Crime & Safety

K-9 Deputy to Compete in Dock Diving

Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Lt. Billy Lashley and K-9 partner Milo will be competing in a national dock diving competition at Stone Mountain.

One of Douglasville's most outstanding athletes is a three-year-old who is not only an athlete, but also a valued member of K-9 Unit. During the day, Milo works hard helping protect Douglas County citizens, but on weekends his chosen arena for competition is a 40 foot pool filled with 28,000 gallons of water. Milo's chosen sport is the fastest growing canine sport of dock diving™. His next competition is coming up very soon at Stone Mountain Park, July 27 through 29.

Milo and his handler, Lt. Billy Lashley, comprise a team with the K-9 Unit and also in DockDogs®. Milo has earned Senior and Turbo titles with the national organization DockDogs®, Inc. Billy and Milo have been participating in this sport for two years, and they have enjoyed each event in which they have taken part.

This exciting team broke into the sport at a Dixie DockDogs® event in Watkinsville in July, 2010. Quickly adapting to dock diving, Billy and Milo have competed at events not only in Georgia, but also in North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama. Now, they are eagerly anticipating competing at Stone Mountain where they have a chance to qualify to compete in the DockDogs® World Championships.

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The upcoming competition at Stone Mountain will feature all three DockDogs® disciplines. Big Air® is where the dog jumps for distance; Extreme Vertical™ is where the dog jumps for height; Speed Retrieve™ is where the dog jumps and swims for the fastest time.

According to DockDogs® CEO, Grant Reeves, some of the top-ranked dogs in the sport from not only the Southeast, but also other regions of the country will compete for a chance to qualify for the DockDogs® World Championship in Dubuque, IA, in November. Reeves also says, "This is our first time here at Stone Mountain, and we expect our event to be a huge success in such a family-friendly environment. Everyone loves dogs and water sports. We are excited about sharing this event with the Atlanta area."

Any dog over six months old is welcome to register and come try dock diving™ at this event. There will be staff members to help all newcomers to the sport. As with all Dock Dog® competitions, spectators are especially welcome as it is a great family sport.

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When asked why he does dock diving™ with Milo, Lt. Lashley says, "Milo works hard at his job each day, and when we get a chance to play, I owe it to him to have fun and just be a dog. He gets that at DockDogs®." To see how Milo would describe his experiences in the sport, one needs only to watch him getting so excited up on the dock.

For more information on this event or to register your dog, visit the DockDogs® website at www.dockdogs.com. You can also call Dixie Dock Dogs® member Nancy Akin at 706-540-9395 or DockDogs® at 330-241-4975.


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