Photo courtesy of DOGPerfect.

The owners of DOGPerfect recently took first place in the 13th Annual Lucky Ducky Race for Pace and are thrilled to donate the $5,000 prize to organizations in the community. The locally owned pet retail company with stores in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch and University Park will give $2,000 to the Pace Center for Girls and $3,000 to local pet shelters and rescues, of which $1,000 will be decided by DOGPerfect's Facebook community. The Lucky Ducky Race for Pace is more than a rubber duck derby. It is really about changing the lives of girls in Manatee County. Pace values all girls and young women, believing each one deserves an opportunity to find her voice, achieve her potential and celebrate a life defined by responsibility, dignity, serenity, and grace.

"We are excited to give back to such worthy organizations," said Kara Tolland, Retail Marketing Manager at DOGPerfect. "We value the relationships we have built with local nonprofits throughout the Suncoast and are proud to be able to help." All of the shelter donations will be made via the DOGPerfect Bonus Wishlist, a first of its kind local giveback program for shelters that allows our shelter partners to maximize their dollars that are donated. For every item donated, DOGPerfect will match with products that have been pre-selected by the shelter to meet their immediate needs. DOGPerfect then delivers those items directly to each shelter free of charge. Details can be found at www.dogperfect.com/wishlist.

Photo courtesy of DOGPerfect.