I was sitting around watching football...and who doesn’t love the Rose Parade before the big game? This year, there were diving and skimboard-loving dogs jumping around in water on a parade float. That’s just plain cool. Not only do they get to participate in a parade, but they get to show off their water skills! So, I started thinking about what I could do ...
Elex Michaelson
IRWINDALE, Calif. (KABC) — At this year’s Rose Parade, the Natural Balance pet foods float has flowers. But no doubt, the stars of this float are the pooches.
A group of dogs diving into a pool will be one of the float’s main attractions.
Among the divers is Arcadia resident Quinn Hettich’s dog, Bubbles.
Quinn turns 8 years old on New Year’s Day. His gift will be a ride on the float.
“It’s my float because it’s my birthday on that day,” the boy said.
Also on Quinn’s float will be a group of skimboarding dogs, including Tillman, a bulldog who usually skateboards.
“He learned to skimboard during a heat wave a couple of summers ago when it was too hot to skate,” said Tillman’s owner, Ron Davis of Oxnard. “I took him to the beach everyday and he finally got it. He just loves it.”
Filling the pools took more than 35,000 pounds of water.
The California Highway Patrol weighed the float Wednesday. It tipped the scale at 84,000 pounds, a new Guinness world record.
Driving all that weight to Pasadena could be a challenge. The test run failed when a bump in the road damaged the tires.
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“We had to jettison 35,000 pounds of water, get the dogs off, and get it towed,” said Joey Herrick, the president of Natural Balance.
If it rides on New Year’s, it probably won’t earn the top floral prize. But onlookers say its stars are clear winners already.
(Copyright ©2010 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Your favorite talented bulldog can now audition to snowboard down the Natural Balance® Pet Food Float with Tillman and friends on New Year's Day in the 121st Rose Parade®! The casting call will be at 10:30 A.M on November 6th. The location is at Natural Balance at: 12924 Pierce Street, Pacoima, CA 91331 To schedule your dog and get priority for the audition process, register your bulldog now ...
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