Each year, the American Humane Society honors extraordinary dogs across the United States through the Hero Dog Awards, a nationwide competition and fundraising event. This year, the awards banquet was held at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, attended by approximately 350 people, including supporters, families, previous winners, and donors.
Among the honorees was Our Rescue-sponsored Electronic Storage Detection K9 Harrison, partnered with Lt. Douglas Dupell of the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina. Harrison was the first ESD K9 ever to win the Law Enforcement and First Responder Dog category. As a finalist, K9 Harrison and Lt. Dupell attended the event with their immediate family and invited Our Rescue as a thank-you for the organization’s support and sponsorship of Harrison’s training and deployment.
The American Humane Hero Dog Awards recognize dogs in five categories: Therapy Dogs; Service and Guide Dogs; Military Dogs; Law Enforcement and First Responder Dogs; and Shelter Dogs. Earlier this year, hundreds of dogs were nominated nationwide. Five semi-finalists in each category were selected, and following a public voting process, the field was narrowed to five finalists.
Harrison, a two-year-old Labrador Retriever, is Caldwell County’s first ESD K9 and one of only a few certified dogs of his kind in North Carolina. Specially trained to locate hidden electronic devices, he plays a critical role in uncovering digital evidence for a wide range of criminal investigations, with a focus on Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) cases. Beyond his investigative work, Harrison engages with the community, delights children at events, and helps strengthen relationships between law enforcement and the public.
The overall winner of the 15th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards was Sgt. Bo, a four-year-old mixed-breed therapy dog who recently retired after years of comforting children alongside a School Resource Officer in Nashville, Tennessee.
We are proud of K9 Harrison’s achievements and grateful to our donors, whose contributions make this work possible. Harrison’s nomination reflects the growing role of ESD K9s in addressing modern crimes that threaten children. Many people are just learning about ESD K9s and the power they have to support ICAC Task Force work. With police facing hundreds of reports of child sexual abuse material every day, these incredible K9 partners help make that challenge a little less daunting.
Donate today to help fund more ESD K9s across the country!
