Buddy again wins canine Surf-a-Thon at Del Mar, may retire
Surf Dog Buddy from Ventura was the top dog at Sunday's sixth annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon at (where else?) Dog Beach in Del Mar.
It was Buddy's fifth win and may be the last for the 14-year-old Jack Russell terrier. No matter, he became the first inductee Sunday into the Surf Dog Hall of Fame.
Buddy's owner/trainer Bruce Hooker said the champion may retire. "That last heat was probably the best of Buddy's life," Hooker said.
Organized by the pet-food company Eukanuba as a fundraiser for the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, the event bills itself as the largest surf-dog contest in the country.
The event drew more than 4,000 spectators, 80 canine competitors and 70 vendors, and raised more than $100,000 for the animal center.
Beyond just bragging (barking?) rights, Buddy also got a year's worth of dog food for his Best in Surf win.
-- Tony Perry in San Diego
Photo: Buddy at the Sixth Annual Surf Dog-Surf-a-Thon. Credit: Helen Woodward Animal Center
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