Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Haley Pemble kisses Elliot at a dog class earlier this month.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, December 26, 2008 Dog show was 'awesome experience' By Kaitlin Manry Herald Writer SNOHOMISH -- Haley Pemble returned from Long Beach, Calif., with a second-place ribbon, an American Kennel Club T-shirt and complimentary dog eye-and-ear wipes. During the week she spent in California, she competed in three dog shows, visited Disneyland and watched her Shetland sheepdog, Elliot, bark at a fountain in a park near her hotel. The Monroe High School freshman won second place at a small dog show, but didn't place in the prestigious AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on Dec. 14. "It was amazing," Haley said. "It was a lot bigger than I expected and not as competitive actually. I expected to be all nerves and about to fall apart -- and I was a little nervous, but not as nervous as I expected." Fourteen-year-old Haley and 4-year-old Elliott have been training for competition since he was a puppy. When they began, neither had any experience in the ring. Qualifying to compete in the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship was the duo's greatest accomplishment thus far. The well-known show is scheduled to be broadcast on Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel on Wednesday. "With all the cuts, Haley did not make the final 12, but it was an awesome, awesome experience," her mom Bonnie Pemble said. "She showed her heart out. She did a beautiful job." In order to qualify for the junior division, students must have five wins at sanctioned AKC shows and maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average for two semesters. Haley competed against 156 kids between the ages of 9 and 18 from across the nation. She was the only Snohomish County teen to participate. AKC spokeswoman Lisa Peterson compared competing in the show to skating in the national figure skating championship. "It's really an honor to qualify and it's just the culmination of their hard work," she said. "The juniors are really excited to come to Long Beach to compete in this prestigious event." Dylan Kipp of Union Grove, Wis., and her Doberman pinscher, Parris, won the junior event, which focuses more on the handlers' skills than on the dog's appearance. In the adult competition, which is all about the dogs, a New York City pointer named Cookieland Seasyde Hollyberry won. Haley had hoped to mingle with professional handlers at the show, but they were all very serious and didn't have much time for small talk, Bonnie Pemble said. Competing in the national championship and winning second at a show days before the main event helped Haley realize how much she wants to continue showing for the rest of her life. "Going into it, I didn't have much faith in myself," Haley said. "But coming out of the ring taking second, it made me feel really good. It made me feel like I did belong there." Reporter Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292 or kmanry@heraldnet.com.

1. Lawsuit blames county and weed inspector in man’s death 2. Cost of dispute falls on Monroe 3. Salish Sea: Huge body of water now has common name 4. Mind if I smoke? 5. Boeing says 787 fixes are done 6. Worker dies after falling 4 stories from Lynnwood building 7. FOOTBALL FORECAST: Battle of unbeatens highlights first week of state-playoff action 8. Granite Falls-area fire chief placed on paid leave 9. Everett dentist travels world to help 10. Benefit to help injured soldier, his family 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Memorial for Peggy Pritchard Olson set • Bazaar Fever • Hawks proud of historic season • Olson always put Edmonds first • Honoring student veterans • ‘Wheedle' author comes to Lynnwood bookshop • Mavs build early lead en route to easy win • Prep football games of the week (state playoffs) • Tears of laughter, tears of grief • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million