THE ACTION PACKED DOG SPORT THAT UNITES DOGS AND OWNERS!
ABOUT US
OUR HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY
The team Thunder Paws was original founded by Laurie Thomson in 2002. It was established after she and a few other founding members learnt about the sport at a National Guard event in 1998. “We just started it as something fun for us and our dogs,” said Geri Rich, whose participation also began in 1998.
Since that time the club has grown and evolved and is now an official non-profit organization, with yearly dues and regular elections. Although members and dogs have come and gone, the basic philosophy is still the same - "we just want to have fun with our dogs." We believe a "tired dog is a good dog".
Most of our team members got involved in the sport because they have high-drive dogs that needed something to do. It is a great outlet for energetic dogs and stops them from being destructive. You really feel the dogs love for the sport and that intoxicating energy bonds you with your pet. Many of us also enjoy the team environment and that every dog on the team is like our own dog.
We travel all over the intermountain west to tournaments. We are not trying to break any records, but we like to be competitive in our division. Our team has dues of $75 annually. We have practice each week, usually Sunday, weather permitting. We send out a weekly email with the time and location of practice. Anyone can come to watch our practices. If you would like to start training your dog for the sport we offer three free practices and then encourage you to become part of the team.
OUR DIRECTORS
Jenny - President
Jenny has been doing flyball for about 10 years. She joined the team because her dog Ralph needed a job. "It was his favorite thing to do in life". He has since past on but Jenny continues doing flyball with her other four dogs. She has been our president for about 4 years. She loves training dogs and works as a Veterinary Technician when she is not doing flyball.
Casie - Vice President
Casie has been a member of our flyball team for about 2 years. Her dog "Ellie" showed her how fun the sport could be. Now she and her husband and both her dogs are heavily involved in the sport. She has become a valuable asset to the team and its growth.
Terie - Treasurer
Terie got into the sport with her Aussie Si. She and Si are intrigual to the team. It is great to see how passionate they both are. She has three dogs and is now starting to train her Australian Cattle dog Suz. When she is not running flyball, Terie enjoys spending time with her husband, kids and horses.
Brooke - Communications
Brooke joined our team along with her husband James and their two dogs. Ardan a red border collie mix picked up flyball very fast and is a great help in training other dogs. She is a dedicated member and also enjoys doing agility with both dogs.