When Angela Ewtushik and her disc (frisbee) retrieving dog Rally started out their quest for a top spot on Canada’s Got Talent, Ewtushik didn’t know where the journey would take them.
Reflecting on the experience, she said the message of how dogs and their owners can find happiness in teamwork was something they have shared with thousands across Canada.
The duo made it through four television appearances on Canada’s Got Talent to the semi-finals, before failing to make the cut to the finals.
“I think we hit 80 percent of the population with our message,” Ewtushik said of the experience.
She and Rally have been involved in disc competitions for several years – ever since the spunky Pyrenean shepherd became a part of the family. When the Advertiser arrived for an interview, the pair had just returned from a competition in Michigan, where Rally captured top spot in a pro freestyle contest.
In a blog written after they were eliminated from the TV show, Ewtushik said, “I never thought that hallway would lead to several appearances on national TV and a huge fan base of Rally supporters from across Canada.
“This hit me minutes before the [final] show. As the cameras were taping the audience, I gasped at the number of ‘Rally’ signs and the people cheering for him. I had to turn away to find a makeup person to wipe my tears.”
Their act didn’t go as expected in the semi-final, with Rally missing many of the tossed discs – but Ewtushik blames herself for the shortfall.
“Usually the dog is off, but it was me,” she said as Rally sat beside her waiting for the ever-present disc to be tossed.
She said the pair’s appearance on Canada’s Got Talent was a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. What amazed her is the support Rally received from people across the country and from Canada’s Got Talent staff who followed them through the competition.
“When we got there I couldn’t believe the people who worked for Canada’s Got Talent actually loved Rally,” she said. “People were coming to the episodes (live tapings) just because of Rally. It’s amazing the attention he gets.”
Even at the April 29 semi-final, Ewtushik believes the duo was just a heartbeat away from moving on. In the semifinals, one act gets first place and automatically goes on to the final, while one of the two other top acts are chosen by the judges to move on. Ewtushik and Rally lost out to a beat boxer.
“This was a great opportunity,” she added.
Since appearing on the show, Ewtushik has received “more inquiries,” from groups and organizations wanting the duo to appear at functions.
She believes the television exposure has also garnered interest in R&R Pet Paradise kennel near Harriston, which she runs together with her partner Rick Rauwerda. Ewtushik is hoping the exposure might also eventually lead to television commercial work.
Despite the loss, Ewtushik believes “everything happens for a reason.” She points out that if they had moved on, Rally would not have been able to compete in the Michigan contest and garner another winning trophy.
“I think there are a lot of different doors that have opened,” she said.
For Rally, retrieving discs and being with Ewtushik seems to suffice.
The duo is planning to attend several local events, including the Mount Forest Fireworks Festival and fall fairs in Arthur and Harriston.
