LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. – 15-year-old Kacie Davis of Lincoln County and her toy fox terrier, Jeannie, will compete in the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, one of the largest dog shows in the world, in December.

Davis said that she realized early on she had a love for dogs and for showing them.

“You have to have the passion and the love for it,” she said. “[It] makes me feel good, like I’ve accomplished what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Angela Davis, Kacie’s mom, said she knows what it takes to raise and show an award-winning dog because she started when she was only 17 and passed that passion on to her two daughters.

“Every dog she puts her hands on, she has this natural ability to pull out of them what needs to be shown,” Angela Davis said. “[I’m] extremely proud [of] the fact that Kacie can also keep her grades, stay in the honor role and still work as hard as she does.”

Kacie Davis is competing for college scholarships and just found out she’s invited to the Westminster next February.

The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship will air on Jan. 31 on Animal Planet.