Outstanding Dogs to be Honored at AKC/Eukanuba Championships
By Frances Goodman
Five dogs will be honored by the American Kennel Club on Dec. 12th for “significant contributions” to their communities in five separate categories of service.
The awards will be made at the nationally-televised AKC/Eukanuba national championships in Long Beach, CA. Each dog will receive $1,000 and a sterling silver medallion for their collars.
Here are the five and their service categories:
Exemplary Companion Dog — Electra, an eight-year-old standard poodle owned by Mandy Willis of Valrico, FL.
Electra has been seven-year-old Mandy’s constant companion since her cancer diagnosis and subsequent chemotherapy treatments began in February 2008. Electra lived the life of a top show champion until her owners learned about Mandy’s dream to own a poodle. Electra and Mandy bonded immediately and have been inseparable ever since.
Search and Rescue Dog — Sage, a 10-year-old border collie owned and trained by Diane Whetsel of Hagerman, NM, a K-9 officer for the New Mexico Corrections Dept.
Sage served at the Pentagon in the aftermath of 9/11 and went to Aruba in 2005 to search for the missing teen Natalee Holloway. Sage and Whetsel deployed to Iraq in 2007 and spent six months searching for missing soldiers.
Law Enforcement Dog — Robin, a six-year-old golden retriever owned by Mary and Joseph MacQueen of Frewsburg, NY.
Robin and Mary work for the Salamanca Police Department and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, assisting with searches for illegal drugs in western New York state. In 2009 alone, Robin has been responsible for getting about half-a-million dollars worth of dangerous narcotics off the streets.
Therapy Dog — Elliot, owned by Miriam Couto of Woodland, WA, a seven-year-old border terrier and registered therapy dog with Delta Society.
Elliot has logged more than 1,000 hours with patients, most of them children. He assists in the care of the children at his local children’s hospital, providing comfort and helping calm patients so doctors can better help them. Elliot has even assisted doctors in performing life-saving duties.
Service Dog — Benton, a six-year-old Labrador retriever owned by Margo Dietrich of Norcross, GA. Benton is a trained assistance dog for Margo. He helps her with daily tasks including retrieving dropped items, dressing, and transferring to and from a wheelchair.
“Each dog’s devotion to improving the lives of others and the impact they make in their community is an inspiration to dog lovers everywhere,” AKC spokesperson Ronald Rella said.
Frances Goodman is a professional dog trainer and pet care writer who lives in Royal Palm Beach. Got a question? Email her at fhpettalk@hotmail.com. Or click on her ad to visit her website, www.mypetnews.com.
