The winner of the 13th annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards is Maverick, a 150-pound European Blue Great Dane, who helps bring comfort to military families at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Maverick and his handler Kelly Brownfield work with the USO and support service members on suicide watch, escort children to military funerals for their parents, and helps men and women cope with trauma, injuries, and stress. The duo have completed 55 “special mission” requests this year alone.
“We are so excited to name Maverick as American Humane’s 2023 Hero Dog, a distinction that is well-deserved for him and his handler Kelly,” said President and CEO of American Humane Dr. Robin Ganzert. “The duo has worked tirelessly to bring comfort and solace to our nation’s military heroes through the United Service Organizations, all while they both were facing their own internal battles against cancer. It’s these types of incredible stories about sacrifice, perseverance, and compassion that this award aims to spotlight.”
Maverick and Brownfield first met in 2016. There was an instant bond with the then 12-week-old puppy, who immediately ran up to her and nuzzled into her chest as if he was meant to be there. Brownfield, who had previous therapy dogs, spent the first year rigorously training Maverick, which helped him pass his therapy dog certification test in 2017.
Brownfield said Maverick’s superpower is his ability to comfort people and ease their souls. He has an intuitive knack for immediately finding the person in a room who is feeling stressed or emotional and uses touch to calm them. Maverick’s go-to move? Placing his paw on the person he’s comforting.
Maverick has also been by Brownfield’s side throughout her ongoing battle with cancer—a disease that Maverick himself has successfully fought. Leading up to her diagnosis, Maverick had been especially clingy, often laying on top of Brownfield and placing his head near hers.
Her oncologist believes that Maverick could smell that something was wrong and was worried about her. Brownfield is undergoing chemotherapy, which will be completed in April 2024. She said that her cancer “can take pieces of me, but not all of me.” She says her work serving the community with Maverick helps keep things in perspective and reminds her to always be grateful.
The American Humane Hero Dog Awards is a nationwide competition that searches for and recognizes America’s standout dogs in five categories: Therapy Dogs; Service and Guide Dogs; Military Dogs; Law Enforcement and First Responder Dogs; and Shelter Dogs.
Beginning in April, Americans nominated hundreds of inspiring dogs from across the country and from there, five semi-finalists in each of the five categories were chosen to meet the American public. After a competitive public voting process, the field of 25 was whittled down to five four-legged finalists. Maverick was then selected by a blue-ribbon judging panel.
Maverick and the four other finalists will be honored in Palm Beach, Florida on Nov. 10 during an awards show that will be hosted by Christie Brinkley and Carson Kressley. The event is presented by Lois Pope and the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation and will be nationally televised on A&E on Nov. 26 and on Thanksgiving Day.
American Humane is the country’s first national humane organization.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.