Canine Honor: Heroic Dogs Now Have Their Own Award

The French Kennel Club (SCC) is calling for nominations for the first edition of the “Hero Dog Awards,” a competition open to all dog breeds. Dogs that have distinguished themselves through an outstanding feat may compete in one of the nine categories outlined in the rules. The goal is to honor and reward dogs that work to assist people in fields as varied as sea and mountain rescue, disease detection, explosive detection, and assistance to people with disabilities. The nine selected dog-handler teams will receive a medal and a certificate at a ceremony to be held in December 2017 in Paris.   The “Hero Dog Awards” will honor nine dogs—whether living or deceased—who have participated in or accomplished feats alongside and in the service of humans. The jury, composed of twelve members involved in the canine sector (including a veterinarian), will be tasked with selecting the nine winners of this inaugural edition. 9 categories of dogs serving humanity The competition will recognize:

• a civilian rescue dog (first aid and reconnaissance, response to avalanches and earthquakes, search for missing persons);
• a dog trained to detect illicit substances (drugs, explosives, counterfeit bills, etc.);
• an intervention dog (army, gendarmerie, municipal police, RAID, GIGN, BRI);
• a disease-detection dog (cancer, etc.);
• an assistance dog for people with disabilities (guide dog for the blind, etc.);
• a therapy dog (in nursing homes, children’s hospitals, etc.);
• a civilian dog (not a specialist, but one that has performed a remarkable feat);
• a private security dog (surveillance, etc.);
• a commemorative dog (having distinguished itself in the past, particularly during wartime).

  Contest participants must complete an application form that must specify, among other things, the dog’s behavior during the activity or mission (composure, intelligence, initiative), risk-taking, or level of training (visiting dog, assistance dog, and disease-detection dog), the handler-dog relationship, respect for the person rescued or assisted, etc. The completed application must be returned by mail (to Adocom, 11 rue du Chemin Vert, 75011 Paris) or by email ([email protected]) by midnight on September 30, 2017. An awards ceremony will be held in early December in Paris to honor the selected dog-handler teams and showcase their daily work to the public. In 2018, the nine winners will be put to a vote by social media users on the SCC’s social media platforms to determine the recipient of the Special Audience Award. https://youtu.be/0_qPTkZICfE