It’s been a hard road the last seven months for Rina and her owner Judy Fridono, who is also the dog mom to the famous SURFice dog Ricochet. Rina has been plagued with three different illnesses within that time frame – first cancer, then laryngeal paralysis and then vestibular syndrome. Her health was getting worse and she was getting weaker.
As her 13th birthday approached, Fridono had a decision to make. She could be sad and depressed or she could give Rina the treat of a life time.
“Instead of dreading her age, I decided to take her to Vegas to celebrate her life,” Fridono says.
The theme of the party was “Rina’s Rover the Hill, Shoe LA-LA Pawty” Why?
“Rina has carried shoes around since she was a puppy. So the theme of this adventure was shoes,” her mom explains.
The Pawty!
The party was a scavenger hunt of sorts. Rina and her posse traveled all over Vegas for four days. You won’t believe the shoes they found!
“Rina was thrilled when we found a shoe car at Quality Shoe Repair & Luggage.,” Fridono says.
They saw stilettos on the strip.
RollaSole has vending machines all over Vegas so when your feet get tired from partying, you can slip into some flats. Of course Rina had to get a pair!
Urban Necessities has a claw game where you could win shoes. Although Rina’s Shoe Crew tried to win a pair, they weren’t so lucky.
The Jaleo restaurant in the Cosmopolitan hotel serves Croquetas de Pollo (spanish chicken fritters) in a shoe. Rina couldn’t believe she could eat chicken out of a shoe!
Also in the Cosmopolitan Hotel is this giant high heel. Although Rina’s physical limitations kept her from getting inside the shoe, she was just as happy to be beside it!
Rina gave cancer the boot, so finding this shoe car was even more special.
Rina took some time out to have her paws shined!
This giant shoe was at the Miracle Mile shops
Let’s glow shoe crazy on Fremont Street: The plan was for Rina and her Shoe Crew to STEP OUT to experience Fremont Street in their glow-in-the-dark stuff. But, Rina was too tired, so her crew brought a Rina face fan.
Indiana Bones Shoe’fari: Rina and her Shoe Crew kicked up their paws with Pink Jeep Tours Las Vegas, who sponsored a two hour tour of the Vegas strip. They wore pink Shoe’fari gear as they cruised the strip.
Vegas just wouldn’t be Vegas without an Elvis impersonator. The very gracious Charlie Franks donated his time and talent. He sang “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Hound Dog,” and “Happy Birthday” to Rina. If you’re going to Vegas, be sure to catch his new show, “Elvis Never Left the Building”. More info can be found on his website.
This lovely couple allowed Rina to be the flower girl at their wedding. The bride took a rose from her bouquet and gave it to Rina.
Rina loves to be outdoors, so a hotel with a balcony was of utmost importance. Not too many hotels in Vegas have balconies, but the Platinum Hotel does, and they’re dog friendly too! Not only that, they even comped the room!
Her birthday trip culminated at her party, full of fun, treats, and of course, shoes! Everyone wore their favorite SNEAKERS and KICKED IT with Rina for her birthday pawty… shoe-la-la style. The BBQ menu had items like HEELS & hot dogs, Las Vegas LOAFERS, SHOESTRING potaTOES, Viva Las LACES, and more. And then there were the SHOE-aholic drinks like blue suede SHOES, SHOE’ters and SPIKED punch (not really, it was all straight LACED drinks).
And because we know that Frodono and her dogs are all about pawing it forward, in lieu of birthday gifts, Rina asked everyone to lift their SOLE and donate to her fundraiser for the Goodie Two Shoes Foundation (GTSF). GTSF provides new shoes to disadvantaged children and children in crisis.
GTSF brings their truck full of shoes to schools around the Las Vegas area.
Thanks to Surf Dog Ricohet and Rina’s pawsome supporters, $12,000 was raised which fitted 440 kids with new shoes!
Elvis gifted Rina with an autographed scarf.
Hap-E-Dog Natural Food & Barkery asked Quality Shoe Repair & Luggage to bring their sneaker car to Rina’s pawty.
Not only did they bring their sneaker car, they also gave Rina a ride in it!
Guests of the pawty signed Rina’s shoes… from soul to sole!
This little boy toasted with Rina.
Games for the humans included a flip-flop piñata and “Pin The Shoes on Imelda Barkos.”
Happy Birthday, Rina!
