Dogs, 400 of them, wanted for advert

Press, 25 August 1988, Page 9

Dogs, 400 of them, wanted for advert

By

MICHAEL RENTOUL

Canterbury canines may have more than a dog’s chance of starring in a pet food commercial which a British company intends filming in the South Island next month.

The company had said it required 400 dogs to film the commercial, but the owners of only 200 dogs had responded, in spite of payments of £5 (SNZI3) a dog to clubs willing to participate, said a member of the South Island German Shepherd League, Mrs Carol Black. She said she had until the end of the month to find the rest of the dogs, or the company had indicated it might not come. Letters were sent to 38 dog clubs in Canterbury and so far she had had replies from 21 clubs.

The poor response was probably because of the fact people were “job conscious” at the moment.

“A lot of people on the dole are also finding It difficult to keep a dog and family. Dogs

are playing second fiddle at the moment,” said Mrs Black. The advertising company wanted to film in New Zealand mainly because of its snow. “The snow will be here but it looks as if the dogs won’t, she said. Filming was due to start on September 19 at either Mount Hutt, Arthur’s Pass or Hanmer Springs, she said. She had had no trouble finding six “special” dogs required for the “cute” scenes, she said. “A Hungarian Puli, one of only three in the South Island, has to come out of a river and shake itself; a bearded terrier has to jump over a fallen tree, and a Norwich terrier has to poke its head round the corner of a tree and look cute,” Mrs Black said.

The company had asked her to emphasise to clubs that only dogs of sound temperament were required. Fighters were definitely out. One of England’s top “obedience” women, Sue Potter, would be on set to ensure the dogs’ safety, she said.