Stray was a day away from being euthanized. Now this Virginia dog is a nationally ranked performer.

kAmr9=@6 >:89E 36 E96 2==\p>6C:42? DF446DD DE@CJ — @C 2E =62DE E96 G6CD:@? H:E9 7@FC =68D 2?5 2 E2:=]k^Am

kAm%96 $E277@C5 r@F?EJ 5@8’D C:D6 7C@> C28D E@ C:496D DE2CED :? E96 DEC66ED @7 $2? p?E@?:@[ %6I2D[ H96C6 D96 H2D 7@F?5 7:G6 J62CD 28@[ 4@G6C65 :? 7=62 3:E6D 2?5 AC24E:42==J DE2CG:?8] |F49 @7 96C 92:C H2D 8@?6 2?5 “D96 H2D D@ D<:??J[ D96 =@@<65 =:<6 D96 H2D H2=<:?8 @? DE:=ED[” D2:5 w2??29 y@?6D[ 96C EH@\=68865 “D:DE6C]”k^Am

kAmu2DE\7@CH2C5 E@ E96 AC6D6?E 2?5 r9=@6 :D 2 ?2E:@?2==J C2?<65 A6C7@C>6C[ 25@C65 3J 96C >:=:E2CJ 72>:=J] $96 92D 4@>7J 5@8 365D E9C@F89@FE E96:C t>3C6J |:== 9@>6 2?5 96C @H? C@@>] xE’D 7:==65 H:E9 7C2>65 46CE:7:42E6D[ C:33@?D 2?5 2 C62==J 962GJ D:=G6C EC@A9J 4FA[ 96C 2H2C5 2D 2 7:?2=:DE :? E96 p>6C:42? z6??6= r=F3’D }2E:@?2= %C:4< s@8 r@>A6E:E:@?]k^Am

kAm~?=J E9@D6 H9@’G6 62C?65 E96 pzr E:E=6 2D 6=:E6 A6C7@C>6CD 42? 4@>A6E6] r9C:DE:?2 y@?6D[ r9=@6’D 9F>2? >@E96C[ EC2:?6C 2?5 4@?DE2?E 4@>A2?:@?[ H2D 2>@?8 >@C6 E92? `d_ A6@A=6 7C@> E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 r2?252 H9@ DF3>:EE65 G:56@D 762EFC:?8 E96:C 5@8D 24E:?8 @FE 2 DE@CJ 2?5 :==FDEC2E:?8 E96:C EC:4<D]k^Am

kAmr9=@6’D “q24< E@ $49@@=” G:56@ D9@HD 96C 96=A:?8 :? E96 4=2DDC@@>[ 7C@> H2G:?8 2E DEF56?ED E@ 9@=5:?8 E96 7=28 7@C E96 !=6586 @7 p==68:2?46] r9=@6 2=D@ 7=:AD A286D @7 2 3@@< H:E9 96C ?@D6[ A6C7@C>D 4@>>2?5D 7C@> 7=2D942C5D 2?5 C:?8D 2 36== E@ 8:G6 96C 2?DH6C E@ 32D:4 >2E9 BF6DE:@?D]k^Am

kAm%96 pzr D6=64E65 2 H:??6C 2?5 EH@ 7:?2=:DED[ @7 H9:49 r9=@6 H2D @?6] xE 5@6D?’E 5:DE:?8F:D9 36EH66? D64@?5 2?5 E9:C5 A=246D]k^Am

kAmw2G:?8 DF49 2 E:E=6 2?5 96C @H? D@4:2= >65:2 AC6D6?46[ 2D H6== 2D 36:?8 23=6 E@ A6C7@C> >@C6 E92? `a_ EC:4<D[ >:89E >2<6 :E D@F?5 =:<6 =:EE=6 r9=@6 92D 364@>6 2 5@88J 5:G2]k^Am

kAm}@A6[ y@?6D D2:5] $96’D DE:== 2 >FEE 2?5 AC@F5 @7 :E] $96 9@A6D r9=@6’D DE@CJ H:== :?DA:C6 @E96CD E@ 8:G6 D96=E6C 5@8D 2 492?46]k^Am

kAmy@?6D 2?5 96C 52F89E6C 92AA6?65 E@ 36 2E 2? 2?:>2= 724:=:EJ :? $2? p?E@?:@ :? a_`g[ 6IA64E:?8 E@ 4964< @FE 2?@E96C 5@8[ H96? E96J 42>6 FA@? 96C 4286] $96 925 ?@ E28[ ?@ >:4C@49:A[ ?@ 324<DE@CJ @C @H?6CD =@@<:?8 7@C 96C]k^Am

kAm%96 p?:>2= r2C6 $6CG:46D A6@A=6 ?2>65 96C r9=@6 2?5 ?@E65 E92E E96 c\A@F?5 A@@49 H2D :? DF49 325 D92A6[ D96 H2D D4965F=65 E@ 36 6FE92?:K65 E96 ?6IE 52J]k^Am

kAm“{:EE=6 5:5 H6 <?@H E92E D25 =:EE=6 AFA H@F=5 492?86 @FC =:G6D[” r9C:DE:?2 y@?6D D2:5]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m‘%96 EC:4< H@C=5’k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAmr9C:DE:?2 y@?6D ?6G6C EC2:?65 5@8D 367@C6 r9=@6 3FE ?@E:465 9@H BF:4<=J E96 5@8 =62C?65] p7E6C @?6 @C EH@ C6A6E:E:@?D[ D96 925 E96 D<:== 5@H? A2E]k^Am

kAmy@?6D EFC?65 E@ *@F%F36 7@C >@C6 :562D 2?5 E2F89E r9=@6 9@H E@ DE2J[ D=66A WH:E9 96C 9625 5@H?X[ <:DD 2?5 9F8]k^Am

kAm$96 2=D@ 8@E 2 s}p E6DE E@ 56E6C>:?6 r9=@6’D 324<8C@F?5] xE D2:5 D96’D adT r9:9F29F2[ adT !2CD@? #FDD6==[ `dT q6C?6D6 >@F?E2:? 5@8 W2 =2C86 3C665 H9@D6 6I:DE6?46 D66>D 23D6?E 7C@> r9=@6’D 7C2>6X 2?5 E96 C6>2:?56C[ 2 E6CC:6C 3=6?5]k^Am

kAmy@?6D FDF2==J AFED “2==\p>6C:42?” @C >:I65 E6CC:6C 2D r9=@6’D 3C665 @? 6?ECJ 7@C>D]k^Am

kAmy@?6D D:8?65 FA 7@C 2? @365:6?46 4@FCD6 2?5 E96 EC2:?6C E96C6 2=D@ D2H r9=@6’D BF:4<?6DD 2?5 DF886DE65 28:=:EJ 4=2DD6D] r9=@6 6I46==65 3FE E96 4@FCD6 H2D E@@ 72DE 7@C y@?6D]k^Am

kAm%96? 2 7C:6?5 DF886DE65 5@8 EC:4<D]k^Am

kAm“x’5 ?6G6C 962C5 @7 E96 EC:4< H@C=5 2E 2==[” y@?6D D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96J 3682? 4=2DD6D 2?5 BF:4<=J C24<65 FA C6BF:C6>6?ED E@ 62C? E:E=6D[ DE2CE:?8 2D 2 ?@G:46 2?5 25G2?4:?8 E@ 6=:E6 A6C7@C>6C]k^Am

kAmr9=@6 5:5 D@ H6== H:E9 EC:4<D 3642FD6 “D96 C62==J H2?E65 E@ A=62D6 96C @H?6C[” D2:5 sC] s66 *2E6D[ 2 46CE:7:65 AC@76DD:@?2= 5@8 EC2:?6C] $96 H2D BF@E65 :? 2 a_a_ DE@CJ 23@FE r9=@6 :? E96 $2? p?E@?:@ }@CE9D:56 w6C2=5]k^Am

kAm“$96 H2D ;FDE 6I4:E65 E@ 5@ :E[” *2E6D D2:5 23@FE r9=@6’D C@FE:?6D] “$96 H2D @?6 @7 E96 D>2CE6DE 5@8D[ :7 ?@E E96 D>2CE6DE 5@8 x 92G6 6G6C D66?]”k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m‘#6>2C<23=6 5@8’k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAmy@?6D 2?5 r9=@6 DA6?5 23@FE 92=7 2? 9@FC 2 52J 8@:?8 @G6C ?6H D<:==D @C C6:?7@C4:?8 @=56C @?6D 3642FD6 5@8D H:== 7@C86E H:E9@FE C6:?7@C46>6?E[ y@?6D D2:5]k^Am

kAmtG6? :7 E96J’C6 ?@E EC2:?:?8[ r9=@6 =@4<D 6J6D H:E9 r9C:DE:?2 y@?6D 2D :7 ?@E9:?8 6=D6 >2EE6CD 3FE H92E E96 EC2:?6C 2D<D 96C E@ 5@]k^Am

kAm%96 =:EE=6 5@8 42? DE24< C:?8D @7 5:776C6?E 4@=@CD @? 2 E2A6C65 A@=6 ;FDE 2D 49:=5C6? 5@ H96? E96J’C6 =62C?:?8 6J6\92?5 4@@C5:?2E:@?] r9=@6 42? A=2J 5625 @C 2 >:?:2EFC6 A:2?@j C:?8 36==D 2?5 C@== @G6Cj C:56 2 D<2E63@2C5[ 5F?< 2 >:?: 32D<6E32== :? 2 9@@A[ E2<6 2 A:88J324< C:56 2?5 C@== 2 32CC6=]k^Am

kAm$96 DECF88=65 2 3:E H:E9 =62C?:?8 9@H E@ H2=< 324<H2C5D 2C@F?5 96C @H?6C[ 3FE 6G6?EF2==J >2DE6C65 H92E =@@<D =:<6 2 42?:?6 “>@@?H2=<]” x7 D@>6@?6 D?66K6D[ D96 42? 86E E96> 2 E:DDF6] $96 42? @A6? 2 42D9 C68:DE6C[ AFD9 2 >:?: D9@AA:?8 42CE 2?5 E2<6 2 A:88J324< C:56]k^Am

kAmr9=@6 6?;@JD E96 EC62ED 2?5 <:33=6 D96 C646:G6D 2D C6H2C5D]k^Am

kAm“$96 :D DA@<6? E@ E9C@F89 E96 DE@>249[ 7@C DFC6[” y@?6D D2:5] “qFE 6G6? :7 x AFE 96C 5@H? 2?5 2D< 96C E@ 5@ E9:?8D H:E9@FE 7@@5[ D96 H@F=5 DE:== 5@ :E]”k^Am

kAm$96’D D@ H:==:?8 E@ H@C< 3642FD6 @7 E96 3@?5 36EH66? EC2:?6C 2?5 5@8[ D2:5 |2CJ qFC49[ 2 5:C64E@C H:E9 pzr u2>:=J s@8] qFC49 42==65 y@?6D “r9=@6’D D64C6E H62A@?” 7@C 96C DE286 AC6D6?46 2?5 E96 H2J D96 C6>2:?D 42=>[ FD6D DF3E=6 4F6D 2?5 5@6D?’E C6A62E 4@>>2?5D[ H9:49 8:G6D r9=@6 E96 492?46 E@ C6DA@?5]k^Am

kAm“r9=@6 :D 2 C6>2C<23=6 5@8 2?5 E96 3@?5 36EH66? r9=@6 2?5 r9C:DE:?2 :D 2 ;@J E@ H:E?6DD[” qFC49 D2:5]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m~? D@4:2= >65:2k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAm(9:=6 r9=@6 92D?’E 364@>6 2 5:G2[ D96 5@6D 92G6 2 7C@F7C@F ?2>6 3642FD6 E96 pzr C6BF:C6D @?6] qFE 6G6? E92E DA62<D E@ 96C 9F>3=6 C@@ED]k^Am

kAmt2C=J @?[ v2CJ y@?6D[ r9C:DE:?2’D 9FD32?5 2?5 w2??29’D 72E96C[ 42==65 r9=@6 “7=@A5@@5=6” 7@C E96 H2J @?6 62C 7=@AA65 @G6C] w6’D 2? p:C u@C46 >2;@C 2?5 4@DE 2?2=JDE 2DD:8?65 E@ E96 !6?E28@?]k^Am

kAm$@ H96? E96 pzr 2D<65 7@C E96 5@8’D C68:DE6C65 ?2>6[ E96 y@?6D 72>:=J 42>6 FA H:E9 “u=@A5@@5=6 r9=@6 q62?]”k^Am

kAm%9@D6 :?E6C6DE65 42? 7@==@H 96C @? x?DE28C2>[ o49=@60EC:4<05@80492>A:@?j @? u2463@@<[ o49=@6EC:4<5@8492>A:@?j 2?5 @? *@F%F36[ ou=@A5@@5=6 r9=@6 q62? %C:4< s@8 %62>]k^Am