Episodes > 108 > Pet Tales

From Rescue to Riches…

We’ve all heard the saying… “from rags to riches.”  Basically what this means is that someone who had some bad luck or came from poverty or was destitute has risen through hard work or helpful hands or just pure good luck to a better place.

When we’ve heard this said most likely, it has applied to a human being. But thanks to Lawrence Frederick, this saying can be applied to dogs as well.

If you were one of Lawrence’s dogs, you would be a lucky dog for sure. He has the unique talent of taking dogs that perhaps have come from the “other side of the tracks,” so to speak, and has turned them into Frisbee dog champions!

Champions, you ask! Yep, like his dog Happygirl who is a 4 time world finalist or his dog Aero who has 3 National championships under her belt...er, collar.

Lawrence would tell you he kind of backed into this phase of his career. At one time he was a world champion himself in the human version of Frisbee competition, but as fate would have it, he suffered a career ending injury. Previous to his injury he had worked with a guy who was competing in the Frisbee world but it was the dog that was doing all the work.

The famous light-bulb came on and the rest is history. “Frisbee Dog” history that is. Lawrence began collecting dogs that were outcasts, or troublemakers and began turning then into world champions. He just seems to have a knack for it! Actually, we should be saying, “disc dogs” because “Frisbee” is a trademarked name!  Back in 1958, a company called Wham-O created the first  “plastic disc” and these were the first disc’s to be used in competition.

Experts say it isn’t that unusual that great Disc dogs often come from shelters or are rescue dogs. Often, the traits that have gotten them in trouble in the past like being aggressive or destructive are the same traits that make them excel in this sport.

Although Lawrence has a wall full of championship memorabilia from his human Frisbee days…he would tell you, “My biggest regret is that I didn’t start playing with dogs sooner.” For Lawrence and his dogs, the best is yet to come!