LOS ANGELES, Dec. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A floral replica of the bronze and marble United States Military Working Dog Teams National Monument, to be dedicated in late 2013 at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, is the focus of Natural Balance's upcoming Float.  Flowing floral flags of America's armed-service branches; U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard are proudly displayed as a background to the monument. Featured on the monument are the Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever and Belgian Malinois. Tillman, the "World's Fastest Skateboarding Dog" according to Guinness World Records™, will be proudly riding on the Float as an Honorary Private First Class Marine marking his fifth straight year riding on a Float in the Rose Parade.

This is the fifth consecutive year Natural Balance has presented a Float in the parade, with prior Floats featuring skateboarding, skimboarding and snowboarding bulldogs among the most popular in Parade history.

"We've always enjoyed being involved with this historic Parade, and this is a truly special way for us to show our love and respect for these military heroes," said Joey Herrick, President of Natural Balance, in a statement released today. "We've set many world records for our Floats, but we couldn't be prouder to have our Float be a replica of the National Monument saluting dogs and the soldiers that handle them."

"We are thrilled to have on our Float Lucca, a German Shepard mix who saved thousands of lives as a bomb detection dog in deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. No American soldier's life was lost on one of Lucca's missions, including the one where the brave Lucca lost her front leg. We also have Gabe, a lab mix who was the winner of the Hallmark Hero Dog Award, and his handler Sgt. 1st Class Chuck Shuck. While deployed to Iraq, Gabe completed over 210 combat missions and saved many lives with 26 finds of explosives and weapons."

This is the first time in the history of the United States military that an animal, a dog, has been elevated to National Monument status by U.S. Congressional Law. The National Monument is solely funded by sponsor and citizens' donations (zero tax dollars). To be a part of this historic Monument, contributions can be made at http://www.jbmf.us. 

SOURCE Natural Balance Pet Foods