Tails were wagging and spirits were high when we welcomed residents, families and the wider community to the second annual Middleton Hall Retirement Village Dog Show.

The event staged on the bowling green beside the Pavilion attracted entries from as far away as Sunderland for a fun-filled morning of friendly canine competition.

Six light-hearted categories were open for entries including Waggiest Tail, Puppy Love (under 1 year), Old Timer (over 7 years), Best Trick, Prettiest Pooch, and the popular Dog We’d Most Like to Take Home.

A special panel of judges invited for the occasion performed the almost impossible task of deciding the winners.

The enthusiastic crowd were encouraged by Jerome from the Health & Wellbeing team who acted as compere and DJ for the occasion.

A pop-up café run by the Orangery Bistro provided refreshments alongside the competition.

All proceeds from the £1 entry donations went to Wag & Co. (Wag and Company), a North East charity dedicated to tackling loneliness and social isolation in older people by providing friendship through dog visits. Dog sketches by Elaine from the Wellbeing Team, also known for her work at ZimmPetPortraits, were also sold to boost fundraising.

Here’s a gallery of photos from the event.