With The City’s Biggest Pet Event ...MEET THE BREEDS®
Tickets are on sale NOW for Tampa’s first AKC Meet the Breeds®, arriving at the Tampa Convention Center Saturday April 23rd and Sunday April 24th, 2022. The American Kennel Club® (AKC) and GF Sports & Entertainment bring this two-day educational event to Tampa to give attendees the unique opportunity to meet and play with numerous different dog breeds while learning about responsible pet ownership and to find the best breed(s) for their lifestyle straight from the experts. From Affenpinschers to Yorkshire Terriers, this canine extravaganza is fun for the whole family.
Attendees can:
- Meet and play with more than 100 different dog breeds in booths that depict each breed’s country of origin, historical purpose/function
- Discover new breeds and talk to breed experts to determine what dog will work for their lifestyle
- Learn about responsible pet ownership
- See fun and entertaining demonstrations of dog sports and working dogs exhibiting their skills
- Engage in unique activities such as testing your own agility skills in our interactive fun zone. Attendees can also participate in games and photo opportunities with the whole family.
The event is open to the general public and is perfect for the whole family. Admission is $20 for children and $30 for adults. There is also upgraded VIP admission available. Tickets are on sale now through the tour’s exclusive ticket provider SeatGeek®.
“We are thrilled to bring this event to Florida’s west coast,” said AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo. “With the city of Tampa being extremely dog-friendly, we’re so excited to introduce such a lively city to this unique event where they can see their favorite breeds and learn about new ones. Tampa was made for an event like this.”
This event a the Tampa Bay Convention Center is open to the general public and invites people of all ages to meet, pet, and learn about over 100 different dog breeds. Throughout the day Tampa Bay’s first largest pet show, this educational extravaganza will feature demonstrations of popular AKC sports, showcasing the best in the sport and the jobs that dogs were bred and trained to do.
Aside from meeting lots of different breeds, there will be several demonstrations that highlight the athleticism and work ethic of dogs, including:
- Agility – Watch these super talented dogs navigate an obstacle course of jumps, weaves & tunnels courtesy of the Dog Training Club of Tampa.
- Obedience – See the precision work of competition obedience dogs as they heel, retrieve and demonstrate how dogs can advance from the basics to upper-level skills brought to you by the Dog Training Club of Tampa.
- Trick Dog –Move over sit and stay!The routines these dogs do are sure to impress the whole family, courtesy of the Dog Training Club of Tampa.
- Disc Dog –Enjoy this fast-paced fun sport that takes the game of fetch to a whole new level, brought to you by the Central Florida Disc Dogs
- Rally –Check out this exciting sport that is equal parts skill and thrill as dogs and their owners navigate a course of obedience tasks courtesy of the Dog Training Club of Tampa.
- K9 Search & Rescue – Don’t miss this demo of search & rescue dogs doing what they do best courtesy of the Sarasota K9 Search & Rescue team.
There will also be demonstrations from AKC Trick Dog, the Central Florida Disc Dogs, and a special demo by the Florida Urban Search & Rescue Teams. Our interactive area includes unique activities such as testing your own skills on the agility courses just like the dogs do and participating in games and photo opportunities with the whole family.
Special thanks to the knowledgeable volunteers from AKC parent breed clubs for supporting our vision and making this responsible pet education extravaganza possible.
For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.akc.org/meetthebreeds.
About the American Kennel Club and Meet the Breeds:
Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization, which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership.
More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred and mixed breed dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog. AKC Clubs comprise America’s largest rescue network. For more information, visit www.akc.org.
AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc.
Become a fan of the American Kennel Club on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @AKCDogLovers
About GF Sports & Entertainment:
GF Sports & Entertainment is a global events and operations company that elevates the experience of live sports, entertainment and interactive events. The company owns two of the ATP Tour’s longest running American tennis tournaments, the Dallas Open and the Trust Atlanta Open, as well as the National Lacrosse League New York Riptide.
In partnership with the American Kennel Club (AKC), the leading registry and governing body of canine events in the United States, they operate the AKC Meet the Breeds® touring show. GF Sports & Entertainment also incubates new and emerging sport concepts, this includes Wolf Pack Ninjas, which operates ninja-focused events globally.
GF Sports & Entertainment was founded in July 2015 by New York-based private equity firm GF Capital. For additional information, please visit www.gfsportsandentertainment.com.
Content and photos provided about Meet the Breed by the the American Kennel Club and GF Sports & Entertainment. You may also be interested in Gulfport’s fury rescue here. Another story to look into would be tails at twilights.