Sharon Pflaumer’s writing has gone to the dogs.

Pflaumer, secretary to the residential dining director for Student Housing and Dining Services and a 1978 NIU graduate, recently won “Best Feature Article in an All-Breed Magazine” in an annual writing competition held by the Dog Writer’s Association of America.

Titled “Bloat: An Analysis of Risk and Prevention,” the article explored a canine condition and appeared in the April 2000 issue of Dog World.

“I write about research I do on medical topics or breeds,” Pflaumer said.

Pflaumer first got into writing when she won an honorable mention in a Barbie magazine essay contest in 1961. The topic? “What Barbie Means to Me.”

“I got into writing about dogs when my ex-husband got a dog,” Pflaumer said. “I was telling my friend funny stories about him. Then I thought, ‘If I can make her laugh, why not write about it?'”

She started getting more serious about her writing in 1990, sending dog-related articles and short stories to different magazines.

“I wrote about problems you can have with dogs, and then into more medical topics,” Pflaumer said.

Along with being a DWAA winner, she also won second place in a 1989 national campaign to reduce the number of unwanted animals born each year. That national effort was sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States.

In 1992, Pflaumer was recognized by the American Mixed Breed Obedience Registration for promoting the non-profit organization through her writing.

Pflaumer has published more than 300 articles in magazines such as Dog Fancy, Dogs in Canada, Dog World, Good Dog! and the Draft Horse Journal. She also has written articles about cats, horses and parakeets.

Pflaumer warns that there’s a lot involved in owning a dog.

“You need to give the dog time as well as companionship,” she said. “Of course, you also need to provide food, keep the area clean, groom and train him.”

It’s always important to do the research before committing to a pet, she added.

“Don’t be impulsive,” Pflaumer said. “By taking care of the dog well, they can live up to 15 to 17 years.”

As for her writing, Pflaumer plans to be persistent.

“Write about your area of expertise,” she said. “Study the magazines and look at kinds of things the magazine publishes.”