* Friday at Label Love 6pm Open section, theme dressing welcome;

* Saturday at Kaffeine 9.30am – Dog’s Breakfast and launch for under-18 and awards;

* Sunday at Kaffeine 9.30am Dog’s Breakfast and peoples’ choice winners.

This has set me off thinking about what part dogs play in my life. My beautiful companion, Ellie, vacuums the floor, lets me know if someone is near the house and is my best friend. Most gratifying is that she is always glad to see me and thinks that I am the best thing that ever happened to her and I am not seeking a second opinion.

It is quite incredible what dogs are capable of. Here is a short list of some of their capabilities as therapists as shown by reputable research:

* As we know in the case of young Hamish Bird, they can detect seizures before they happen. Nobody yet knows how they do it, or why only certain dogs can do it.

* Some dogs can detect cancer and low blood sugar in diabetics due to their incredible sense of smell.

* Bringing a therapy dog into an autistic household helps to reduce the amount of cortisol (a stress hormone) in the autistic child’s body. This both calms the child down and shows him/her that they have a friend.

* Dogs can be trained to detect certain allergens in food and to alert allergic owners to dangerous scents.

* Therapy dogs work successfully in schools, aged care units, hospitals, jails and in the army.

This is not a final list of the good which dogs bring to our lives but it is what Anne Hind will be celebrating and asking for assistance for  in this exciting event.

The exhibition in August requires just a gold coin donation for entry and all profits will go to Smart Pups who train dogs to work with children with a disability.

Nibbles and drinks will be served.

​Contributed.