CITY FOCUS: Family connections

Every dog has its day.

For Laguna Beach Labrador Bosco, her day will be Nov. 13.

Laguna Beach resident Ginger Virga entered her dog Bosco in the national “Here’s to the Goodlife” pet video contest, put on by Goodlife Recipe pet food.

The duo has been selected as one of six finalists throughout the country, and soon will leave for New York to compete for the grand prize.

“I was very excited when I found out I was a finalist,” Virga said. “I was actually pretty shocked.”

The winner will receive $10,000, the chance to meet singer and contest judge LeAnn Rimes, be featured in a national advertisement, and a year’s supply of the company’s products for both the winner and their favorite local pet therapy group.

The company judged entries on entertainment value, creativity and the connection between families and their pets.

Virga discovered the contest while doing research online regarding Bosco’s medical issues.

So Virga produced a 60-second video from footage she had taken of Bosco over the years. It was only the second film she had ever created, but it was good enough to garner the attention of the contest judges.

“It was really fun,” Virga said. “I really had a great time doing it.”

The video depicts Bosco swimming and fetching at the beach, and playing in the sand.

“She’s an incredible athlete,” Virga said.

Other parts of the video illustrate Bosco’s strong connection to the Virgas, particularly their young son Vincent. In one memorable clip, Bosco gives an infant Vincent slurpy kisses, while he giggles.

“She’s a really important part of our family,” Virga said of Bosco. “She’s like one of us.”

“We came up with the ‘Here’s to The Goodlife’ pet video contest so that pet lovers everywhere could share their special bond and the connections they make with their pets every day,” said Margaret Mitchell, brand marketing director.

“Each entry told a personal story about the way people share their lives with their dogs and cats. As you can imagine, narrowing the field down to just six finalists was almost impossible for pet lovers like us.

“But we were especially touched by Bosco’s special role within the Virga family, and how they’ve shared years of important life moments — everything from the joys of a newborn son to quality time on the beach together. They’ve definitely created their own unique recipe for living the good life!”

Goodlife Recipe was founded last year. Virga wasn’t familiar with the brand prior to the contest, but has given Bosco some of their products since entering the contest.

“She absolutely loves the treats,” Virga said. “I’ve never seen her so gung-ho about them before.”

Having lived in New York for 10 years, Virga is excited to have the opportunity to go back.

Should she win, Virga hopes to lavish the prize money on Bosco.

“I would use it to help her continue to live the good life here at the beach,” Virga said.

She was told by a veterinarian that Labradors like Bosco have a typical life expectancy of 11 years; Bosco is 13 ½, and still active.

To view Virga’s entry and those of the other finalists, visit www.goodliferecipe.com.