Leeds dog owner stars at Crufts 2026
Bassett Hounds might have a reputation for their gloomy expression but a Leeds housewife says her prized pooch rocks her world.
Mum-of-two Dora Fekete bought her first dog in 2023 to stave off loneliness and says her life has been transformed.
With her two kids, James, 14, and 12-year-old Mila, growing up, she said she needed a hobby and decided to buy a dog made famous by American cartoon classic, Droopy.Dora has since caught the bug for showing and entered both Frank and Gladys in two competitions at Crufts on Friday.
And she insists their dour reputation is unfair and encouraged other dog lovers to take the plunge on a breed that is in sharp decline in the UK.
“My other half was always into motorsport and he thought that I never really had anything like that,” she said.
“He was always really concerned that once the kids are getting a bit more independent I would not have much in life.
“It’s just work, cleaning, kids but we bought Frank and went from there. They are the best. You need to remember that they are not sad, that is just a look.
“He has changed my life. We said we wouldn’t get a second but then Gladys came along.“I have a wide circle of friends and the community has been very welcoming.”
Basset Hound numbers are in decline. In 2007, 1495 were born but that fell by two thirds within a decade.Crufts is the world’s largest dog show, with up to 18,000 dogs expected through the doors across the four days.
Competitors come from far and wide, including WWE wrestler Dustin Rhodes, who travelled from USA to compete with his Mastiff, Beast.Recently-crowned double Olympic champion Matt Weston and TV star Amanda Holden were also there on day one, but the star of the show was Frank.
“We are basically getting up at 4 o'clock in the morning on a Saturday for fun to drive all the way to Scotland to show dogs,” Dora added.“I think dog show people are absolutely mad about their dogs. They, they are a very supportive community, you know.“We celebrate birthdays together, we, we celebrate dogs together, we remember dogs we lose.”
* Crufts, run by The Kennel Club, is a unique celebration of happy, healthy dogs and of the loving relationship that they enjoy with their owners. Crufts is held from 5-8 March 2025 at the NEC Birmingham. Viewers can follow all the action and highlights on Channel 4 and More4, and for further information and tickets visit crufts.org.uk