Police Dog Who Helped Track A Child Taken At Knifepoint Wins The 2024 American Humane Hero Dog Award

From helping locate an elderly dementia patient to finding a seven-year-old child taken at knifepoint, K9 Bo proves that he is worthy of this year’s “American Hero Dog” title.

On November 08, the American Humane announced police dog Bo as the winner of the 14th annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards.

Dr. Robin Ganzert, President and CEO of American Humane said, “We are so excited to name Bo as American Humane’s latest Hero Dog, a distinction that is well-deserved for him and his handler David.”

“In a short time, Bo and David have done extraordinary work. As members of the Gastonia Police Department, the duo has worked tirelessly and saved many lives thanks to Bo’s courage and top-notch scent tracking skills. It’s these types of incredible stories about perseverance and dedication that this award aims to spotlight.”

According to the American Humane Hero Dog Awards website, K9 Bo is a 17-month-old Bloodhound with the Gastonia Police Department.

He has began his incredible journey with the Police Department in April 2023. And he underwent rigorous training before he began working as a police dog in October 2023.

After he began his career, K9 Bo quickly proved that his skills were invaluable when he located an elderly dementia patient and an 11-year-old autistic child who had gone missing.

“On a particularly cold January night in 2024, Bo showcased his extraordinary abilities by tracking a missing elderly patient over miles and through harsh conditions, ultimately finding them safe,” the American Humane reveals.

Time and time again, Bo proves that he has extraordinary skills and despite heavy scent contamination, he can still track down robbery suspects.

And while those were amazing achievements, those were not Bo’s most notable cases. The American Humane shares Bo’s “most touching moment” came in May of this year when he tracked and found a seven-year-old child who had been taken at knifepoint.

The American Humane Hero Dog Awards website wrote, “Bo’s incredible work continues to bring joy and hope, making him a true hero and an inspiring presence in the Gastonia Police Department.”

The American Humane Hero Dog Awards is an annual nationwide competition that searches for and recognizes America’s Hero dogs in five categories: Therapy Dogs; Service and Guide Dogs; Military Dogs; Law Enforcement and First Responder Dogs; and Shelter Dogs.

After announcing the 25 nominees in September, the competitive public voting began, which helped narrow them to five finalists – one for each category.

The four other finalists include: Dayo (Therapy Dog Category), Sampson (Service and Guide/Hearing Dog Category), K9 Niki (Military Category), Penny (Emerging Hero/Shelter Dog Category).

The American Humane reveals that Bo, along with the other four finalists, will be honored at the 14th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards® and Gala in Palm Beach on January 08, 2025.