WASHINGTON, D.C. — Based on nearly half a million votes cast by animal lovers across the country, “Dolly Pawton” and “Aura,” two dogs from Naples and Brunswick, have advanced to the semifinals of the 2020 American Humane Hero Dog Awards®.
Dolly is one of only three dogs in the nation to vie for the title of the nation’s top service dog of the year and Aura is only one of three in the guide/hearing category. If either win their category, they will compete with six other heroic hounds for the top title of “American Hero Dog” at the annual award show. The show will be broadcast nationwide as a two-hour special on Hallmark Channel.
Dolly Pawton is a cardiac alert dog, trained to alert her owner if the owner’s blood pressure or heart rate become dangerous. According to Dolly’s handler, “she helps me to function without having to depend on others. Dolly helps in every aspect of my life, including reducing my social anxiety. I was a victim of domestic violence, which caused PTSD. I struggled to get out of bed, not just because of my health but because my self-confidence was horrible. Because of my fears, it was much easier and safer for me to stay home. People have no idea the pain I was in before Dolly … Dolly gave me the self-confidence and inspiration to write and illustrate a children’s book called ‘Pawsibly the Best Medicine.’ It is a biography of Dolly told with a bit of humorous fiction. We bring her book to schools to educate children about service dogs.”
Aura is a trained hearing service dog whose handler lost his hearing after a rocket attack in Afghanistan. According to her handler, ” I went from being a blown-up deaf person to a person who now feels safe and secure in the world. She never has a day off and I rely on her to keep me safe. She provides me with the confidence I need to interact in the world.”
Dolly and Aura are two of 21 heroic hounds who were chosen by the American public to advance to the semifinals from a field of 408 candidates. The public is invited to visit www.HeroDogAwards.org between now and July 16 to vote once a day in each of the seven Hero Dog categories. The winning dog in each category will take part in the nationally televised Hero Dog Awards this fall and this year’s top American Hero Dog will be revealed.
The categories are: Therapy Dogs, Service Dogs, Military Dogs, Law Enforcement Dogs; Shelter Dogs; Search and Rescue Dogs; and Guide/Hearing Dogs.
Key dates for the 2020 American Humane Hero Dog Awards (all rounds open and close at noon Pacific Time):
• Second round voting: May 28 to July 16.
• Third round voting: July 30 to Sept. 10.
• Hero Dog awards broadcast: Fall 2020, exact date/time to be announced.
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