Two dogs with strong ties to the U.S. military are among the seven remarkable canines who have been named finalists in the 2021 American Humane Hero Dog Awards.
"The American Humane Hero Dog Awards celebrate the tremendously important roles dogs play in our lives," explained Dr. Robin Ganzert, American Humane president and CEO.
The 2021 Military Dog of the Year is Staff Sargent Summer, who lives in Mt. Airy. Maryland with her handler, former Air Force Micah Jones.
Summer is a 10-year-old female Labrador who retired from the Marines Corps in 2013 as a Military Working Dog and proud war dog. She most recently retired as a Police Explosive Detection Dog after serving for seven years.
While deployed, Summer conducted a number of routine patrols, searching for and positively identifying countless weapons caches and improvised explosive devices, swept and cleared routes for the troops and was involved in numerous firefights with insurgents.
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“Summer put her life on the line to protect, defend and save the lives of countless troops,” said Jones.
Summer most recently retired as a Police Explosive Detection Dog after serving proudly for seven years.
As a result of these exposures in war zone environments and other traumatic events that Summer experienced in Iraq and Afghanistan, she was diagnosed with canine PTSD in December 2015, explained Jones,
“She copes with this condition daily,” he continued.
For her valor and service to the nation, Staff Sargent Summer received the PDSA Commendation Award in July 2017 and the Lois Pope K9 Medal of Courage on Capitol Hill the following year.
In retirement, she continues to serve both the nation and her fellow veterans by visiting them at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, located in St. Mary's County, Maryland.
“The veterans who reside at that location truly admire her story of service and enjoy the love and pats as she walks through their rooms,” said Jones.
Sobee of Holts Summit, Missouri is the 2021 Service Dog of the Year. Once living hopelessly and suffering from human neglect with only two days left on the euthanasia list in an overcrowded shelter in Georgia, Sobee is now living a purposeful life with her combat veteran, Jason Howe.
Sobee was rescued in 2016 by K9s on the Front Line and began her training as a service dog for a veteran.
Howe was secretly fighting the internal demons of PTSD and addiction after returning from two deployments with the Navy.
Howe eventually found himself in Maine, talking with a high school friend who introduced him to K9s on the Front Line, a non-profit organization that rescues/trains service dogs for combat veterans.
Sobee and Howe were paired together in 2016 and an instant bond was built between them. Howe began to feel the weight lift off his chest and he now had a sense of responsibility with Sobee by his side.
Sobee is trained to assist Howe with panic attacks and watch over him when he is in public places. Sobee has also been the reason Howe found himself assisting and training service dogs for K9s on the Front Line's Missouri chapter.
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Other finalists include:
Deputy Chance of Cape Coral, Florida, the 2021 Shelter Dog of the Year.
Boone of Hookstown, Pennsylvania, the 2021 Therapy Dog of the Year
Henna of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the 2021 Guide/Hearing Dog of the Year
K-9 Hansel of Millville, New Jersey, the 2021 Law Enforcement Dog of the Year
Little Man of Oklahoma City, Oklahoe, the 2021 Search and Rescue Dog of the Year
The awards are sponsored by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation and will be broadcast as a two-hour television special this fall on Hallmark Drama.
All seven finalists took top honors in their individual categories from an initial field of more than 400 nominees and will take part in the star-studded Hero Dog Awards gala in Palm Beach on Nov. 12.
The animal-loving public is invited to vote for their favorite once a day through Sept. 7 here. The top winner will be determined through a combination of ballots from the public and a special, blue-ribbon panel of animal experts and celebrity animal lovers.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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