Many people in Uganda keep their dogs locked up during the day, not realising they are missing out on so much fun and bonding. Dogs deserve to be a part of our lives, to bring fun and joy to families, and to perform their duties while enjoying the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury, or disease; freedom from fear and distress, and freedom to express natural behaviour.

Protecting the Five Animal Freedoms

A group of dog lovers and enthusiasts formed the Canine Association Uganda in January 2021. CAU is an association of kennels and clubs with the mission to protect the Five Animal Freedoms and promote the responsible keeping of purebred dogs. CAU follows the principles and rules of FCI (Federation Cinologique Internationale) and is taking Uganda on the journey to becoming an FCI member. On this journey, CAU is mentored by the Kennel Association of the Republic of Macedonia, who are keenly assisting us with knowledge and guidance on managing the national purebred registry and national microchip database, organising training seminars for dog judges and national dog shows that meet the FCI standards.

CAU registry currently has 26 different breeds. Our robust microchip database serves as the dog identity and ownership database in case of loss or theft. We assist dog owners with advice and support with the import and export of dogs, finding the right mate for breeding, and finding suitable dogs for new owners. Registration of pedigree dogs is free, so I encourage dog owners to reach out and register their dogs with CAU and join in showing their dogs, while making new friends in Uganda.

CAU judging program currently has five aspiring judges in training, as we hope to accept five more for the 2023/24 program. Developing our Ugandan FCI judges is important as it provides local expertise and gives opportunities to Ugandans to travel to other countries and judge at their dog shows. We so far had judges from Russia, Canada, and North Macedonia for our three national dog shows.

CAU registry currently has 26 different breeds. Our robust microchip database serves as the dog identity and ownership database in case of loss or theft. We assist dog owners with advice and support with the import and export of dogs, finding the right mate for breeding, and finding suitable dogs for new owners. Registration of pedigree dogs is free, so I encourage dog owners to reach out and register their dogs with CAU and join in showing their dogs, while making new friends in Uganda.

CAU organises the Youth League, a gathering of kids and dogs where kids learn from experts how to handle dogs in the show ring. Dog handlers in Europe are highly paid for showing dogs in the ring, and we see potential in developing this hobby into a profession that can take Ugandans and Ugandan dogs to competitions in the region and beyond. We are working with Canine Experts on managing the youth training program.

We encourage dog owners to join various dog clubs in Uganda. Clubs have the mandate to organise periodic events and competitions. Clubs are the future of dogs’ welfare in Uganda, connecting owners and supporting services like veterinarians, groomers, food shops, pet shops, and other dog-related services so we can grow and learn together for the benefit of our dogs.

The first day is reserved for Specialty Shows, where we will see Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd, Boerboel, and possibly the Rottweiler breeds competing for the Specialty Show Winner and the Best of Breed titles. The second day is reserved for all-breed CAC show and, in case of entries from neighbouring countries, we shall also give CACIB awards. All our shows are conformation and beauty shows for now, with plans to organise working dog shows in the near future.

We can’t wait to see you and your dogs at the next dog show!

Nada Andersen – chairman@cau.ug