Back in Sept. 2000 a small group of women from Vancouver Island got together to enter a drill team competition in Vancouver. In no time at all “Wee Paws for Applause” were performing Freestyle, obedience and trick routines for audiences from Gold River to Victoria.

Soon other dog trainers on the Island became interested. Distances made meeting regularly difficult, but enthusiasts found a way to meet at least twice a year by getting together for fun days. Following a successful workshop/fun day, the larger collection of individuals decided that it was time to give themselves a name – and so The Island K9 Freestylers came into being.

Smaller sub-groups began training independently and in 2008, the Island K9 Freestylers hosted their first Paws 2 Dance competition in Courtenay, BC which they called The Island Fling. To date they have held a competition every year; one year it was a 2 day competition, another time they had a seminar/workshop with it, and still another time an impromptu ‘Dance with the body’ short workshop.

The Island K9 Freestylers have become a vibrant, strong group of dog aficionados and they plan to continue holding Competitions, Fun Days and Workshops on Vancouver Island!