FEATURE/Friskies ALPO Canine Frisbee Disc Championships Celebrates 25 Years of High-Flyin' Fun; 1999 Competition Season Salutes the Legendary Ashley Whippet.

GLENDALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--March 18, 1999-- Friskies PetCare Company Inc., sponsors of the first and only Canine Frisbee(R) disc Championships, launches an exciting year-long celebration to commemorate 25 years since Ashley Whippet's historic television debut and the subsequent "disc"overy of Canine Frisbee.

Featuring an enhanced program, a new interactive Web site and an unprecedented 150-plus competitions, the 1999 Friskies ALPO Canine Frisbee disc Championships will leap into action beginning this April. This special anniversary season will dazzle and delight millions of people and dogs across the country throughout the year.

Aspiring Canine Frisbee competitors and enthusiasts are encouraged to call 888/444-ALPO (to be operational in mid-April) or visit www.FriskyPet.com to learn more about the 1999 silver anniversary season, guidelines for competing and valuable training tips.

"Canine Frisbee has universal appeal because the energy and bond between dog and owner is so dynamic and entertaining," said Barbara Royer, Manager of Professional Communications, Friskies PetCare Company. "ALPO(R) dog food is proud to lead the 25th Anniversary celebration through its continued sponsorship of the Canine Frisbee disc Championships."

How It All Started

The 1999 ALPO Canine Frisbee disc Championships celebrates the legacy of Ashley Whippet, the athletic canine who launched the sport 25 years ago through a daring publicity stunt with owner/partner Alex Stein. On Aug. 4, 1974, Stein jumped onto the field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and began throwing Frisbee discs to Ashley just as the ninth inning of a nationally televised game was about to begin.

For eight uninterrupted minutes, the crowd roared with enthusiasm as the sleek black and white dog ran 40 miles an hour around the outfield, leaping skyward nine feet and then catching disc after disc with awesome grace. The thrilling performance catapulted Ashley Whippet and Canine Frisbee play into international fame and inspired the Canine Frisbee disc Championships, America's premier sporting event for dogs.

"It's exciting to see how the sport has evolved over the last 25 years," said Alex Stein. "Innovative maneuvers and creative routines are surfacing every day. And thanks to ALPO's support, these Championships are free to the public and continue to be about sharing quality time with your dog."

1999 Silver Anniversary Season

Each year, thousands of dog/owner teams across the country compete in the ALPO Canine Frisbee disc Championships for "top dog" honors and prizes in Mini-Distance and Freeflight rounds. Admission is always free and previous experience is not required to participate, however, at Regional and Open Final events teams must compete from within their geographical area as outlined in the 1999 Guidelines & Training Manual.

To request complete event information, including event structure, judging criteria, rules and schedules, call toll-free 888/444-ALPO or visit www.FriskyPet.com. Exciting new program features for 1999 are:

-- Special training clinics during Regional and Open Final

intermissions will feature three-time World Champion Gary Suzuki

and his dog Sushi and former World Champion Peter Bloeme. In

addition, Canine Frisbee disc expert Eldon McIntire and world

class Frisbee disc expert Mark Molnar will be on hand after the

events to offer training tips to aspiring competitors.

-- Easy-to-follow Canine Frisbee training tips from Alex Stein,

colorful anecdotes from Canine Frisbee pioneers and valuable

information on pet behavior will be posted on www.FriskyPet.com.

-- A new, interactive sampling booth, Frisbee disc toss game for

kids, and gift basket raffles at Regional and Open Finals events.

           1999 SCHEDULE OF REGIONAL AND OPEN FINAL EVENTS

South Central     Houston -- Memorial Park                May 1
Southeast         Miami -- Tropical Park                  May 15
Southwest         San Diego -- Balboa Park                May 22
North Central     Indianapolis -- Kuntz Soccer Stadium    June 5
Northeast         Philadelphia -- FDR Park                June 26
Northwest         Seattle -- Seattle Center Complex       July 10
East Open         Durham -- Forest Hill Park              July 24
West Open         Los Angeles -- ALPO Dog Park            Aug. 7

Registration for the above begins at 9 a.m. and is limited to the first 50 dog/owner teams or until 10:30 a.m., whichever comes first. The high-flying fun begins at 9:30 a.m.

Friskies' nutritional expertise and commitment to enhancing the well being of cats and dogs has enabled the company to develop products with the taste pets like and the nutrition pets need to be healthy, happy and full of life.

For over 65 years, Friskies has manufactured some of America's leading brands of cat and dog foods, including Fancy Feast(R) canned cat food, Friskies(R) canned and dry cat food, ALPO(R) canned and dry dog food and Mighty Dog(R) canned dog food. For more information, visit www.FriskyPet.com, the online resource for pet behavior.

Since its inception 25 years ago, the Canine Frisbee(R) disc Championships have been proud to exclusively feature fastback model Frisbee(R) discs as the official flying disc of competition. FRISBEE is the original brand of flying disc and has been a leader in flying fun for more than 40 years.