April Pelletier has spent more than 13 years competing in dog sports, but Fast CAT holds a unique significance in her life.
Instead of competing solo with her 5-year-old Belgian Malinois “Soba,” April has turned it into a family affair, bringing her mom, Paula Pelletier, and her 5-year-old Malinois “Rivka” into the world of dog sports. Soba and Rivka couldn’t be more different in personality, but both have a love and passion for the sport that has created a special bond between pet and owner, as well as mother and daughter.
These two teams went head-to-head during Fastest Dogs USA 2025, as part of the inaugural AKC Salutes the Troops series, which took place in Georgia and marked the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. Tune in Saturday, June 14 at 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 to watch dogs from across the country participate in this invitation-only competition and see who is truly the speediest dog.
Entering the World of Dog Sports
April has been competing with her dogs for more than a decade, ever since she got her first dog in college: an Australian Shepherd named “Sarafina,” who had a penchant for biting heels when she wasn’t entertained. During her summer break, she looked into alternative outlets for Sarafina’s energy beyond daily walks. She quickly discovered a Boston-area Flyball team and was catapulted into the world of dog sports.
With each Flyball competition she entered, April’s urge to get another dog grew, and it was the Belgian Malinois that really captured her attention. She struck up conversations with their owners to learn more about the breed, which spurred further research.
“I wanted a social Malinois, which is not always the breed standard,” she says. “I went down this huge rabbit hole, and I ended up importing my first Malinois from the Netherlands. Once I had one, I was like, ‘This is my breed, I love them.'”
She would go on to breed that first Malinois, “Aviva,” which would give her the fast-footed “Soba.”
April competes in a variety of sports with Soba, but says one of her most memorable events was in 2023, when she took Soba to her first North American Flyball Association (NAFA) competition.
“All the other teams that had been there before, they’d either won or they had at least been in the Multi Final before,” she says. “We ended up taking second place in the Multi Final, which was just so awesome.”
Turning Competing Into a Family Affair
Growing up, animals were always a part of Paula and April’s lives, but when Paula’s most recent dog passed away, she didn’t think she was ready for another pet. That didn’t stop April from finding her a companion, especially knowing her mom was living by herself.
After meeting Aviva, it didn’t take too much persuasion for April to convince Paula to bring Rivka home. “I always felt like April was safe when she had Aviva around her, even when Aviva was young,” Paula explains.
Around the same time she got Rivka, April opened her own full-time dog training facility, where Paula got to see her daughter in action. “I’m seeing different sports that April was doing, where my other little dog wouldn’t have done anything like that,” she says.
With her daughter’s support and mentorship, Paula took the leap from being a dog sports spectator to competitor. She started out with Diving Dogs, but jumping into the not-so-warm water didn’t fly with Rivka. The pair next gave Fast CAT a try, and Rivka took off, with not even the flashing of cameras or spectators’ chatter able to distract her. “When she’s focused on what her job is and what she’s gonna do that day, whatever sport we’re doing, she just focuses right in on it, and she just puts in her all,” says Paula.
Two Unique Dog-Handler Bonds
Soba was the first dog April ever bred, and she says the experience led to a relationship unlike any she’s had with previous pets.
“My bond with Soba is really special,” she said. “I just bonded with her really, really quickly, and so I think my bond with her is just different than my other dogs. That makes her really special to me, because she’s just always been my dog.”
While Soba is extroverted, Rivka is more on the shy side. However, she’s opened up more since and built a stronger bond with Paula since the pair began competing.
“They’ve really blossomed together, and they’ve been doing so many things lately that have just been helping [Rivka’s] confidence,” adds April. “I don’t think their bond would be quite as deep without doing dog sports,” she adds.
Going Head-to-Head in Competition
It’s not uncommon for some families to embrace some friendly competition in sports, but April and Paula say they’re strictly entering competitions for fun. During Fast CAT competitions, you’re likely to see April helping out her mom and giving her pointers. When Paula and Rivka aren’t competing, you can bet she’s on the sidelines cheering April on.
“April always tells me, ‘Your dog just had a good day. They did something that they love and they had a good time. They don’t know that they’re going to get a ribbon or a title, they couldn’t care less about that. They’re just there to have a good time. That’s all you should be concerned about, with your dog having a good time, and they did it safely,’ and I’m 100% behind that,” concludes Paula.
Tune in to Fastest Dogs USA, an AKC and ESPN production! Watch on ESPN2 on June 14 at 1:30 p.m. ET to see the country’s speediest canines gather for this invitation-only event. Dogs of all breeds participate year-long, around the country, in AKC Fast Coursing Ability Tests (Fast CAT) – the 100-yard dash for dogs.