ROCKLAND, Maine (February 12, 2009)—Downeast Dog News (DDN), a newspaper for people who love dogs and want to read about Maine’s dog community, has received a national award from the Dog Writer’s Association of America (DWAA). The winners were announced at an awards banquet held February 8, the night before the Westminster Kennel Club’s 133rd Annual All Breed Dog Show, in New York City.

DDN writer Heidi Sherburne of Brunswick was awarded the Maxwell Medallion for best feature story in a canine newspaper for her article titled “The Painful Truth,” which was published in the November 2007 issue of DDN. The article chronicles the story of how Sherburne’s young Lab died after a routine orthopedic surgery, because the pain killers she administered to help him were—unbeknownst to her—slowly killing the dog.

Sherburne said, “It was important to me to share this story, especially the importance of pre-surgery blood work and understanding the side effects of medication, so that I might prevent this tragedy from happening to someone else and their dog.”

Holly Sherburne, publisher of DDN, said “I’m honored that Downeast Dog News has been recognized for a second year in a row for its excellence in writing and as a publisher of high-quality products,” adding that DDN’s “The Ultimate Guide to Dog Parks, Beaches and Trails in Maine” was also an award nominee in this year’s competition. “Maine is a wonderful state in which to be a dog lover, and these publications would not have been possible without the support of our local advertisers and loyal readership.”

Heidi Sherburne was awarded the Maxwell Medallion from the Dog Writers Association of America.

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The Dog Writers Association of America, begun in 1935, holds an annual writing competition designed to encourage quality writing about dogs in all aspects of companionship, plus the dog sport. The competition is open to all writers, photographers, editors and publishers.

Each issue of Downeast Dog News (DDN) contains educational articles, local dog news and events, dogs available for adoption and more. The newspaper’s goals are to support dog-friendly businesses and Maine-made pet products and services, to cultivate a community of responsible dog ownership and to support animal welfare causes.

For more information and to read the award-winning article, go online to www.downeastdognews.com or call Holly Sherburne at (207) 593-0404.

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