WATCH: Furry friends unite for Small Dogs Walk in Southsea

Grace Piper and Dixie, third-left, get ready to set off on a stroll from Canoe Lake in Southsea with fellow small dog owners from Portsmouth. Picture: Byron Melton

Grace Piper was joined by city pet owners after extending an invitation to mark the eighth birthday of her chihuahua Jack Russell cross, Dixie.

Hoping Dixie would make at least one new furry friend, Ms Piper, of Granada Road, was surprised by the turnout of five other dogs and their owners.

Dubbing the event the ‘Small Dogs Walk’, she said: ‘Dixie is eight today, so I thought what better way to spend her birthday than enjoying the company of other small dogs.’

The group, which also included Karen Renyoldson from Old Portsmouth and her miniature schnauzer Phoebe, walked from Canoe Lake in Southsea to Italian eatery Mozarella Joes at Clarence Esplanade – where they socialised over a brew.

Hoping to make the outing a regular fixture, Ms Piper added: ‘I’d love to arrange monthly walks like this in the summer.’