We're back from PetFest America - our two day trek to the mid-west where Ra got his fifteen minutes of fame and we got to take home the grand prize he won in the Humane Society of the United States Photo Contest.

This event was truly a spectacle we wouldn't have missed. We shared the stage at Ohio State University Buckeye arena (where Prince played the night before) with Ronald McDonald and his really big shoes and really big check to local animal shelters. Ra was given kudos as his winning picture was projected to the families of Columbus while the Vice President of the HSUS sang his praises.

A little nervous beneath the spotlights and very amused, we seized the moment on behalf of our golden boy. Mic in hand, we pointed out that a pitbull from Oakland won and addressed the issues of the breed being abused, misunderstood and discriminated against. It was our chance to educate just a bit - and it was our time to show off our dog. Great fun.

The Iams SuperDogs ( http://www.superdogs.com ) performed just after we finished. While the show was a little silly, mostly put on for the kids, we fell in love with the dogs who ranged from Chilibean the hairless Chihuahua to Bernie the 120-pound mountain dog. They performed with the commitment of Olympians, catching frisbees, leaping amazing heights and mastering agility courses. The animals were outstanding and were certainly a credit to their owners and handlers. It's wonderful to see people working harmoniously with their dogs.

Speaking of harmonious work, we were overjoyed at all the great exhibition booths at the event. There were lots of great organizations doing wonderful work for all animals. One which stuck out was Team Greyhound ( http://www.teamgreyhound.com ), who rescues these beautiful dogs when they're done at the racetrack. They estimate as many as 15,000 racing Greyhounds are put down yearly when they are no longer profitable. These two dogs were on-hand with two more of their friends, and you could feel the love pouring out of them. It was like a herd of Greyhounds. They were majestic, relaxed and happy creatures, who deserve better than a career feeding the greed of racetracks. All doubt about taking in one of these dogs was gone the moment one of them came in for a "heart hug". Truly wonderful dogs. Take one look at that beak, and you'll want to put a hot dog in it right away!

While Ohio was a bit far to bring one of these dogs back, we will definitely be looking into a Greyhound from a local Greyhound rescue in the future.