The National Dog Show and the Kennel Club of Philadelphia have delivered some memorable moments over the years both at the live show weekend in Oaks, Pennsylvania, and on the Thanksgiving Day broadcast, when the audience of 20 million-plus revels in America’s most prominent showcase of dogdom.
This year is no different, with the advent of RockyFest 2024, a Philadelphia Visitor Center Corp. initiative to drive tourism to the region by celebrating the iconic movie, Rocky, and its indelible connection to the City of Brotherly Love.
What does that have to do with the Kennel Club of Philadelphia (KCP) and the National Dog Show Presented by Purina? Well, think for a moment and remember Butkus the Bullmastiff, one of the movie’s most memorable characters.
Philadelphia tourism officials engaged several partners in the elaborate, multi-faceted program and that includes the KCP, which sponsors the Kennel Club of Philadelphia Therapy Dog Ambassador Team featuring five-year-old Wasabi. An accomplished show dog who’s also certified for therapy work, Wasabi and handler Tamar Paltin Mayer were a featured attraction at the RockyFest 2024 launch press conference on Oct. 1 at the top of the Philadelphia Art Museum steps.
Wasabi’s regal presence brought to mind some of the Academy Award-winning film’s most memorable scenes: The pet store, where the Sylvester Stallone character met Butkus and his other love, Adrian; Adrian presenting Rocky with the Bullmastiff as a gift; and the two of them running through the streets of Philadelphia as Rocky trained for the challenge of a lifetime against World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed.
Wasabi will be on hand for the National Dog Show weekend on November 16-17, 2024 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in the Philly suburbs, but she won’t be competing for Best in Show because she gave birth to 11 healthy Bullmastiff pups in July. But she will greet the public at the therapy dog ambassador booth and take a turn in the stadium show ring during the RockyFest 2024 promotional activity before Group Judging begins on Saturday afternoon.
“We are so excited to be connecting Butkus to our RockyFest 2024 celebration,” said Kathryn Ott Lovell, President & CEO, Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, at the press event. “Way to go, Wasabi! We love working moms.”
“We so appreciate being involved in RockyFest in recognition of the Bullmastiff, Butkus, one of the movie’s great characters,” said Wayne Ferguson, President of the KCP. “Loyal friend and training partner, Butkus enriched Rocky’s life and it’s cool to celebrate the Bullmastiff breed, one of dogdom’s most prominent.”
One of the main events of RockyFest is set for Thursday, December 5, when Philadelphians and their furry friends will come together for “Southpaws @ The Docks: Pugs and Mugs Yappy Hour” at the Cherry Street Pier along Penn’s Landing. The event is free and open to the public, with Wasabi plus other members of the therapy dog ambassador team set to appear for pets and photos. Wasabi will make several other appearances in promotion of the KCP dog show weekend and RockyFest throughout the fall.
RockyFest 2024 launches an annual tourism initiative leading up to 2026, when the 50th anniversary of the release of the classic movie will punctuate the December celebration. Highlights of the initial RockyFest this December include the first-ever publicly available Rocky Bus Tours, a Rocky Movie Marathon, and recreated Rocky Date Nights at the University of Pennsylvania’s 1923 Ice Rink and The Philadelphia Zoo. Tickets to RockyFest events are available through PHLVisitorCenter.com/RockyFest.
So, it’s hats off to the Philadelphia tourism officials, the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, and the Bullmastiff, Wasabi, for making sure that the purebred dog is once again an integral part of another major event. Because, as we know only too well, dogs will take all the attention they can get.
