Steve Dale honored at Westminster for Distinguished Service

The are several award dinners and banquets on the weekend preceding the Westminster Dog Show, including one hosted by the Dog Writer’s Association of America. Our Steve Dale has won many award in the past – including Best Newspaper Column, for his Tribune Media Services syndicated column which appears in more than 100 markets. This year he was nominated for eight awards, mostly for his newspaper work, for features in Dog World magazine and in USA Weekend. He was shutout. Steve said, “Now, I know how Susan Lucci feels.”

Still all wasn’t so bad. DWAA president Chris Walkowicz surprised Steve when she awarded him with the Distinguished Service Award for exemplary conduct, public communication, professional excellence, promoting excellent in the sport of dogs and extraordinary achievement. Chris said, “This is probably our most prestigious award.”

In his emotional acceptance speech, Steve said, “There’s only one thing worse that seeing people abuse or mistreat animals – and that’s being aware of the abuse or mistreatment and doing nothing about it. I am grateful that perhaps I’ve been able to do something. I thank all my editors and my program directors who make that possible.”