Nominations are open for this nationwide canine contest! Nominate your favorite “Hero Dog” in the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards!
To pet parents, every dog is heroic — providing love and affection for their humans each day. But certain canines go above and beyond the human-animal bond to protect and serve their two-legged companions. To honor these exceptional pooches, the American Humane Association and Hallmark Channel have opened nominations for the second annual “American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards.”
The Hero Dog Awards were launched to celebrate dogs that prove how remarkable our furry friends can be. And honors will go to canines in eight categories: Law Enforcement/Arson; Service; Therapy; Military; Guides; Search and Rescue; Hearing; and Emerging Hero Dogs, a category reserved for ordinary pets who do extraordinary things. Animal lovers can go to www.herodogawards.org to submit their favorite dogs to the program.
“Americans love a hero, and this year’s inaugural Hero Dog Awards proved that’s true for the four-legged kind as well,” said Robin Ganzert, President and CEO of American Humane Association. “The overwhelming outpouring of support for the 2011 Hero Dog Awards instantly transformed this event from a great idea, into a campaign and program that was nationally embraced. Everyone has a hero dog in his or her life, and we want to hear about yours!”
After all the nominations are in, each category will be narrowed down to one finalist through online voting. The eight category winners and their human companions will be flown to Los Angeles for the main event, the 2012 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards, on October 6th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where the winning American Hero Dog will be announced.
Finalists for the 2011 Hero Dog Awards show included: Iraq war veteran dog WMD Bino C152; Sage, who had helped find survivors at the Pentagon after the 9/11 attacks; Ricochet, the only dog in the world who conducts surf therapy with special-needs children; Arson Detection Dog Sadie who has worked more than 40 fires; Service Dog Zurich, who has helped his ill owner in small and immeasurable ways; Hearing Dog Harley, who helps his human companion live a richer and safer life; Therapy Dog Stacey Mae, who helped collect more than 2,000 teddy bears for ill children; and the overall winning 2011 “American Hero Dog” Roselle, a guide dog who led her blind companion down 78 flights of stairs to safety during the World Trade Center terror attacks.
Thanks to zootoo.com for help with this blog!
