17th Annual AKC Humane Fund Awards Honor Hero Dogs
The American Kennel Club (AKC) Humane Fund has announced its winners of their 17th annual AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE) and the five deserving recipients truly are heroic. The awards are given to dogs who represent the best of five categories: Uniformed Services K-9, Service, Therapy, Search and Rescue and Exemplary Companion dog.
The esteemed group of champions include dogs who support organizations like the FBI, reduce stress levels of their humans, give mobility and independence to a paralyzed child, search for and rescue humans in distress and are willing to take dangerous animal bites to protect a child.
AKC Spokesperson Gina DiNardo said that these five dogs are inspiring in their impact on their families and their communities. They improve the lives of others, and their heroism should be recognized. Each winner will receive a $1000 donation to a pet-related charity of their choice, a year-long pet insurance policy from Pet Partners, Inc., and most nobly, they will be honored at a special, royal celebration for dogs called Regalia: A Royal Celebration for Those Who Champion Purebred Dogs on Friday, December 16t, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. At this celebration, they will be presented with a sterling silver medallion to honor their services.
Related: U K Military Dogs Honored For Service With Bravery Award
So, would you like to meet the amazing, heroic winners? Good – here they are!
The winner of the Uniformed Service K-9 category is “Radar,” a Bloodhound handled by Frank Hurst of Kiowa, Colorado.
The winner of the Service Dog category is “Teddie,” a Labrador Retriever owned by Krystal Greco of North East, Maryland.
The winner of the Therapy Dog category is “Jackie,” a Sussex Spaniel owned by Jan Hepper of San Francisco, California
The winner of the Search and Rescue Dog category is “Bodie,” a Belgian Malinois owned and handled by Amy Lavoie of Santee, California.
Eight-year-old Bodie is a search and rescue dog trained and certified in article search, trailing and human-remains detection. In his work with his handler, Bodie has helped local and federal law-enforcement agencies in several southwest states. Though his work is often tough in the desert heat or busy urban areas, he is a lover, as his nominator for the award says he has quite a reputation for kissing everywhere he goes.
The winner of the Exemplary Companion Dog category is “Haus,” a German Shepherd Dog owned by Tonya DeLuca of Tampa, Florida.
Two-year-old “Haus,” is owned by the DeLuca family of Tampa, Florida, and bravely protected seven-year-old Molly DeLuca by from a dangerous rattlesnake. He stepped in between Molly and the snake, standing his ground in protection even as he was bitten and bleeding, limping and crying. The family rushed him to their veterinarian’s office, where they found three snake bites that had injected copious amounts of venom in Haus. Haus fought for his life, being in intensive care for days before he was able to recover and return home to his beloved family. Haus’s bravery protected the DeLuca family from what could have been a deadly accident for their daughter, and he never wavered.
Bravo and congratulations to all these heroes!
More by Lori Ennis