By Kate Loving
For most people, dogs are simply companions, four-legged animals whose soft eyes and indefatigable tails can help relieve a day's stress. But some canines have more serious jobs than family stress-reliever. Some sniff out illegal drugs. Others assist those with disabilities. Some even save lives.
America became acutely aware of these kind of services dogs following the attacks on September 11, 2001. But those heroic post-9/11 pooches are just a handful among hundreds. Pedigree Food for Dogs, in partnership with Wal-Mart, honored seven such dogs from around the globe during a ceremony on August 21 at The Humane Society of the United States’ headquarters in downtown Washington D.C.
The lucky seven were awarded a Canine World Heroes Tribute, a recognition that included not only a medal but also the honor of having their paws pressed in cement for the Canine Heroes Walk of Fame. A yellow Labrador named Crazy Joe was the top dog from the United States, having bested five other U.S. finalists in Pedigree’s Paws to Recognize online poll in which nearly 30,000 people voted for their favorite heroic service dog. (The six international dogs, including pooches from Great Britain, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, South Korea and Puerto Rico, were either selected by vote or nominated for the World Heroes Tribute.)
Crazy Joe's story is virtually ripped from the pages of a Horatio Alger tale, a reminder of the potential of every dog who's sitting around your local shelter. Crazy Joe was just another dog awaiting adoption at a Georgia shelter in 1998, but now he's a leading narcotics-detector and "demo" dog for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security.
One of 1,200 such detector dogs, Crazy Joe is trained to uncover explosives, chemicals, currency, people, drugs, and agricultural products. His "demo" dog assignment is a little less stressful but just as important: He educates the public on the dangers of drugs.
Assigned to Canine Enforcement Officer (CEO) Cindy Grob, Crazy Joe is currently working at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. During his career, he has uncovered more than $13 million worth of illegal drugs, despite the best attempts of smugglers to conceal the odor of their narcotics. But not even hot peppers, mothballs, duct tape, molasses, cellophane or black pepper has thwarted this top dog in narcotics detection.
Robert C. Bonner, Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection at Homeland Security, was on hand for the ceremonies, and he had high praise for Crazy Joe.
"Crazy Joe wanted me to make sure everyone knows that he considers it an honor just to have been nominated for this award, and that he was humbled to be grouped with such talented canines," Bonner was quoted in The Washington Post on August 28. "That sentiment shows not only his great character, it also shows that he could probably be a successful politician, despite the fact that he doesn't know how to talk&or even how to ask for money." The other honored dogs (information courtesy of Pedigree's web site):
- Arthos, a Beauceron representing Germany's Rettungshundestaffel, Oberbayern Service Dog Rescue Team. Like Crazy Joe, Arthos did not live in the lap of luxury in his early years. As a pup, he was accidentally shot by a hunter, and was then shifted from one home to another before finding his match with young journalist, Alexandra Grunow. His new owner thought that training as a service dog would restore Arthos' self-confidence. The intensive training proved to be the best therapy. Called in after a desperate 24-hour search by police, Arthos' first mission helped save the life of a suicidal 12-year-old girl.
- Buhn-gye is a German Shepherd from South Korea, representing the Samsung Search and Rescue Center. Buhn-gye is a four-legged trailblazer. An International Rescue Organization-certified search-and-rescue dog, Buhn-gye completed his rigorous training in record time. His outstanding efforts have helped breakdown the initial resistance to a canine rescue "worker." After numerous recoveries of individuals killed in disasters, Buhn-gye was successful in rescuing a living victim, earning him the respect of the central government's search-and-rescue organizations.
- Gem, from Brazil, is a Golden Retriever representing the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. Gem, who began her training in New York at the Guide Dog Foundation’s training center, is the first guide dog in Rio de Janeiro. Gem has enabled her owner Ethel, who is blind, to enjoy a more mobile and socially active life. Gem's success has opened doors for service dogs who work with all people with disabilities. Her most recent victory was the passage of a federal law that guarantees people with disabilities access to skilled service dogs.
- Gemma, from the United Kingdom, is a mixed breed representing the Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service and the United Kingdom Fire Service Search & Rescue Team. In her role as a search-and-rescue dog, Gemma has traveled abroad to major earthquakes in Turkey (1999) and Algeria (2003). Among her many recognitions, Gemma has been applauded for the massive scope of her work and her bravery, character and intelligence. Gemma happily resides with her handler in her secondary role as family pet.
- Popeye XVII, from Puerto Rico, is a Bassett Hound representing the Canofila Federation of Puerto Rico. At the age of four months, Popeye began his training to become a companion animal without a leash. Popeye's devotion and calm, caring manner have brought comfort and happiness to the adults and children he visits at hospitals, schools, and other institutions.
- Yuma, from Mexico, is a Golden Retriever representing the Search and Rescue, Queretaro City Protection Group. Yuma's outstanding contributions have helped initiate changes in the ways police and rescue workers work with search-and-rescue dogs, a significant accomplishment in a country where skilled canines were traditionally called in only to recover bodies. In one dramatic mission, Yuma helped locate a truck driver involved in a car crash, saving rescue workers hours of searching through the mangled remains of the crash site.
To read more about these animals or to see photos of them, visit Pedigree's web site. (Link below.)
Kate Loving is an Account Manager in The HSUS's Business Development and Corporate Relations Department.
