PAWS WITH PRIDE PROMISES FUN FOR ALL…

PETS are planning to be paraded with pride, at the closing event for this year’s northern celebration of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. This Sunday (July 28) dogs, ponies, reptiles and even a meerkat will be out in force at Newcastle’s Leazes Park for the annual Paws With Pride show, bringing the North East’s Newcastle Pride event to an end. Following on from last week’s successful Pride celebration at Exhibition Park, where 28,000 people turned up for a day packed with live entertainment, this weekend it’s the animals’ turn, as the Paws with Pride Pet Show gets underway for the fourth time. “Paws with Pride is one of the North East’s best loved family events, bringing together people of all ages and all communities through a shared love of animals,” said organiser Ken Mortimer. The day starts off with a “gay walkies” fancy dress doggie parade, with a £2 entry fee which will be divided between three leading animal charities. The walk is being led by double merle border collies Charlie and Ben, who have both been blind and deaf since birth. The event – which runs from 11.30am to 4.30pm -  includes a fun dog show, pony rides, alpacas, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds of prey, snakes and the first appearance by Maku the meerkat along with dog agility displays by the Northumberland Dog Training Club and Pugility. Every year the event attracts thousands of people and the hope is that members of the LGBT community and the public at large will go along and support the day. “This really is a great family day for everyone,” said Ken.