Good Dogs for a Great Cause: 5th Annual Hamptons Dog Show

Good Dogs for a Great Cause: Fifth Annual Hamptons Dog Show

Hamptons people are dog people; nowhere is this more obvious than the East Hampton Lions Clubs Fifth Annual Dog Show. Good dogs, owners, and canine lovers gathered at the American Legion in Amagansett last Saturday afternoon to raise money for The Guide Dog Foundation of Long Island.

Over 300 Hamptons humans attended this year’s show, where 48 dogs and their owners competed for awards such as Most Unique Breed, Most Unique Feature, Best Trick, Dog/Owner Look-alike and Best in Show. Guests and their furry friends enjoyed food, ice cream trucks, live music, apparel, and a cash bar throughout the event. Oh, and of course—tons of dog treats!

Winner of Best in Show, Skipper and his Montauk owner (pictured above) has all the character and a heart-warming, All-American story. Skipper, originally a war dog from Afghanistan but was later rescued and relocated, is now being trained as a therapy dog. If that sentence doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what will.

We were especially taken with Lucas, a Nova Scotian Duck Tolling Retriever, who was a real standout at the event; we even made a super cute reel for him! He took 3rd place, but we think he’s the best boy (sorry about using my dog voice).

Lucas’ proud owner and first-time handler, Veronica said, “I’m such a proud dog mom! This was my first time showing Lucas and I was nervous because I do all the training myself. Everything was so welcoming and my nervousness quickly became excitement once I was around all the other dogs and owners!”

Founded in 1946 with the mission to provide guide dogs and training free of charge to people who are blind or have low vision, The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind offers a welcoming and supportive community with an uncompromising commitment to excellence for those in need. To donate and learn more, visit GuideDog.org/

Following the International Lions Club’s longtime efforts to provide blind and hard-of-hearing people with guide dogs, the East Hampton Lions Club started the dog show as a family-friendly, dog-oriented way to collect donations to get a dog for those in need! Giving is at the East Hampton Lions Club’s core; they donate ~80% of their operating budget.

The biggest takeaway for Veronica and Lucas was confirmation of a sneaking suspicion I’m sure we can all relate to, “I still can’t get over how much people really do look like their dogs!”