The DogChannel Newswire (05-05-09)

Four New Pet Heroes Honored in Canada
Three dogs and a cat were honored as human-lifesaving heroes at the Purina Animal Hall of Fame in Toronto Monday. The inductees included a young Bichon Frise dog named Sophie from Olds, Alberta, who woke up her owner and alerted her that the woman's daughter had slipped into a diabetic coma in her bedroom, United Press International reports.
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Vick Dogs Find New Lives in Adoptive Homes
From Gracie's pleasant demeanor to her hot pink collar, there is no indication of her difficult past, one rooted in three words that make many dog lovers cringe: Bad Newz Kennels. Gracie was one of 51 dogs seized in April 2007 from the Virginia dogfighting operation owned and bankrolled by Michael Vick, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.
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Cairn Terrier Saves Lives on Turtle Patrol
They found tracks of an endangered turtle, but winds blew away part of the trail to the nest. They dug, but couldn't find it. Then they called in a 2-year-old who has a nose for this business. Ridley, a Cairn Terrier, found it within minutes. The result: 101 eggs to be incubated and 92 hatchlings later returned to the wild, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
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Big Day for Little Dogs in Oak Park
Sixteen dogs competed Saturday in the third annual Chihuahua contest at the Colonial Theatre in Oak Park. The free contest was sponsored by the California Hispanic Resource Council, with optional pet portraits benefitting the Woodland Youth Council's trip to Washington, D.C., next year, the Sacramento Bee reports.
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Therapy Dog Visits Commack Students
Lydia Paster and her furry friend, Patience, visited the children and staff at Commack's Rolling Hills Primary School during Disabilities Awareness Week. Patience is a Golden Retriever from The Guide Dog Foundation. During their visit, Lydia explained how guide dogs help to make a difference in the lives of people who are visually impaired or have special needs, Newsday.com reports.
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