Doggie Awards

There are numerous awards in place to reward humans for their outstanding achievements in education, sports, entertainment and a plethora of other merit based performance. With all these awards for people it is no wonder that we like to reward our dogs for their achievements. Whether it is through brave acts of courage, being beautiful or being talented in a particular field we love the accolades and praise that are bestowed upon our pooch pals. Our dogs do plenty of things that are deserving of awards though being our best friends is more than enough reason. Here is a list of our favorite canine awards:

1. The Humane Society of the United States “Dogs of Valor Award”: This is a relatively new award designed to honor and celebrate dogs who have performed an extraordinary act of courage by heroically helping a person in need. Nominations are open to all who wish to nominate a brave pooch I their lives and are judged by an independent panel of judges with dog expertise or experience facing situations requiring tremendous courage. The 2008 award went to a five-year-old Great Dane named baby who saved the life of her 82-year-old owner. Her owner had become disoriented while driving and careened down a 20 foot slope lodging his car upside down between two trees. Baby kept her owner warm and ran for help several times during the ten hour ordeal. She was finally able to find a resident of the remote area and lead that person to the area where the car went off the road. Firefighters were able to pull the owner to safety and he was treated for a cracked spine. If you know of a courageous dog go to www.hsus.org to find out more about the nomination process.

2. Westminster Kennel Club “Best in Show” Award: Americans have been obsessed with the February event since the club was founded in 1877 by a group of gentlemen sporting enthusiasts. The event is held each February at Madison Square Garden and is wildly popular amongst show dog enthusiasts and mutt owners alike. The event is known for being the greatest dog show on earth and has numerous rules and regulations regarding entry. The prestigious 2009 award winner for “Best in Show” is a Sussex Spaniel named "Ch Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee,” otherwise known as Stump.

3. Animal Planet’s “World’s Ugliest Dog” Award: Each year around summer time the television channel, Animal Planet, hosts a competition so ugly it is cute to crown the “World’s Ugliest Dog”. The competition is under ten years young; however, shows no signs of stopping. People can’t get enough of these ugly dogs. Now there is a competition to recognize the faces only a dog mommy could love. The most popular breed of the competition and the one that boasts the most wins is the perennial Chinese Crested dog. These dogs are often mostly hairless with tongues constantly dangling from the side of their mouths. It is this trait that keeps them in favor at this particular contest for the ugly and under dog. For more information on how to enter your ugly dog go to http://animal.discovery.com/. Take a look at previous winners and you are sure to be entertained.

4. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) “Dog of the Year” Award: This award is for all remarkable dogs with a knack for saving lives or improving the lives of their people. The ASPCA is a society dedicated to animal rights and the punishment of those who violate them. Their work is renowned for providing homes for abandoned animals of all types. This year’s award will be presented in New York City on October 29, 2009. Last year’s “Dog of the Year” is a five-year-old Lab/Golden Retriever mix named Ilia. Ilia travelled over 7,000 miles on six planes to be by the side of her favorite person, Cole, a cerebral palsy patient whom she serves as a service dog. n