Orpington care home hosts paw-some dog show

A care home in Orpington has announced the winners of its barking mad competition. 

Care UK’s Foxbridge House, on Sevenoaks Road, ‘raised the woof’ with its very own dog show.

As part of the contest, the care home team and residents’ relatives were invited to showcase their dogs’ good looks to win a series of awards, including ‘cutest dog’, ‘most affectionate’, and ‘fastest dog’, up for grabs.

Im-paw-sibly adorable dogs entered, with many winners receiving rosettes, including Coco, a Bernese Poodle, who took home the ‘best dog in show’ award. It was Nigel, a Chihuahua, who took second place and Murphy, an English Pointer, came in third. 

Joining the judging panel were residents Bill Miles, 93, Jean White, 88, and Bob Merrison, 92. Commenting on the afternoon, Jean said: “It was fun! The team and the dogs kept everyone jolly, and everyone seemed quite at home. I liked Murphy, he was lively and very friendly. I had a Cocker Spaniel many years ago and I remember taking him to the field to play hide and seek.”

Stella Barnes, Home Manager at Foxbridge House, said: “We’re thrilled to say our dog show was a total success. We loved seeing so many wonderful tails wagging into our home – they made it very hard to pick a winner!

“We know just how beneficial animal therapy can be for older people, especially for those living with dementia, as being close to animals can help lift a person’s mood and stimulate social interaction. Many residents had dogs as family pets in their younger years, so it brought back special memories being part of our judging panel and meeting so many adorable pooches. 

“Congratulations to our winners – they certainly raised the woof at Foxbridge House!”

Foxbridge House has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to lead active and fulfilling lives. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care, and has its very own cinema, hair and beauty salon and pub.