TALENTED dogs that were taken in by a Hampshire adoption centre are to compete at top dog contest Crufts.

The five were all found homes by the Blue Cross animal welfare charity, which has its local base in Bubb Lane, West End, and they will be competing together in the agility competition at the prestigious event on March 11.

The team will consist of four year-old collie crosses Jake and Misty, three-year-old Lurchers Annie and Becks and two-and-a-half-year-old springer cross Charlie.

The fantastic five will have to negotiate 15 obstacles including tunnel jump and weave poles.

They will be competing against rescued dogs from the RSPCA, Battersea Dogs home, the National Canine Defence League and Woodgreen Animal Shelter.

The winners will be the fastest team around the circuit with the least faults.

Owner Christine Dunning is looking forward greatly to the event.

"It will be an honour to represent The Blue Cross and it will be good to show that rescued dogs are just as good as pedigree dogs", she said.

The dogs are:

Jake - He is a four-year-old border collie owned by Paula Davies, deputy manager at The Blue Cross centre in Bubb Lane.

He is a friendly dog who loves company and is full of energy.

Misty - She is a four-year-old border collie who is owned by Christine.

She is a lively dog who has a strong personality and lives happily with Christine's five other dogs.

Becks - She is a two-and-a-half-year old lurcher cross collie owned by Marie Hembrow.

She is a very gentle dog who has made great friends with Marie's other dogs - a rottweiler, a border collie and two border terriers.

Annie - She is a three-year-old German Shepherd cross lurcher owned by Debbie Howard. She is a very enthusiastic dog with boundless energy who loves playing with Debbie's eight other dogs.

Charlie - He is a two-and-a-half-year-old Labrador cross Springer owned by Luci Wells, a staff member at The Blue Cross in Bubb Lane. Charlie loves playing and goes to work with Luci every day.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.