The show - which celebrates the pride of Doncaster's non-pedigree pooches - is held as a fundraising event for Bawtry's Mayflower animal sanctuary.

And many of the doggies on display are former residents at the Mayflower. One of them is cute corgi-cross, Badger, who wagged his way into the winners enclosure by taking third prize in the "dog with the waggiest tail" category.

Proud owner Sonya Ward said: "We've had Badger since September and he's a fantastic dog. We hadn't really found one that suited before we visited the Mayflower.

"I'd really urge other people to take in a rescue dog if they're looking for a pet. We're really happy. There are thousands of dogs put down unnecessarily every year and it's such a shame when they can make such fantastic pets.

"I'm really pleased Badger got a rosette in the waggiest tail competition - mind you, if there was a category for biscuit eating he'd have definitely got first place!"

Mayflower manager Jenny Foxall-Lord said the annual show was a vital part of the sanctuary's annual fund-raising appeal.

"Last year Scruffs raised over £2,000 so the event's really important to us - that amount of money can make all the difference. This year fundraising's even more vital because, in common with a lot of other animal sanctuaries locally, we've lost our funding from the Dogs' Trust neutering scheme."

The Mayflower provides a full support service to people who adopt pets - as well as all animals being chipped, inocculated and neutered, they can even help your pooch with psychological problems.

The sanctuary's resident "dog listener" Gill Tuxworth said: "I started helping at the Mayflower about two years ago and I think I've worked with around 300 dogs and their families since then.

"The problems can involve absolutely anything from aggression and separation anxiety to dogs jumping up on people when it's inappropriate. There's not often anything that can't be dealt with.

"This is the best job I've ever had. Dog listening started out as a bug, it became a virus and now it's a full blown disease! It's great to be able to walk round the show and see dogs I have worked with and see how happy they and their owners are."

One of the dogs that has benefited from Gill's magic touch is spaniel Max, who grabbed the gong for dog with the waggiest tail.

His owner Clare Harford, who is from Styrrup, said: "At first we were told that we couldn't have Max because we've got children and he had a history of growling at them. But after a few sessions with Gill that got sorted out and now we're a really happy family - we wouldn't be without him."

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