‘Pure-bred good boy’ hopes to win competition raising money for charity
Posted Feb 4, 2026 01:12:02 PM.
Last Updated Feb 4, 2026 01:17:15 PM.
All the money is going to charity, but Zepplin, an 8-year-old good boy, is hoping to win the PAWS competition for the prestigious honour of being the face of Modern Dog.
Or at least that’s what Zepplin’s owner, Samantha Prasow, said.
“That would honestly kill me…like what a legacy,” she said, laughing. “He’s such a good dog.”
Prasow told CityNews in an interview that the dog and cat who win the competition receive a cash prize of $10,000 and the magazine cover.
She decided to enter the competition after a friend of hers entered her cat last year. Unfortunately, the feline passed away during the contest, and she couldn’t continue. However, it’s not about the novelty of the prize; Prasow is more focused on raising money for the charity, which helps wildlife and domestic animals across North America.
People get two free votes a day, but to enter more, they can donate to the cause. Currently, Zepplin is sitting pretty in second, with the competition cutting down to the top five by Feb. 5.
The group finals take place until Feb. 12, before quarterfinals start Feb. 16.
Prasow and Zepplin are coming up on his “gotcha day” on Feb. 14, where the pair go on a big hike.
The relationship between Prasow and Zepplin is deep. He’s always been there when she needed him, and can tell when even her friends are having a bad day.
“He’s gotten me through a really abusive relationship. He made sure that I was consistent and I got up every day,” she said. “I went through a really, really terrible period of mental health, but he was ready to go at 3:00 a.m. if I was having a panic attack.”
Prasow grew up with dogs, and training them has always been a focus for her. She said that because of Zepplin’s looks — he appears to be a Pit bull mix —people are already wary of him.
All dogs were bred to have jobs, she explained, and Pit bulls are terriers, so they need to be doing something. Britannica notes that the breed was originally bred to display aggression against other dogs.
“These dogs have a bad rep, and a lot of people get them, and they don’t know anything about the breed, and they don’t know anything about training,” she said. “They think that meeting them at dog parks and socializing them with people is enough socialization, but the socialization is the desensitization of cars, of malls, of stores.”
When he was a puppy, Zepplin was brought everywhere with Prasow. He was introduced to young children and can play with her sister’s kids without worry.
“We have to be advocates of good dog ownership and good dog citizens when we have this breed, whether it be pure, mixed or a different variant. It’s a very serious job,” she said.
Prasow hopes that by raising awareness of Zepplin’s tame and “pure good boy” personality, more people will take training seriously.
“There are so many people that Zepplin has met who are terrified of dogs. My very good friend Stacy couldn’t stand dogs; He’s her favourite dog,” she said. “He has that effect. He’s such an old soul.”
