Life After Euthanasia: Target the Wonder Dog's Heroic Legacy

http://www.takepart.com/article/2011/01/12/life-after-euthanasia-target-wonder-dogs-heroic-legacy

Remember the heroic war dog named Target? She saved dozens of lives in Afghanistan and came back to the U.S. to join the family of one of the soldiers she saved.

In November 2010, Target was euthanized by mistake.

Target’s death sparked a national outcry. Now heroic dogs and their owners are banding together to raise awareness and funds for Target’s Bunker, a nonprofit in honor of Target’s legacy.

Created by Target’s family, and still in the beginning stages, Target’s Bunker will provide a safe haven for animals of all kinds, focusing on rescuing dogs and cats from kill shelters. The hope is to prevent what happened to Target from happening again.

Dog owners Dayna Hilton and Judy Fridono were brought together by aUSA Today contest that asks readers to vote for the most heroic dog of 2010.

Target is one of the five contenders, along with Dayna’s dog, Sparkles, and Judy’s pooch, Ricochet.

Fire-safety dog Sparkles has helped make children safer by teaching them proper fire response. The dog shows kids how to “crawl low” under the smoke, Dayna said. 

One little girl in particular is happy to have learned her Sparkles lesson.

When a fire blazed through her home, 5-year-old, Angelica crawled low. As flames rose, Angelica shouted to her standing dad: “Crawl low like Sparkles!” Thanks to Sparkles’s example, dad and daughter survived the fire.

Sparkles passed away not long ago at 11 years old.

Golden retriever Ricochet was in training to be a service dog, but her love for chasing birds held her back in the program. Ricochet’s owner, Judy, found another way for Ricochet to help people in need.

The retriever became a SURFice dog. Her love of surfing has raised more than $62,000 in the past 14 months for several charitable causes.

The champion surfing canine rides waves with handicapped children and raised more than $10,000 for a quadriplegic boy named Patrick.

The funds paid for Patrick’s therapy and service dog. Ricochet also helps Patrick stay safe and balanced while catching waves.

Both Judy and Dayna were honored to have their dogs nominated in theUSA Today contest, and they want to turn votes into voices and raise awareness and funds for Target’s Bunker.

So far, more than $1,000 has been raised in honor of the hero dog’s legacy.