UKC Sends Best Wishes to Outgoing All-Breed Sports Program Manager, Denise Vavla

Thank you for 27+ years of outstanding service!

January 3, 2024

Please join all of us at United Kennel Club as we wish a fond and supportive farewell to All-Breed Sports Program Manager Denise Vavla, who will be celebrating her last day with UKC on Friday, January 5.

Denise joined UKC in 1996, and over the last 27 years has made her mark on every sport and program that the All-Breed Sports team offers.

"What a bittersweet year this will be. After 27+ years working for the United Kennel Club, I am moving forward and taking another path that I hope will be as fulfilling as my time with UKC," Denise told us.

We asked Denise what the future would hold for her after time at UKC comes to an end.

"My passion has always been my dogs, writing, music, teaching/coaching, and fishing that I do not know if I will have enough time to do everything I have planned," she said. "For those of you who have been waiting, writing will also be a part of my future plans, as I would like to finish the book I have been writing over the past 20 years (Sci-Fi Fantasy).

"However, first and foremost, my dogs will always be the front runner, and I am excited to have the opportunity to work and show them to their fullest potential in between spending more time with my best friend and husband Leonard, traveling and fishing."

Finally, we asked her if she had any other message to all of the people that she met along her time at UKC.

"I will miss all of you but hope that our paths will cross sometime in the future, either as a competitor, or as a UKC Judge at a show."

Please join us in wishing Denise a fond farewell, and much happiness in her next ventures!

Guided by the belief that dogs make a difference by being the best partner a human can have in the field, on the job, or in a competition event, UKC is a community for people and dogs to pursue excellence together. Founded in 1898, UKC has been dedicated to enhancing the lives of Dogs That Do More, and their owners, by providing essential resources to help owners and breeders make informed decisions. The dog-human bond is celebrated through family-friendly programs highlighting the instincts and heritage of purebred and mixed-breed dogs alike at over 18,000 licensed events annually.