From Shelter Dogs to Super Stars at the Dog Agility World Championships

DALLAS, Sept. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With nearly 900 dogs competing at the Cynosport® World Games Dog Agility Championships Oct.  15 – 19 at the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center in California, approximately 25 percent of the dogs vying to become the next World Champion were either adopted from an animal shelter or rescue group.

More than a dozen dogs competing this year were rescued or adopted by residents from the Monterey or San Francisco areas.

To help celebrate ASPCA's Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, here are a few good reasons to look for your next four-legged family member at your local shelter or rescue group.

• Agility changed the world for Robin, an 8 year old Golden Retriever. Found as a stray and picked up by animal control, Robin was extremely stressed and agitated at the shelter. A rescue group pulled him just before he was scheduled to be put down. Robin now puts all his energy into agility and is known as the big, happy dog who constantly wags his tail and barks while on course.
• The little dog from Mexico, Gustavo is half wild-man and half super snuggler. The 8 year old "terrier something" was diagnosed with a chronic liver disease that requires constant medication and a special diet. Gustavo spends his time away from agility as a certified therapy dog, but his favorite thing about agility is that he gets to run as fast as he can.
• Sparkle was dumped in a park when she was about six weeks old. The wounds on her head and shoulders indicated she had been attacked by a large dog before being rescued. After a few weeks in a foster home, Sparkle found her permanent family and competes regularly in agility. All 11 years young, Sparkle is as fast the next dog during competition. She is the perfect ambassador for staying active, fit and trim and is a true "diamond in the ruff".

These three dogs are just a few examples of the many great dogs adopted from shelters or rescue groups competing at this year's Cynosport World Games, presented by the United States Dog Agility Association.

Event sponsor, Petcurean Pet Nutrition, is adding to the celebration by handing out free trial bags of food and "Pround Pet Parent" stickers to anyone stopping by their booth. For every sticker given out, Petcurean will donate one pound of premium pet food to a local shelter or rescue group. Petcurean hopes to reach their goal of donating more than 500 pounds of dog food during the Games for the amazing dogs at shelters everywhere who are looking for their forever homes.

Learn more about:

• Rescued dogs competing at the Championships at www.cynosport.com/rescue-dogs
• The dog agility and responsible pet ownership at www.usdaa.com
• The Dog Agility World Championships at www.cynosport.com
• Petcurean Pet Nutrition at www.petcurean.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140930/149386

SOURCE USDAA