FIVE HEROIC DOGS HONORED WITH 2024 AKC® HUMANE FUND AWARDS FOR CANINE EXCELLENCE (ACE)

Winners featured in broadcast special on ESPN

NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The AKC^® Humane Fund is proud to announce the winners of the 25^th annual AKC^® Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). These awards celebrate five loyal, hard-working dogs that have significantly improved the lives of their owners and communities. The five winners were carefully chosen from a pool of over 600 impressive nominations.

The winners in each category are featured in a special broadcast AKC Heroes: 2024 Awards for Canine Excellence which premiered Sunday, December 15^th on ESPN2. The special will re-air on Tuesday, December 24^th at 4:00pm.  

An award is presented in each of the following five categories: Exemplary Companion, Search and Rescue, Service Dog, Therapy Dog, and Uniformed Service K-9. This year's winners range from a police K9 who tracks down electronic devices connected to human trafficking to a rescue dog who went on to become an AKC Agility superstar.

"The AKC Humane Fund is proud to have acknowledged the ACE Award winners for 25 years," said Doug Ljungren, President of the Humane Fund.  "The stories we receive are remarkable and we are pleased that we can highlight the incredible value these extraordinary dogs bring to our lives and communities."

The 2024 AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence are proudly sponsored by YuMOVE™, the official joint supplement of the AKC, and Eukanuba™. Each ACE recipient is awarded a donation in their name to a pet-related charity of their choice.

"We're proud to be a sponsor of the ACE Awards celebrating the extraordinary dogs whose strength, loyalty, and intelligence have made such a lasting impact on their families and local communities," said Heather Scott, Chief Marketing Officer of Vetnique, the home of YuMOVE.

"The ACE awards represent the peak performance of extraordinary dogs showing up and making change for their owners and communities," said Maribel Psara, EUKANUBA Brand and Marketing Leader. "As a leader in premium performance nutrition, we're proud to support those selected from an incredible pool of nominees impacting countless pet owners across the U.S."

This year's ACE winners are:

Exemplary Companion Dog: "Winston," an All-American Dog owned by Jeff Wells of San Antonio, TX.

Winston was rescued by his owner, Jeff Wells, after being discovered living in a ditch after the 'Great Texas Freeze' in 2021. Wells is a U.S. Army veteran who served from 2001-2009, including a tour in Baghdad, Iraq, and struggled for years with the mental toll of intensive combat. Both Winston and Wells were struggling physically and mentally, respectively, when they discovered the sport of Agility. After regaining his strength, Winston demonstrated great athleticism and decided to start participating in the sport, ordering books on Agility and building obstacles in the backyard to practice. In 2022, Wells registered Winston as an All-American dog and began participating in trials. Since then, Wells and Winston have been competing consistently in AKC Agility. The mental stimulation has provided healing for Wells and an unbreakable bond between Wells and Winston. In 2023, Winston earned his first MACH (Masters Agility Champion) and is on his way to his second MACH.

Search & Rescue Dog: "Besa," a German Shepherd Dog owned by Sarah Gentry from West Salem, OH.

Besa is a multipurpose search & rescue dog, certified in human remains searches (both land and water) and live persons through area search and successful trailing. She has helped with university studies by working unmarked gravesites from the early 1900s.  Besa is the first in the nation to test and receive USPCA certification in Human Scent/Human Trafficking.  She has been featured in digital media and on local TV news for her accomplishments and a local talk show demonstrating her skills.  Besa is nationally prepared through her certifications to assist as needed but continues to be an asset to her local community, making a positive difference in people's lives.

Service Dog: "Kissable Katie," a Standard Poodle owned by Jill Dempsey from Palm Coast, FL. 

Kissable Katie is a seeing-eye guide dog and medical alert dog for her owner, Jill Dempsey. Kissable Katie warns Dempsey before an epileptic seizure and helps ease her anxiety. Dempsey couldn't leave the house for years, afraid that her blindness, anxiety and seizures would cause problems. That all changed with Kissable Katie. Dempsey is now a civilian Citizen Observer Patrol Dispatcher. She also participates in Western reenactments and gunfights, even taking first place in the 2017 Florida State Ladies Champion Cowboy Fast Draw competition with Kissable Katie by her side. They both volunteer to help with service dog groups for veterans and first responders who need service dogs. Kissable Katie has given Dempsey the confidence to live her life to the fullest.

Therapy Dog: "Wallace," an Old English Sheepdog owned by Joy Allison LaField of San Antonio, TX. 

Wallace is a licensed therapy dog, working with many different organizations and in many situations. For the past two years, he has worked as a therapy dog at Brook Army Medical Center, working with active and retired military, hospital patients, and hospital staff who are undergoing procedures and tests. Wallace attends practice at Alamo Heights Natatorium, working with the military veteran community and amputees at swim practice. He is also a seizure detection dog for his owner, Joy Allison LaField, notably saving her life when a seizure caused her to fall into a pool. He was part of the therapy dog team deployed to comfort survivors of the Uvalde school shooting in 2023, where he worked in the command center housing several units including the police, the FBI, immigration, sheriff, military, fire, etc., going from trailer to trailer comforting those who were working around the clock in the aftermath of the tragedy. Wallace provided comfort to the members of the community.

Uniformed Services K-9: "Rosco," a Labrador Retriever, handled by Lt. John Haning of Claremore, OK.

Rosco works on the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and is on the Homeland Security Investigation Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force. Rosco is trained to find electronic devices that are hidden. These hidden devices help save the lives of children who are being abused as well as involved in the sex trade, where even the smallest devices in a search warrant could make or break a case. Rosco was the first K9 in Oklahoma and serves the state and any agency that needs his help. He was the first Electronic Scent Detection (ESD) K9 from a local agency to help a law enforcement agency in South America.

Click here to learn more about the AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE).

The AKC Humane Fund, Inc. unites animal lovers in promoting the joy and value of responsible pet ownership through education, outreach and grant-making. The Fund provides financial grants to domestic violence shelters and Breed Rescue organizations and awards scholarships to students pursuing professions that strengthen the human-animal bond. The AKC Humane Fund's Awards for Canine Excellence are given each year to promote the important role dogs play in our lives. Contributions to the AKC Humane Fund are fully tax deductible as allowed by law under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. For more information, visit www.akchumanefund.org.

About the American Kennel Club
Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club 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 26,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred and mixed breed 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, the AKC Museum of the Dog, and the AKC Purebred Preservation Bank.  For more information, visit www.akc.org.

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SOURCE AKC Humane Fund