Meet Le Epitome Kennels at the Auckland Pet & Animal Expo 2026
Le Epitome Kennels stand at the 2025 Auckland Pet Expo
Le Epitome Kennels is heading to Auckland.
Olivia and Alistair will be exhibiting at the Auckland Pet & Animal Expo on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026 at Auckland Showgrounds in Greenlane.
We will be bringing some of our Le Epitome French Bulldogs and Pugs so visitors can meet us, see our dogs in person and learn more about how they are raised and bred.
The expo runs from 10am to 5pm each day.
Meet Our French Bulldogs and Pugs
Le Epitome Kennels is a family-run French Bulldog and Pug breeder based at our rural home in Waikato.
Our dogs are raised as part of our family, and our breeding decisions consider the whole dog, including health, breathing, temperament, confidence, structure, movement, genetic diversity, reproductive history and suitability for life as a companion.
You can learn more about our established French Bulldog lines and our distinctive Pugs before meeting us at the expo.
We plan to bring a selection of our breeding dogs to Auckland. The exact dogs attending will be confirmed closer to the event, depending on their health, welfare, breeding commitments and how comfortable they are likely to be in the expo environment.
Visitors will be able to meet some of our dogs and see the distinctive temperament, structure, colour and personality found within our French Bulldog and Pug lines. You can also view more of our dogs and life at Le Epitome Kennels in our French Bulldog and Pug gallery.
What You Can Talk to Us About
Choosing a French Bulldog or Pug breeder is an important decision, and the expo is an opportunity to speak with us directly.
You are welcome to ask us about French Bulldog and Pug temperament, companion suitability, health screening, physical assessment, DNA testing, breathing, movement, structure, body condition, raw feeding, puppy preparation, toilet conditioning, upcoming litters, puppy availability, our waiting list, transport throughout New Zealand and the long-term support we provide to Le Epitome puppy owners.
We are happy to explain what genetic testing can tell us and what it cannot. DNA testing is an important tool, but it does not replace veterinary care, physical assessment, family history, temperament observation or long-term knowledge of a breeding line.
Our French Bulldog and Pug health-testing guide explains how we consider DNA, physical health, breathing, structure, movement, temperament, reproductive history and information from related dogs together.
You can also read more about our physical health-testing approach, including breathing, patellas, hips, spine, eyes, movement and whole-dog assessment.
A Broad, Multi-Generational Kennel
Le Epitome Kennels currently has 27 dogs across our French Bulldog and Pug breeding lines.
Our Pugs now extend across three generations bred by Le Epitome Kennels, while our French Bulldogs extend across four LEK-bred generations.
This continuity gives us the opportunity to observe how health, breathing, structure, movement, temperament, fertility, whelping, maternal ability and puppy development appear across related dogs and successive generations.
The value is not simply in having more dogs. Maintaining a broader breeding population gives us more choice when planning a mating and allows us to compare several potentially compatible dogs rather than relying on the only male and female available.
It also helps us manage relatedness, avoid overusing a single sire, retain valuable qualities and move away from traits or outcomes we do not want to continue.
The number of dogs alone does not guarantee genetic diversity or health. We consider pedigrees, DNA results, relatedness, heterozygosity, physical health, temperament, reproductive history and long-term family records together.
Because we have established family lines within our own kennel, we can evaluate those families across several generations without introducing an unfamiliar bloodline for every next step. We still introduce outside genetics selectively when they offer a genuine benefit to health, temperament, structure or genetic diversity.
Our goal is not to produce the greatest number of puppies. It is to maintain enough genetic breadth, historical knowledge and mating choice to make better-informed breeding decisions.
You can read more about our history, breeding experience and approach on the About Le Epitome Kennels page.
More Than 30 Years of Breeding Experience
Olivia has more than 30 years of experience breeding and raising brachycephalic companion breeds.
Her practical experience includes puppy development, temperament, mating, pregnancy, whelping, maternal care, raw feeding and the development of long-term family lines.
Our kennel history dates back to our New Zealand Kennel Club registration in 1997. Today, Le Epitome Kennels Limited is registered with Dogs New Zealand and the Master Dog Breeders and Associates.
Our approach combines this long-term practical experience with current DNA information, veterinary findings, structured health records and continuing observation of our puppies, adult dogs and related family lines.
Planning to Welcome a French Bulldog or Pug?
The Auckland Pet & Animal Expo is a good opportunity to meet us before applying for a future puppy.
We do not allocate puppies solely on a first-come, first-served basis. We consider the puppy’s temperament and needs, the household, the buyer’s expectations and the overall suitability of the match.
Our Upcoming and Available Puppies page contains our current and planned French Bulldog and Pug litters.
Our French Bulldog and Pug puppy FAQ answers common questions about puppy availability, health checks, feeding, visits, pricing, preparation and buyer support.
Families interested in a future puppy can also apply to join our waiting list. The waiting list helps us understand each household and make thoughtful matches rather than allocating puppies solely according to who enquires first.
For approved homes outside Waikato, our puppy transport information explains the collection and third-party transport options that may be available throughout New Zealand and for selected overseas homes.
We also welcome suitable prospective owners to arrange a visit to our Waikato home by appointment, subject to the welfare, health and routine of our dogs and puppies.
Auckland Pet & Animal Expo Details
Dates: Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026
Time: 10am to 5pm daily
Venue: Auckland Showgrounds, Greenlane, Auckland
We will publish further updates before the expo, including details about which Le Epitome dogs are expected to attend and where to find our exhibitor stall.
We look forward to meeting French Bulldog and Pug owners, future puppy families and fellow animal lovers in Auckland this September.
For questions before the event, please contact Olivia through the Le Epitome Kennels website.
