Top Dogs at Unleashed by Petco Imperial Beach Surf Dog Competition

San Diego, CA, August 2, 2016 (Newswire.com) - ​The 2016 Unleashed by Petco Surf Dog Competition took place Saturday, July 30th, at Imperial Beach, San Diego.  Three-peats, trandem (three-dogs on a board), mid-ride board transfers and 60+ dogs who surf better than most humans were the highlights in the water.

A large crowd of fur fans (approximately 3000) cheered on the surFURs from the sand.  The canine competitors, who were judged by World Surf League (WSL) and National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) surf judges, participated in heats based on their weight, with small, medium, large, and extra-large categories as well as tandem divisions of dog/dog and dog/human.  The dog-dog tandem heats included one team that had three large dogs on a board.  Revolutionary new moves were created this year when surfer grom, Finn (human) took off on a wave on his own board and mid-ride, jumped onto his surf dog's board! Later in another heat, a fellow SurFUR felt so inspired by this move - he decided to dismount his own board and jump on with another comPETitor to ride all the way the shore together. Trend setting is nothing new to THIS competition.

Following the fun on the beach, Pier South Resort hosted the awards Ceremony on the hotel’s rooftop deck. Proceeds from the event estimated to be $7,500 benefited the San Diego Humane Society.

Here are the winners of the  "2016 Unleashed by Petco Imperial Beach Surf Dog Competition:"

SMALL CATEGORY

1st Ziggy - American Eskimo, Poway, CA - Winner three years and a row for a three-peat!

2nd Gidget - Pug, Oceanside, CA

3rd Rusty - Mini Pinscher, Huntington Beach, CA

MEDIUM CATEGORY

1st Abbie - Australian Kelpie, Solana Beach, CA

2nd Giselle - Pomona, CA

3rd Brandy - Pug, Vista, CA

LARGE

1st Sully - English Bulldog, Oxnard, CA

2nd Django - Pitbull, Fullerton, CA

3rd Kalani - Golden Retriever, San Diego, CA

EXTRA LARGE

1st – Haole Boy - Labrador Retriever, Ventura, CA

2nd –Teddy - Golden Doodle, San Diego, CA

3rd – Turbo - Golden Retriever, San Diego, CA

TANDEM Dog + Human

1st Bamboo -  Labradoodle, Fullerton, CA

2nd Haole Boy - Labrador Retriever, Ventura, CA

3rd Kona Kai - Labradoodle, Fullerton, CA

TANDEM Dog + Dog

1st Kalani, Hanzo and Haole Boy

2nd Samson and Delilah

3rd Beans the Whippet and Rusty

The 2016  Unleashed by Petco Imperial Beach Surf Dog Event also featured free wag (swag) bags courtesy of Outward Hound, a State Farm agility course, gourmet food trucks and a beer garden by Coronado Brewing Company. Bathe to Save, a mobile dog-washing bus on a national tour to raise awareness of the benefits of animal adoption, offered on-site mobile dog baths for $20, with all proceeds benefiting the San Diego Humane Society.

The Surf Dog Event in Imperial Beach is part of the two-event Unleashed by Petco Double Dog Dare Series. The next event is Surf City Surf Dog on September 25th in Huntington Beach, CA. For more information, visit surfdogevents.com

**Photo credits:  Ronen Tivony (dog with a mohawk) and Charmaine Gray (dog jumping into the water).

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About Unleashed by Petco

Unleashed by Petco is a community oriented pet specialty retailer that focuses on natural nutrition and dog and cat supply essentials. The Unleashed by Petco brand offers more than 100 locations nationwide specializing in natural and organic pet food and treats including a large made-in-the-USA assortment. As part of the Petco family of brands, Unleashed works with and supports the Petco Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization, which has raised more than $125 million since it was created in 1999 to help promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the Petco Foundation and its partners, we host regular in-store adoption events and help find homes for thousands of animals every year.

Source: Unleashed by Petco