[Jessica Green | Daily Mail]
- Dog banned by the Kennel Club from taking part in a pole dancing routine
- Rebecca Kennedy, of Glasgow, was planning to perform at a fundraising gala
- But now the 25-year-old vet has been warned that she could face a £300 fine
A vet’s Pink Panther pole dancing routine with her border collie has been banned by the Kennel Club because it ‘isn’t suitable for a family audience’.
Rebecca Kennedy, of Glasgow, was planning to perform a new sequence involving her border collie, Izzy, at a fundraising gala to help Scotland’s dog-training ‘Heelwork to Music’ team get to the European Championships.
The pair, dressed as burglars, synchronise their moves to the Pink Panther theme tune as Rebecca performs on the pole and Izzy jumps through her outstretched arms.
"During the communist time there was no pole dancing in Hanoi. Now it's seen as an art form."
— Vernanda Hart
Rebecca and Izzy competed in their first show in June last year.
They performed a Lion King routine at the Bearded Collie Heelwork to Music competition in Lanark.
A relatively new type of competition, Heelwork to Music involves participants performing routines timed to music with their dog.
Speaking about her 2017 performance, Rebecca said: ‘After the performance a judge came up to me and told me there were some banned moves but that there was not a problem with me using the pole.’
Yet the pole dancer then received an email from the Kennel Club which told her she was prohibited from taking part in the fundraising gala as her routine was ‘merely a circus act and not a serious canine activity’.
They also deemed pole dancing as ‘not suitable for a family audience’.
But Rebecca said: ‘There is nothing sexual about my routine. I was wearing modest clothing and I’m very aware of my angles and what part of my body I’m showing to the audience.
‘I make sure I manoeuvre myself in a tasteful way. The sport is not just from strip clubs – it’s also known as Chinese pole.
‘The event was a fundraiser to help Team Scotland go to the championships.
‘It’s one of the fastest growing sports in the UK and they’re hoping for it to become an Olympic sport.
‘I told the Kennel Club this but I have had no response.’
A Kennel Club spokesman confirmed Rebecca had been contacted about a ‘regulation breach’ but declined to comment further.