World record broken after 127 dogs gathered to watch ‘101 Dalmatians’

By Adam Dutton via SWNS

Animal lovers have broken a bizarre world record after more than a hundred dog owners and their pets turned up at a cinema to watch "101 Dalmatians."

Rachel Marie, 23, invited hundreds of pooches to join her at the outdoor screening of the Disney classic on Sunday, September 11 in Worcester, England.

She was attempting to break the record for most dogs at an outdoor cinema screening, which was set in 2019 when 120 pooches turned up in Brazil to watch Pets 2.

And she was left delighted when 127 dogs descended on the grounds of Perdiswell Leisure Centre to narrowly seal the Guinness World Record.

"I feel a little bit overwhelmed. It hasn’t quite sunk in yet, I can’t quite believe I pulled it off," said Rachel, of Worcester.

"It was a lovely day with a really chilled vibe. There was some concerns about having so many dogs in one area but they were all impeccably behaved.

"We were delighted to set a new world record, it feels like a wonderful achievement.

"I am very OTT in general, so I wanted to see what I could do and push myself towards it. Once I have an idea in my head, I will achieve it."

Rachel, who runs a dog care service, said it was touch-and-go for a while as they only counted 117 dogs as the time of the 3 P.M. screening grew nearer.

"The first time we counted it was 103 so we were a bit concerned we wouldn't make it," she said.

"Then we got to 117 and we were running out of time so that’s when we rallied around and got the extra ten.

"Some people turned up late and we got a few dog walkers who were passing by that we grabbed and welcomed with open arms.

"We did what we could just to get over that 120 mark - and somehow we did it.

"There were family and friend's dogs there. I had 12 with me from clients. I had other clients that met me there. But there was a huge collection of dogs I didn’t know."

People and their dogs watching "101 Dalmations" at the outdoor screening. (Anita Maric via SWNS)

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Rachel also raised £542 ($634) for the Amicii Dog Rescue charity at the event, which she was determined to still hold despite the death of The Queen.

“A lot of clients didn’t come due to a passing of the Queen," she said.

"But the Queen obviously loved her dogs and that’s why I still wanted the event to go ahead.

"I'm sure the number would have been a lot higher but I couldn’t delay it anymore and the important thing is that we broke the record.

“All the animal charities in Worcester were put in a hat and on the day we picked one because I couldn't choose.

"After the pandemic, it was a nice way for people to get together and bring their dogs.

"Now, people are working all day and then often have plans that don't involve their dogs, so it's a good way for people to come together.

"I have had the support of my friends and clients, but I'm proud to have organized the event all by myself.

"When I was 18, I jumped out of a plane for charity, I'll always have something I want to achieve and do."

Owners could turn up on the day but had to register the dog with an onsite vet to make sure they were over a year old.

"As long as the dog was over one year old and the breed was registered, they were ok to be involved in the event," she said.

"The Guinness World Record guy wanted for every dog attending to be over over one so I had a vet to verify that.

"So I just invited anyone to bring their dog, your friend's dog, your nan's dog and any other family dogs they could.

"It all worked out in the end and I'm very proud we achieved it."

Among the crowd were Tom and Ellie Wright, both 29, who took their four-year-old Yorkshire terrier Pip to the event.

"We thought it was just a cool and quirky thing to be a part of - I've never broken a world record before," said welder Tom, of Worcester.

"Plus, the wife loves '101 Dalmatians,' so it was a nice thing to do on a Sunday afternoon when we usually walk Pip around the park anyway.