By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Harrigan the Sheepadoodle has been supporting the community for most of his almost eight years.
Charles Ralph has a dream of romping in a new dog park in Bowling Green.
Now, they are asking for your support as they each vie to be named “America’s Favorite Pet,” an online contest sponsored by Modern Dog magazine.
Or maybe it’s their owners–Lee Liebetreu (Harrigan) and Jo Ascunce (Charles Ralph)–who are making the pitch to support their pups in the contest that promises a magazine photo shoot and a $10,000 prize for the top dog.
For Harrigan, named after the song that James Cagney sings in the 1942 film “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” he gets to enjoy hearing Liebetreu sing the Harrigan song to him on a regular basis.
According to the Modern Dog Contest website, Charles is an expressive communicator. “We have actual conversations with him daily–really.”
Harri has spent most of his sweet life as a trained therapy dog, visiting nursing homes, cancer patients and Bowling Green State University students through the BGSU PAWS program. They are in the process of being able to work with youth at the Juvenile Detention Center.
“He’s better with one-on-one situations, with kids in crisis or who are missing their own pets or missing home,” Liebetreu said.
From the age of six months, he was the “shop dog” when Liebetreu owned Blush, the bridal shop in downtown Bowling Green.
“He got to be pretty well-known when we were downtown,” she said. Brides-to-be who chose a Blush wedding dress could have their photos taken with the adorable shaggy dog. Former Mayor Richard Edwards was a frequent visitor. Harri even got an invitation to his retirement party, with Liebetreu as his plus-one, she said.
He is a regular congregant for Sunday services at the First Presbyterian Church, frequently watching the action behind him rather than what’s going on at the front.
Called “a gentle and sensitive soul,” he loves people in general but doesn’t relate as well to young children. Her initial goal was to visit autistic children, but with Harri’s indifference to children, adult populations are a better match.
“Depending on the scenario, he might just lay next to a person and let them pet him, or he might get close and snuggle in,” she said.
He loves his time hanging out with people, but his all-time favorite activity is playing his own version of fetch. “You only have to say P-L-A-Y,” she said spelling out the word in case he heard the conversation, “and he changes from a mild-mannered sheepadoodle into a wackadoodle.“
He’s the same when he hears the word “S-Q-U-I-R-R-E-L.”
Harri’s own version of fetch is played with two balls, but he only gets the first ball that is thrown. Once he fetches the first ball, Liebetreu throws the second ball and he will go to it, but demands that she comes to him and picks it up to throw again, all the while he keeps the first ball in his mouth until they get back in the car.
Charles’ favorite treat is a water buffalo horn to chew on, and his favorite toy is “any stuffed toy that has a squeaker in it,” his online profile stated
When Harri is at home, he tends to ignore his owner. He has taken over a guest room as his hangout where he naps a lot. “Periodically, he will come in to see what I’m up to and lets me pet him a bit, but then he gets bored and leaves me,” Liebetreu said.
His nighttime routine is to go outside at about 9 to wander a bit. He comes in for a bit and then goes back outside to sit on the porch and watch traffic, especially if it’s snowing.
On behalf of Harri, Liebetreu asked the community to support him in his quest to be America’s Favorite Pet. “He deserves it since he’s done a lot for the community, and just look at that face,” she said.
“He’s also made it his personal mission to rid City Park of the pesky squirrels,” she joked. “I’m not expecting people to donate any money, but they can vote once a day for free at this link.
Answering the question, “Why should your dog be America’s Favorite,” Ascunce explained “Charles is already a favorite to all he meets. Dogs and humans alike take immediately to his charismatic personality and playful attitude.” To vote for Charles Ralph, visit this link.
The dogs are in two different groups in the first level of judging, which has a Feb. 8 deadline for voting. Currently, Harrigan and Charles are listed in first place in their groups.
