The Kennel Club has once again teamed with Aardman Animations to make Gromit, the canine half of the Oscar-winning animated duo Wallace and Gromit, the new face of the largest dog training program in the U.K. Dubbed the Good Citizen Dog Scheme, the program promotes responsible dog ownership and has seen nearly 200,000 four-legged students enrolled. The announcement was made today at the 2008 edition of the prestigious dog show Crufts.
‘Gromit is the nation’s favorite dog, and it’s very exciting for the Kennel Club to have such a star as the new face of the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme,’ comments Kennel Club secretary Caroline Kisko. ‘As anyone who has ever seen a Wallace and Gromit film will know, Gromit is the ideal good citizen. He is the most responsible dog of all, a role model not only for dogs, but also for their owners to follow!’
To compliment the new relationship Aardman will introduce a new line of co-branded merchandise to include mugs, refrigerator magnets, key chains, polo-shirts and fleeces. The items will be available exclusively at this year’s Crufts. More merchandise, including dog accessories, will be made available later this year.
Aardman and Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park are currently at work on a new animated adventure for their beloved plasticine pals. A Matter of Loaf and Death (formerly Trouble At’ Mill), is a half-hour TV special for BBC One that went into production in January and is expected to be ready for delivery this fall. Park is directing from a script he co-wrote with Bob Baker, who co-scripted the Academy Award-winning Wallace and Gromit shorts The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave.
