Crufts 2022: World's biggest dog show returns to Birmingham NEC

Crufts, the world's biggest dog show, is under way after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Russian dog owners and their animals have been banned from attending the event at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre (NEC) due to the invasion of Ukraine.

A donation of £50,000 is also being made to help breeders, owners and their dogs in Ukraine, Poland and Hungary.

More than 20,000 dogs are due to attend the four-day event.

Organisers The Kennel Club said it shared the world's "dismay and devastation at the horrifying atrocities being witnessed in Ukraine".

The ban was a "testament to our sadness and concern about this situation, which we recognise is driven by the leaders of the country and not the people," a spokesperson said.

The decision affected about 30 Russian owners and breeders and 51 dogs that had been due to participate, it said.

"Our friends in Ukraine, and their dogs, are fearing for their lives and we will do all that we can to support them wherever possible," The Kennel Club added.

It said a £25,000 donation would be matched by its charitable trust to help dog owners affected by the invasion.

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