On Sunday 11th November 2007, the ‘Live Love Animals Festival - Enjoy Sports with Dogs’ was held on the Lawn Area of Port Island in Kobe. This date coincided with ‘dogs’ day’, as November 11th when spoken as “11/11” mimics the sound of a dog barking (in Japanese language). The Festival was blessed with fine weather and with the usual invigorating sea breeze. Overall, it was the perfect day for marking the Festival’s final use of this venue.

Competition participants were presented with either a dog toy or a Frisbee (for Frisbee participants) or a ‘bawtamine’ dog-drink from the Gig-Race Association. Also at the venue, various kinds of dog food, ProPlan 1kg bags were distributed as samples by Nestle Purina PetCare.

[Exhibition Displays]
After the competition sessions ‘Agility’, ‘K-9 Free-Style’ and ‘Frisbee Dog’ displays were exhibited. In the agility demonstration, the display dog jumped over hurdles from the right or from the left, either alternatively or continuously from the right (or vice-versa), or showed how swiftly it could return to its owner. This performance elegantly demonstrated how attentive dogs need to be to their handlers and how important it is for handlers to give precise instructions. Agility is a highly profound activity.
In the K-9 Free-Style, two dog/human pairs appeared and the audience applauded the stunning dance performances they gave.
The Frisbee dog exhibition was provided by dogs from the Japan Frisbee Dog Association. They gave some astounding demonstrations and the audience cheered with delight. Particularly impressive was the very small Jack Russel Terrier that could effortlessly and cheerfully catch a Frisbee disc seemingly far too big for its body-size.

[Award Giving Ceremony]
The top three winners of each competition were honored at the awards presentation ceremony. Each winner was presented with a shield from Kobe City Animal Welfare Association and a Certificate plus ProPlan 9kg bag from Nestle Purina PetCare. The owners and their dogs climbed the podium, despite being exhausted, looking happy and well-satisfied. Many dogs will have been well-praised back home for sure!

[‘Janken’ (paper, scissors, stone) contest]
Thanks to the generosity of various retailers, as in previous years, many goods were donated as ‘Janken’ contest prizes. Although by this time it was growing dark many people stayed on to try out their luck. For those who did not win in the other contests, this was a chance for them to go home a winner. By the time we reached the moment of the ‘Accommodation for 2 plus pet’ prize it was completely dark. Yet many people stayed till the end and said ‘see you next year!’ Two lucky people won the framed dog picture taken by the professional photographer.

As mentioned, this was the last time for the Festival to be held on the Lawn Area of Port Island. During the event, many people asked us if the event was the last one or if it was going to be held next year. We told them ‘Don’t worry!’ The venue will change but we have already started to prepare another site so we can hold it again next year. The format may change slightly but we will do our best to present an event that is equally, or even more, enjoyable for everyone and their dogs. So see you next year, in another location!