Meet America’s most heroic dogs, who are winning hearts, wagging tails, and sometimes saving lives.
Penny, Bo, Nikki, Sampson, and Dayo are the finalists of the annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards in their respective categories, American Humane revealed exclusively to USA TODAY. Each winner in the five different categories was chosen from a group of five nominees. The top five will now compete to take home the title of 2024 American Humane Hero Dog, which will be selected by a blue-ribbon judging panel.
“Five courageous canines will be featured, but only one dog will be awarded the American Hero Dog title,” American Humane says.
The winners in each category will be honored at the American Humane Hero Dog Awards Gala in Palm Beach, Florida, this winter, where the “canine celebrants will walk, zoom, and sniff their way down the red carpet,” the American Humane Society said.
What are the American Humane Hero Dog Awards?
The American Humane Hero Dog Awards is an annual, nationwide competition that recognizes “America’s standout dogs,” described as “often ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things, whether it’s saving lives on the battlefield, lending sight or hearing to a human companion, or helping people achieve their goals,” American Humane says on its website.
Hundreds of inspiring dogs were nominated from across the country for the 14th edition of the competition that kicked off earlier this year in June. Five semi-finalists in each of the five categories were short-listed and “chosen to meet the American public,” who then voted for their favorite four-legged hero in five different categories including:
- Law Enforcement and First Responder Dogs
- Service and Guide or Hearing Dogs
- Therapy Dogs
- Military Dogs
- Emerging Hero and Shelter Dogs
“This is one of the most special and inspiring groups yet,” president of American Humane, Robin Ganzert, said in an exclusive statement to USA TODAY. “All five of these courageous canines epitomize the resiliency, selflessness, and unconditional love that we are looking for in America’s next top dog.
“We are proud to shine a spotlight on these unsung heroes who are too often overlooked,” he added.
Here’s an exclusive first look at the top five finalists for the 2024 American Humane Hero Dog Awards.
Dayo
- Age: 9
- Breed: Rhodesian Ridgeback (male)
- Handler: Liz Stewart
- Location: Dublin, California
- Hero Dog Awards Category: Therapy Dogs
Dayo, which means “joy arrives” in Afrikaan, was initially the puppy companion to a baby cheetah named Pancake at the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. After Pancake passed away in 2018 due to health complications, Dayo found a new home with Liz, who quickly realized his emotional intelligence and lovable personality would make him a perfect therapy animal. Liz and Dayo trained together to become a certified therapy dog team and two now comfort and bring joy to children struggling with illness and loss.
Niki
- Age: 5
- Breed: Belgian Malinois-German shepherd mix
- Handler: Petty Officer Alicia Horn
- Location: Seattle, Washington
- Hero Dog Awards Category: Military Dogs
Niki serves as an explosives-detection dog with the U.S. Coast Guard, alongside her human partner Petty Officer Alicia Horn. To date, Niki has completed over “250 high-stakes operations and logged more than 4,000 working hours protecting the American public,” and has been involved in the security of major events including the Rose Bowl, the Seattle Seafair Festival, and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, according to American Humane.
Niki secures the Washington State Ferries and other vital maritime infrastructure and has conducted 25,000 vehicle sweeps. During one of her missions Niki detected a firearm that aided in the conviction of a dangerous felon who had been on the run for two years, American Humane said.
When she’s not guarding the country, Niki makes educational visits to schools and serves as an ambassador for military dogs and their handlers.
Sampson
- Age: 11
- Breed: Golden retriever (male)
- Owner: Joey Ramp-Adams, neuroscientist and inclusion advocate
- Location: Sierra Vista, Arizona
- Hero Dog Awards Category: Service Dogs
Nicknamed the “Science Service Dog,” Sampson spent his life assisting his handler Joey Ramp-Adams, who was left with a traumatic brain injury and 23 broken bones after an accident in 2006. Sampson helped Ramp-Adams recover from the accident, learning over 245 commands to help her manage her brain injury and mobility issues. Sampson’s abilities include calming down Ramp-Adams when she is stressed and fetching her medicines from the cabinet along with a bottle of water when she needs them.
After her accident, Ramp-Adams pursued a degree in neuroscience to help those recovering from traumatic brain injury and encountered challenges while bringing Sampson with her into clinical spaces and science labs over concerns about contamination. However, Ramp-Adams pushed for Sampson to be allowed to accompany her and the pair now “advocates for other service dog handlers in science,” American Humane says.
The two also educated lawmakers in the Congress on removing barriers for others like them.
Ramp-Adams recently retired Sampson due to old age, so he can “spend his golden years officially off duty.”
Penny
- Age: Approx. 4
- Breed: Mixed breed (female)
- Owner: Lindsey Peetz, high school teacher
- Location: Louisville, Kentucky
- Hero Dog Awards Category: Shelter Dogs
Penny, a “super mutt” mix of half a dozen breeds, was rescued in 2020 after she was thrown out of a moving car and left on the side of the road. Her medical examination revealed signs of long-term abuse and physical damages. However, Penny did not let her scars weigh her down and despite her grim prognosis and numerous surgeries, including a leg amputation, Penny made full recovery and found her forever home with two high-school teachers, who decided to foster her “after falling in love at first sight.”
The Peetz family was thrilled to adopt the three-legged dog despite her medical issues, which also required her to be carried in a backpack or stroller for over a year as she relearned how to walk.
“Penny has bravely overcome her history of abuse, showing no signs of physical or emotional trauma,” American Humane said, adding her family describes her as a “trusting, loving, and gentle dog, who wants to be everyone’s friend.”
Penny now works as a therapy dog for children of all ages, inspiring and teaching them to treat animals with compassion, while also advocating for stricter animal-abuse laws. She often visits the capitol building with her owner Lindsey to lobby lawmakers in their home state, Kentucky.
Bo
- Age: 18 months
- Breed: Bloodhound (male)
- Handler: Gastonia Police Department Sergeant David Rowland
- Location: Gastonia, North Carolina
- Hero Dog Awards Category: Law Enforcement & First Response
K-9 Bo was the first bloodhound to join the Gastonia Police Department in North Carolina. Bo began his career in law enforcement in 2023 when he was hand-picked from a litter of puppies and has been on the job since he was only 8 months old, “closing cases, solving crimes, and saving lives.”
Contrary to his more ferocious peers on the department’s K-9 team, Bo is gentle and offers comfort to the people he tracks down. During his first mission, Bo was able to successfully track down a missing 11-year-old child with autism and calm down the distressed boy as they waited for help to arrive. Since then, Bo has helped located several lost senior citizens, a 7-year-old kidnapping victim, and “even chased down a four-hour-old scent trail to find robbery suspects.”
Fun fact: Bo is terrified of Halloween decorations, his handler Sgt. David Rowland said.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
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