Tiny Terror Kicks Tail: San Diego's Top Chihuahua Advances to America's Fastest Chihuahua Championship Race at PETCO Park
June 10 2006 - 5:27PM
PR Newswire (US)
Pint-Sized Pup Outruns 200 Other Chihuahuas to Claim Regional Title
SAN DIEGO, June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- They might be America's smallest
breed of dog, but they sure are lightning quick. Chihuahuas of all
sizes came together today to compete for the coveted title of
America's Fastest Chihuahua in the second annual PETCO Unleashed
regional qualifying races. Nearly 200 dogs participated in the
event Saturday at the Chula Vista PETCO. A tan, short-haired
Chihuahua named Junior claimed victory after prevailing in 20
preliminary heats and a semi-final round. The 2-year-old Chihuahua,
is owned by Monorum Dith and Jonathan Factor of Normal Heights, who
adopted the dog from Monorum's sister. After covering the 1/18th
furlong (35-foot-long) track in mere seconds during the final round
of the San Diego regional races, Junior secured one of only seven
spots in the PETCO Unleashed 2006 National Chihuahua Race to be
held at PETCO Park in San Diego on Sept. 3. Junior will head to
PETCO Park that day where he will compete in the title race during
a San Diego Padres baseball game in front of tens of thousands of
cheering fans. Besides earning the bragging rights of being
"America's Fastest Chihuahua," the national winner will receive a
trophy, a $300 PETCO gift card, and more than 12 times the average
Chihuahua's weight in Royal Canin Chihuahua food (a year's supply).
"The PETCO Unleashed Fastest Chihuahua race is about getting people
and their pets together for a few hours of fun to celebrate what we
call the human-animal bond," said Clint White, PETCO manager of
strategic partnership and promotions. "Chihuahuas are great
companion animals, and we hope the races will bring added attention
to the adoption of these great pets." The Chihuahua is the 11th
most popular purebred dog breed in the United States, according to
the American Kennel Club. Measuring six to eight inches at the
withers and weighing in at 2-1/2 to 4-1/2 pounds, the dogs are
considered the smallest and lightest dogs in the world. Saturday's
event in San Diego featured 20 heats of Chihuahuas. Trailing winner
Junior, Desi, owned by Cathy Fontaine of San Diego, placed second.
Desi received a one-year supply of Chihuahua food from race
co-sponsor Royal Canin. All competitors took home a 2006 PETCO
Unleashed goody bag, a T-shirt for their owner and a three-pound
bag of Royal Canin Chihuahua food. "We trained Junior by creating a
box for him to get in and then practiced having him to run to us,"
said Factor. "In last year's race Junior did not get out of the box
too well, so we decided we needed to work on getting out of the box
better and it worked," he added. A regional race also took place
today in New York City, on the heels of regional contests held last
week in Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and San Francisco. One
regional winner from each race will compete for the championship
title. PETCO is sponsoring the race to celebrate America's
fastest-growing small breed of dog and to encourage customers to
consider adoption as a first option. For nearly 40 years, the
company has worked with local shelters nationwide to find homes for
millions of homeless animals. "People in PETCO stores throughout
San Diego are passionate about doing the right thing for animals,"
White said. "We regularly work with local animal care organizations
to hold adoption events in our stores to help find good homes for
abandoned animals." PETCO and the PETCO Foundation work with
Chihuahua Rescue & Transport, Inc., across the country to
create hundreds of adoption opportunities. To find out more about
Chihuahua adoption, visit http://www.chihuahua-rescue.com/. Fast
Chihuahua Facts: * Chihuahuas are said to be able to travel up to 7
mph for short distances. * Due to its diminutive size, the
Chihuahua is considered the ultimate indoor dog. * The smallest
living dog ever recorded is a Chihuahua. * In 2005, the Chihuahua
was the 11th most popular purebred dog in the U.S., according to
the American Kennel Club. The other most popular dogs are 1)
Labrador Retriever; 2) Golden Retriever; 3) Yorkshire Terrier; 4)
German Shepherd; 5) Beagle; 6) Dachshund; 7) Boxer; 8) Poodle; 9)
Shih Tzu; 10) Miniature Schnauzer. * The Chihuahua has become a
popular pet among celebrities. Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Hilary
Duff and Jennifer Lopez are just a few of the stars who own a
pampered Chihuahua. PETCO (NASDAQ:PETC) is a leading specialty
retailer of premium pet food, supplies and services with a
commitment to quality animal care and education. PETCO's strategy
is to offer its customers a complete assortment of pet- related
products and services at competitive prices, with superior levels
of customer service at convenient locations, by hiring pet lovers
and training them to become counselors to our pet-loving customers.
PETCO operates approximately 800 neighborhood stores in 49 states
and the District of Columbia, as well as a leading destination for
online pet food and supplies at http://www.petco.com/. DATASOURCE:
PETCO CONTACT: Don Cowan, +1-858-657-2086 direct, +1-619-417-5244
cell, , or Marta Karpinska-Dean, +1-858-453-7845, ext. 2926,
+1-858-444-5575 cell, , both of PETCO Web site:
http://www.petco.com/ http://www.chihuahua-rescue.com/
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