Gillian is a professional pet portrait artist based in Glossop, Derbyshire, working with both pastel and oil www.perpetualportraits.co.uk She regularly supports charities with her work, and lives with two Jack Russell Terriers, a Vizsla and a cat along with her human family.

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