Our very own “Great Dame,” Jacky Sales retired from the Dog Show Committee in 2025 after 20 years of loyal and sustained support!  As our “chief scrounger,” she was responsible for collecting the prizes (for class winners) from local businesses – either by persuasion, coercion or sheer unrelenting doggedness…….  She was also generous in letting the committee hold their meetings in her dining room, which in turn, was taken over by all the prizes she collected.  She still continues to help on an ad hoc basis, for which we are very grateful.

As we are to Richard Sales, who has helped with the traffic management on show day for a countless number of years – and who has been tireless in handing out badges and fliers to unsuspecting visitors to Chiswick House grounds.  Not to mention all those posters he puts up (and get taken down!) all over Chiswick!

New golf buggy: Proceeds from the Dog Show, matched by Chiswick House Friends, paid for a new golf buggy, making it easier for the volunteer rangers and gardening staff to carry out their work in the extensive grounds.

Cricket Pavilion fencing: The cricket pitch, host to the annual Dog Show, was given splendid new railings – an asset also used by the local cricket club as well as by the children’s holiday club activities.

Poo bag dispensers: These dispensers, installed at every entrance, provide free biodegradable bags, generously donated by the Dogs Trust. The dispensers were originally designed by engineering students at Richmond College.

Dog-free picnic area fencing: Recognising that not everyone loves dogs (!), the Dog Show Committee funded the railings around this dog-free area close to the Classic Bridge.

And so, the annual Chiswick House Dog Show was born in 2004, thanks to the collaboration with Chiswick House Friends. The inaugural show, modest with a tent, a ring, and a couple of spaniels, quickly gained momentum. Local businesses and celebrity guests lent their support, transforming the event into what is now the LARGEST FREE FUN DOG SHOW IN LONDON.