Maddy is Named Top Dog at Philadelphia Regionals; Heads Back to Hometown for a Chance to be Named America’s Fastest Chihuahua – Again

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 15, 2009) - Seeking to regain her title as America’s Fastest Chihuahua, a familiar face emerged as the winner during PETCO’s Fifth Annual Chihuahua Races regional event at the Clifton Heights PETCO store today. Maddy now sets her sights on the finals – and a chance to unseat her rival and reigning champ, Tiger from California, on her home turf in New York City on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009.

Maddy wowed a crowd of approximately 350 spectators, and beat out 114 other pint-sized racers with a final speed of 1.8 seconds on the 35-foot-long (1/18th furlong) track. A resident of Brooklyn, N.Y., Maddy moves on to the finals and another shot at the coveted title.

The four-year-old Chihuahua unseated the 2006 champion, Tiger, in 2007. Tiger took back the title last year in 2008, with Maddy coming in a close second place. Now, after a year of intense practice, the 6-pound pup is back and ready to face Tiger, who took first place in the Bay Area regional competition. She’ll be continuing her training and keeping in racing shape with a holistic diet and regular meditation sessions, but wouldn’t disclose her exact training tips.

“Maddy’s training regime is top secret!” said proud pet parents Sue and Scott Hubbard. “She works hard, but she is very well taken care of – she has her own stylist, photographer, designers and website.”

In second place behind Maddy was Louis Linguica Custer, with pet parent Stephanie Custer, and rounding out the podium was Fabio, with pet parent Agnes Kite, in third place.

The Delaware County SPCA, one of PETCO’s local adoption partners, was also on site to help raise awareness of Chihuahuas as companion animals, and find loving homes for homeless Chihuahuas.

Maddy and six other regional winners– one pup and two human companions from each regional race market – won an all-expense-paid trip, courtesy of PETCO and JetBlue Airways, New York’s pet friendly hometown airline (jetblue.com/jetpaws), to race head-to-head at the finals in New York City’s Riverside Park at the end of the month.

The grand prize includes a trophy, a $300 PETCO gift card, a year’s supply of Royal Canin Chihuahua food – approximately 12 times the average Chihuahua’s weight – and official bragging rights as America’s Fastest Chihuahua.

Those interested in attending the finals to see which pup triumphs, can visit PETCO.com/races  or facebook.com/PETCO for more details.

“This year we’re not only racing from the West Coast to the East Coast, we’re also using the races as a way to show people how easy, safe and fulfilling it can be to be ‘on the go’ with our four-legged companions – or how to best arrange for their safe and comfortable care back home while away on vacation,” said PETCO’s Chief Marketing Officer Elisabeth Charles. For more details on how you can travel safely with or without your pet, visit www.petco.com/letsgo.

Chihuahuas are the 12th most popular dog breed in the country, according to the American Kennel Club. They are also considered the smallest and lightest dogs in the world.

In partnership with the PETCO Foundation, the races also highlight PETCO’s Think Adoption First philosophy to help find forever homes for abandoned Chihuahuas and other animals.

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About PETCO
PETCO is a privately held specialty retailer that provides products, services and advice that make it easier for our customers to be great pet parents. We operate more than 950 stores in 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as a leading pet products and information destination at PETCO.com. Our nonprofit organization, The PETCO Foundation, has raised more than $50 million since its inception in 1999 to help promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the foundation, we work with and support more than 6,200 local animal welfare groups across the country to help find homes for more than 200,000 adoptable animals every year.

Contact:           Lisa Epstein, 858.997.4540, lisae@PETCO.com
                               Courtney Pendleton, 619.237.7722, courtney.pendleton@fleishman.com