Dear readers,

During my recent visit to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), I was able to see with genuine pleasure how the Mayor of the city of Thuin, Mr Paul Furlan, kept the promise he had made to mark the opening of our new offices, to label the city as “Thuin, the World's Capital of Dogs”.

As a result of this initiative, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), with the aid of Thuin Tourist Office, organised a successful walk through historic medieval part of the city.

Indeed it was so successful that 81 dog lovers took part. The organisers took the necessary steps to guarantee the well-being of the dogs, such as opportunities to drink along the route and stops to rest in the shade. The success of this walk ensures that there will soon be other similar activities and the article which appears elsewhere in this newsletter has more information on the subject.

Moving on to another matter, I am delighted to be able to announce the publication of the book written by Prof. Ermanno Maniero Trovati (PE), a former member of the FCI General Committee, about the study he carried out on the Peruvian Hairless Dog and the imminent publication of two books by Prof. Giovanni Morsiani (IT) about the St. Bernard and Romagna Water dog breeds.

The holidays are a special time of the year when dog owners lavish even greater care upon the animals they look after. I would like to stress that, when these holidays are over, we should continue with this care in order to ensure that our dogs get all the attention that they both need and deserve.

Best wishes,

Rafael de Santiago
President of the FCI