Paws 4 Fort Dog Show & Business Awards

Our favourite event of the year is back!
In partnership with Love Dogs West Dorset, we are pleased to announce Paws 4 Fort Family Fun Dog Show & Dogs Welcome Business Awards 2025!

We have a whole day of doggy delights, featuring:

Dog-friendly stalls with treats for all the family

Family Fun Dog Show

A display from Guide Dogs for the Blind West Dorset

Announcing the Winners of the 2025 Dogs Welcome Business Awards

Family Fun Dog Show

Enter your dog in our Dog Show for a chance to win prizes! £2 Entry for first category entered,  and £1 Entry for subsequent categories entered – pay on the day. Registration will start at 11am.

Dog Show Judging Categories:

 Waggiest Tail

Golden Oldie

Fun Trick

Cutest Puppy

Assistance Dog

Young Handler

And the final category…

The Winner of each category will be automatically entered into the final category:

The Dog the Judge would like to Take Home!

Prizes for winners donated by local businesses, who are kindly supporting this event. Sponsors to be announced soon!
(Rosettes and certificates for 1st – 4th place) and special prizes for First Place. 

Nominate a local Business for a Dogs Welcome Business Award!

Your vote could give a business from anywhere in Weymouth, Portland, Littlemoor, Chickerell, or Upwey the chance to win a Dogs Welcome Business Award, which will be presented at the Paws 4 Fort Dog Show & Awards event at the Nothe Fort on Sunday 7th September 2025. 

The categories for the Dogs Welcome Business Awards are as follows:

• Best Dogs Welcome Hospitality

• Best Dogs Welcome Service Provider

• Best Dogs Welcome Retail Shop

• Best Dogs Welcome Visitor Centre

• Best Dogs Welcome Parks, Gardens, and Open Spaces

VOTE FOR THE FINALISTS here: Dogs Welcome Finalists

This round of Finale Voting will decide the 2025 Award Winners. Voting to close on Thursday 21st August 2025.

Winners will be announced at the Paws 4 Fort Dog Show and Awards on Sunday 7th September 2025. 

Good luck to all our finalists!

Businesses may nominate themselves.

Schedule

• 10.30am – Gates open to the public
• 10.45am – Welcome address from Callum Bremner, High Sheriff of Dorset, and his VIP dog Maya to open Paws 4 Fort 2025.
• 11.00am – Registration opens for Dog Show judging categories. Please register 30 minutes before the start time of the class you are intending to enter.
• 11.15am – Presentation of 2025 Dogs Welcome Business Awards
  
• Dog Show Judging 

• 12.00 noon – Class 1: Waggiest Tail
• 12.25pm – Class 2: Golden Oldie
• 12.50pm – Class 3: Fun Trick
• 1.15pm – Guide Dogs for the Blind demonstration of dogs who assist those with little or no sight, they are being joined by a lady who is traveling the country to raise awareness of volunteer puppy raisers. People will have the opportunity to find out more by visiting Guide Dogs for the Blind West Dorset Volunteers stall.
• 1.55pm – Class 4: Cutest Puppy
• 2.20pm – Meet our VIPs- Very Important Pooches, the three poodle brothers who work as therapy dogs, who also have their own social media accounts, also appearing at Crufts and receive recognition as Therapy Dogs for the nationwide charity. Malcolm will explain more about these wonderful dog and how they became therapy dogs.
• 2.40pm – Class 5: Assistance Dog
• 3.00pm – Class 6: Young Handler
• 3.20pm – Class 7: The Dog the Judge Would Like to take home – from the winners of six classes, identified by their winning rosette.

• 4.00pm – Event ends

Our Sponsors

Love Dogs West Dorset – Awards Sponsor

If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please get in touch with Linda from Love Dogs West Dorset: 07368 183315

About the Event Venue

• What3Words Location: dogs.claim.nest

• Parking: Audience parking is available outside the fort at Nothe Car Park (What3Words: mixed.stuck.serve)

• Seating Provided: There is seating around the Fort and in the Café

• Food and Drink: The onsite café will be open. Picnics allowed in designated picnic areas.

• Dogs: Very Welcome! With our joint commitment to reducing carbon footprint, we encourage our dog-owning visitors to park in the old council office car park and use the footpath in Brewery Square to walk their dogs to Nothe Fort.

• Wheelchair User Access: The venue is wheelchair accessible and has a lift to three floors. If you have any access requirements before your visit, please contact Nothe Fort ahead of your visit (01305 766626).

This event is covered by your Annual Pass/General Admission ticket price.
Entry to the Dog Show judging categories: £2 Entry for first category entered,  and £1 Entry for subsequent categories entered – pay on the day.