Do You Know A Canine Hero? Nominate A Dog For An AKC Humane Fund Award For Canine Excellence!

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Jun 19, 2017, 09:30 ET

NEW YORK, June 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To celebrate the dogs who do extraordinary things in the service of humankind, the AKC Humane Fund^SM is seeking YOUR nominations for its AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). Nominations are now open and winners will be announced in fall 2017.

Each year, the AKC Humane Fund pays tribute to five dedicated, hardworking dogs for making significant contributions to an individual or entire community. Since its creation in 2000, 85 ACE awards have been presented to dogs of various breeds, including one mixed-breed dog, from states across the nation. Former ACE recipients have included a police K-9 who uncovered the work of a serial killer and a family pet who fought for his life after saving a seven-year-old girl from a rattlesnake, among dozens of other incredible pups.

"There are countless dogs that improve the lives of individuals and communities across the nation each and every day," said Gina DiNardo, American Kennel Club Executive Secretary and Director of the AKC Humane Fund. "These remarkable canines touch the hearts of many and deserve to be recognized for their selfless acts. We are proud to honor five of these canine heroes each year with an ACE Award."

One award is given in each of the following five categories:

Uniformed Service K-9
Eligibility: Full-time working K-9s in the realms of city, county, state, or federal law enforcement; the military; firefighting; customs and border patrol; emergency services.

Exemplary Companion
Eligibility: Dogs without formal training or certification that have nonetheless distinguished themselves in some way and have made a meaningful contribution to their owners or communities.

Search and Rescue
Eligibility: Dogs certified to assist in wilderness and urban tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events and locating missing people.

Therapy
Eligibility: Certified therapy dogs working in hospitals, schools, disaster sites, war zones, and wherever else the affection of a good dog can provide comfort.

Service
Eligibility: Certified service dogs who enrich the lives of physically or mentally disabled owners. Including but not limited to guide dogs for the blind, seizure-alert dogs, hearing dogs, balance dogs.

**(Note: Nominees doing service or therapy work without certification are considered in the Exemplary Companion category.)

Honorees will receive an engraved sterling-silver medallion and an all-expenses-paid trip for dog and owner to Orlando, Florida, to be honored at the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin in December. A donation of $1,000 will also be made in each recipient's name to the pet-related charity of their choice. The names of the five recipients will be added to the ACE plaque on permanent display in the AKC Humane Fund Library at AKC headquarters in New York City.

Anyone, including the dog's owner or handler, may submit a nomination form. Submissions for the AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence for 2017 must include:

A non-returnable, original print or digital photograph of the dog. All digital photos must be larger than 1MB in size and a minimum of 300 dpi. The photo should feature solely the nominated dog.
A 500-word-or-less description of how the dog has demonstrated excellence.
Dog's call name, breed, age and sex.
Owner's/Nominator's name(s), address and phone number. E-mail address if available.

Nominations will be accepted through July 31, 2017 and should be submitted here, with a photo sent to [email protected].

For more information about the ACE awards or to download a nomination form visit the AKC Humane Fund website.

The AKC Humane Fund^SM, founded by the American Kennel Club^® in 2008, promotes the joy and value of responsible pet ownership through education, outreach and grant-making. Through its programs, the AKC Humane Fund's goals are to: support Parent Club Rescue activities; assist shelters for domestic abuse victims that permit pets and provide resources for responsible dog ownership education. Contributions to the AKC Humane Fund are fully tax deductible as allowed by law under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code.

The American Kennel Club, founded in 1884, is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org.

AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc.

To become a fan of the AKC on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/americankennelclub. To follow the AKC on Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com/akcdoglovers.

SOURCE AKC Humane Fund