Kathryn Pitts and Melanie Firth, of Fornham St Genevieve, among the Suffolk dog owners appearing at Crufts 2025

Twin sisters are among the Suffolk dog owners hoping to impress the judges at this year’s Crufts dog show.

Kathryn Pitts and Melanie Firth, of Fornham St Genevieve, near Bury St Edmunds, have travelled to Birmingham to showcase their beloved pooches in the hope of claiming rosettes.

Kathryn is entering the ring with her three long coat chihuahuas, Sensation, Kahlua and Margarita, and one claimed second place at last year’s show.

She said: “I’m excited, really looking forward to it. We haven’t done many shows recently so it’s going to be nice to get out again.”

Melanie is competing with her two pomeranians, Herbie and Aston, and she said preparing their thick double coats has been a challenge, taking three weeks of grooming in the lead up to this year’s competition.

“You should see the balls of fur,” she said. “We’re really excited and can’t wait now.”

This marks Melanie’s third year at Crufts and both sisters are set to take to the competition floor today.

Crufts officially kicked off today and promises four days of top-class canine competition.

Another dog owner taking part is Maureen Lock, of Badwell Ash, who will be showcasing her three Belgian Shepherd Groenendaels — Jagger, Martha and Unique.

After competing in dog shows for more than 40 years, Maureen said Crufts is particularly special due to its entries from around world.

"I used to get really nervous for Crufts but now I look forward to being in the ring with my dogs to show them at their best," she said.

"It's also a great chance to catch up with friends and people you don’t see very often.

"You never really know how it will go on the day but I'm hopeful for Unique — she was the top Groenendael puppy in the UK last year."