PET owners in Weymouth will fight it out to be named top dogs as organisers announced the return of the Town Green Dog Show.

Organised by the Society for the Protection of Markham and Little Francis, this year’s event will take place on Sunday, July 6 at The Marsh playing fields.

This year’s event looks set to be bigger and better, with more categories, more events and guest judges to separate the barking mad from the paw-some.

Gill Taylor, who is chairman of the society, said: “We are all really looking forward to it.

“It has been brilliant over the years and we have always been lucky with the weather so we are hoping for the same this year.

“There is something for everyone and their dog at this show. The pedigree classes are always of interest, and the obedience events are always absolutely hilarious and so are the novelty ones.”

The event has been held in the past to raise money for the society’s efforts to reinstate the Town Green. They lost the appeal at the Supreme Court in February, bringing an end to the decade-long battle.

But, the dog show will still be used to raise money for the society’s debts which it incurred during the court cases.

Mrs Taylor added: “Now that the fight is over, we still have the court charges we need to pay.

“At the moment the society is looking at what we want to do and where we want to go, and we think there could well be a role for us in the future.

“We have raised more than £100,000 in the last six years to pay for legal costs, but we still have a little bit more left to pay.”

Miss Weymouth Emma Whitbread will be the guest judge at the event, and will be joined by Dave Cumber from sponsors Fielding and Cumber, Mary Barton and Mrs J Scuffle from the Kennel Club.

Organiser Mary Larkin said: “We have a number of different categories this year. We will have a trophy for the best cross-breed dog which is a new addition and will hopefully see quite a lot of entries.

“I am quite chuffed we have the cross-breed category because normally they get put with the novelty classes so it’s nice those dogs now have an equal chance.

“There is a new obedience section, called obedience alley, with treats all lined up and the dogs have to walk through without eating any of the treats, and also the novelty classes.”