Voting for the 2nd annual First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award is underway, and a few local furry friends are on the list.
The nationwide contest features several therapy dogs that work alongside first responders and law enforcement. Voting is open from now until Dec. 4.
"Therapy dogs help these heroic men and women rebound from emergencies and reset between calls. The calming, healing presence of these dogs enables first responders to process the on-the-job traumas they’ve experienced and cope better with stress, grief, and anxiety," the FHE Health website stated. "This contest shines a light on the critical role they play in supporting America’s public safety professionals."
Take a look at some local contestants:
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Willowbrook
According to her description on the FHE website, after being rescued from a backyard breeder and beating parvo, Willowbrook has visited thousands of first responders in Los Angeles County.
Willowbrook is the smallest volunteer at the LA County Sheriff's Department weighing in at 5.5 pounds, (6 pounds with her tiny vest).
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She has been awarded AKC Canine Good Citizen, AKC Urban Dog, and AKC Community Canine titles, AKG Therapy Dog Distinguished, and the Presidential Points of Light Gold Award for Volunteerism.
Nami
Nami, which stands for "National Alliance on Mental Illness," is a Wellness Support K9 with the Beverly Hills Police Department.
She has been trained to “sense shifts in pheromones and blood pressure and use this skill to provide emotional support to first responders and support staff of Beverly Hills Police Department and the Beverly Hills community — and to be a comforting presence in times of crisis,” her bio on the FHE website states.
Although she was originally meant to be a guide dog, her love of chasing squirrels got her reassigned to the Support K9 training team.
Nami is training to be a member of the Support K9 group that will attend the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games to comfort and support the athletes.
Rudy
Rudy helps to provide comfort to first responders as well as people in hospitals, convalescent homes, special needs programs and educational institutions, including UCLA and Pepperdine.
He serves the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol.
According to his description on the FHE website, Rudy has received the 2023 US Presidents Gold Volunteer Award, 2023 LAPD Police Chief Michael Moore Commendation, and 2023 LASD LA County Sheriff Robert Luna Commendation.
He has over 1600 hours of community service.
The winner of the First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award will receive:
- A gift Basket From Chewy.com
- A $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.
Take a look at the other contestants here:
