Prize-winning pup helped owner recover from stroke

An adorable pup who played a key-role in helping its owner with rehabilitation after he suffered a stroke earlier this year has won a prize at the the Puppy of the Year Competition National Final at the weekend.

Shadow represented Petmania Tullamore in the Puppy of the Year Competition National Final at the weekend and scooped the third-place prize.

Shadow advanced through the first two rounds of the competition, beating off ruff competition to reach the prestigious national final.

A one-year-old German Shepherd pup, Shadow won the hearts of the judges and won the third-place prize in the popular competition. It’s clear that Shadow shares an extra-special bond with owner Adrian Dunne, who spoke about how the puppy has played a key-role in helping him with rehabilitation after he suffered a stroke earlier this year.

Adrian, who retired recently after spending 18 years serving in the Defence Forces, credits Shadow with being the perfect companion for him. Shadow is currently undertaking search and rescue training, and can find and retrieve items from more than one kilometre away. Judges got a taste of Shadow’s talent when the pup sniffed out a hidden toy within Petmania HQ, a very impressive feat given the hustle and bustle of the competition.

The Dunne family wish to celebrate Shadow’s lovely and loyal nature, especially given the German Shepherd breed’s intimidating reputation. A gentle and affectionate pup, Shadow made a pawfect Puppy of the Year representative for Petmania Tullamore.

An 8-month-old Cockapoo puppy named Bambina from Donabate, Dublin, who has already gathered 3,000 followers on Instagram, managed to scoop the grand prize and be crowned Ireland’s Petmania Puppy of the Year, but the competition judges emphasised how special each and every participating pup was.

Bambina wowed the judges with her active and energetic nature, and wide repertoire of expertly mastered tricks, not to mention her fabulous ‘Wonderdog’ costume!