Posted on by Barky Boy

The 2nd Annual First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award Is Here, And It’s Full Of Paw-mazing Contestants!

FHE Health announces the nominees for their annual First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award and the list is nothing short of paw-mazing furry friends!

FHE Health, a national behavioral health provider, has created the nationwide contest to “showcase therapy dogs everywhere in the many roles they fill, while also shining the spotlight on therapy dogs that assist first responders—and the critical need for more such dogs, both in South Florida and in communities across the U.S.”

Furthermore, the First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award is also FHE Health’s way to advocate the need for more therapy dogs for first responders across the country.

And for this year’s First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award, the list of nominees is full of good boys and girls! Some of the most notable nominees include:

  1. Deputy Dally of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. He is a 7-year-old GoldenDoodle who has been working as a Therapy K9 for 4.5 years. His most notable case involved the kidnapping of two young kids, after the vehicle the kids were in was apprehended, Deputy Dally provided much needed comfort to the kids until their mother arrived.
  2. Willowbrook if the LA County Sheriff’s Department. This little fella is proof that even the little dogs can make big impacts in their community. Willowbrook has been rescued from a backyard breeder and survived parvo. At 5.5 pounds, he has visited 6,000 sworn personnel and 8,000 civilian personnel in L.A. County.
  3. Raven of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. On his first day of work, he helped de-escalate a situation involving a man who wanted to take his own life. Thanks to Raven’s encouragement, the man was able to peacefully surrender. Way to make a great first impression on your first day at work!
  4. Lacy of the 911 Call Center in Austin, Texas. Lacy walks the aisles of the call center to support Fire, Police, and Sheriff’s Department. But Lacy’s most notable work was when she provided comfort at Uvalde Memorial Hospital after the horrific school shooting.
  5. Murphy of the Terrie Hess Child Advocacy Center. Murphy is as busy as a bee, but the work she does make a difference in the lives she touches. She supports victims of child abuse and first responders who investigate and prosecute these cases. She also supports first responders and the youth as a volunteer at Canine Caregivers Therapy Dogs.

The First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award has a total of 29 nominees and the Top 10 finalists will be chosen through public voting, which is now open until December 04.

According to FHE Health, “The finalists and first-place winner will be chosen by a small committee with representatives from FHE Health and FHE Health’s partner organization First Responders Pack Foundation.”

And the winner of the national award will receive the following prize:

  • Gift Basket From Chewy.com
  • $2,000 check in support of their work
  • Free national publicity, including a feature blog that reaches more than 100,000 people on social media and a press release announcing the news
  • A “Top Paws Therapy Dog Award” badge for placement on their website or blog in recognition of their status as one of 10 finalists
  • A $2,500 donation made in their honor by FHE Health to our partner organization First Responders Pack Foundation, which exists to train more therapy dogs for first responders

Last year, the winner of the First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award was a two-and-a-half-year-old mutt named “Sergeant Bo”.

He went from being a stray roaming the streets of Florida’s Indialantic Beach to providing much-needed comfort and security to the Covenant School Shooting victims in his first three months as a therapy dog.