Chilliwack's Bella wins best German shepherd female dog at Westminster show
Credit to Author: Kevin Griffin| Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2020 23:20:50 +0000
Bella the German shepherd had a beautiful day in New York.
The three-year-old canine won best female German shepherd in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Sunday.
The No. 1 German shepherd in Canada went head-to-tail against other top dogs in the show that has been held annually in New York since 1877.
Jody Duin is one of Bella’s owners along with Parker, her seven-year-old daughter, and Cortnie Partner.
In N.Y., Courtney Penner was in the ring as Bella’s professional handler.
“We’re absolutely thrilled,” Jody Duin said Sunday. “We’re so proud of Courtney and Bella. For us to walk away with this achievement is validation for all the hard work the team has put in during the past year.”
Jody and Parker couldn’t be in N.Y. because of other commitments. They watched Bella and Courtney live in the ring on Facebook.
Bella returns home to Chilliwack on Tuesday. Jody Duin said she doesn’t know what the future holds for Bella.
“If we were to throw in the towel and retire today, we’re on Cloud 9 because she’s far exceeded our wildest expectation,” she said by phone.
Out of 2,630 entries at the Westminster show this year, 63 are dogs from Canada. Bella was the only dog from the Lower Mainland.
In 2015, Miss P, a beagle from Enderby, was the first B.C.-bred dog to win Best-in-Show at Westminster.
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