Kiwi is a rare champion

6:24am Thursday 11th September 2003

ONE of Britain’s rarest dogs has been celebrating first-time success with her owner - following their triumph at a Lancaster charity dog show.

Kiwi, who lives with Dawn Miller in Bowerham, outshone all other competitors to scoop the top prize of the Animal Aid event on Sunday.

But it was not just her composure and performance which made this dog stand out from the crowd.

Kiwi is a Utonagan, the result of selective breeding from the Husky, German Shepherd and Malamute. Her appearance is similar to that of the Grey Wolf but her behaviour is no different from any other domestic dog.

Dawn first discovered the breed through her friend Jan Farrington, who is secretary of the Utonagan Society. She brought Kiwi home as a puppy, and now – at 18 months old – she is the size of an Alsatian.