ROY -- Do you recycle?
If not, you're being put to shame by Jake the rottweiler, a one-dog ecological powerhouse.
Jake's passion for helping keep the Earth green has won him a spot as a finalist in the Top Dog contest on NBC's "Today" show. He's one of four national finalists and one of two finalists from Utah. He and his owner, Patty Vaughan, will fly to New York City today, display Jake's abilities and compete for the grand prize. The show airs Monday morning.
"I wanted to enter Jake into this contest to show people what a great dog he is. He's always been a hard worker. He's always had a job and he's very kind," Vaughan said. "The day the show aired, he got 68 percent of the vote. I couldn't believe it."
It was during baseball season several years ago that Vaughan learned Jake was a fan of recycling.
"The baseball players would drink their Gatorade and toss the empty bottles on the ground," she said.
"All of a sudden Jake just took off and ran toward the players. He scooped the empty bottle up in his mouth and brought it over to me."
Vaughan said she told the dog to go throw the bottle into the recycling bin.
He did.
Now she regularly takes Jake to the park so he can pick up the garbage people leave behind.
"He's really an amazing dog," Vaughan said. "He can understand more commands than any other dog I know. I locked myself out of the house awhile back and I told him to go inside and get my keys on the kitchen counter. He went in through his doggy door, grabbed the keys and brought them to me."
Vaughan discovered Jake whimpering under her car while living in Georgia. She said from the time he was a puppy, he had a good work ethic.
"I trained him to be a search and rescue dog, a cadaver dog, and he has been very helpful," she said.
In fact, last year, Jake was responsible for finding 7-year-old Trejon Fite, who fell into a canal along the Jordan River.
"We were out there every day for three months and didn't give up," Vaughan said. "We finally found his body 16 miles from where he fell in."
On Monday, Jake will continue to compete for the title of Top Dog.
Jake also will appear in "Ladies Home Journal" magazine.
"He deserves a little bit of the spotlight," Vaughan said. "People need to know how special he is."
Click here to see more about Jake and to see a video of him.
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