Hero and Marty visit Masterfoods USA in Albany, GA
Pedigree Paws to Recgonize
Dog of the Year for 2006.
Hero, the yellow Labrador is the nation's #1 working dog.
Owner Marty Harris received a call Monday informing her that her 10-year-old canine had won the 4th annual Pedigree Paws to Recognize program, for which the three-month online voting period ended July 14. The contest pitted the cancer survivor against four working dogs, among them Rocky, an explosives detection dog from Los Angeles and Polo, who recently served in the Middle East.
"I didn't see this coming," said Harris, founder of Paws Patrol, an Albany-based pet therapy group. "I really never thought we would get this, because when you look at the competition, for example Polo, he's a soldier. He just got back from Kuwait and I thought he'd have the entire armed forces rooting for him."
Though she knows people love Hero, she was nonetheless stunned that a small community such as Albany could take on the voting power of one such as Los Angeles.
"This wonderful dog has helped make a difference in his community, and this community has responded," said Harris, whose Paws Patrol received Volunteer Albany's Volunteer of the Year award in April. Harris and Hero have earned numerous other awards.
The news isn't official until Harris receives the call from Pedigree. The Monday notification came from the president of the international pet therapy organization the Delta Society, which nominated Hero. Pedigree will officially announce the winner in the coming days or weeks, said a spokesperson. But Hero already has celebrated.
"He's pretty happy about," said Harris. "He got lots of fun crunchies last night."
The news is especially heartwarming to Harris, who learned this year that her best friend had developed cancer in his anal glands. Hero receives his final chemotherapy treatment in six weeks.
Harris and her husband, Jeff Harris, adopted Hero whose golden fur is silky, whose nose is always moist and whose eyes convey gentleness as a pup from the Albany Humane Society.
What's next for Hero, who's garnered international fame?
"Oprah," said Harris with excitement. No, the talk-show host has not contacted the pair, but Harris has her sights set on promoting her cause in Chicago's Harpo Studios.
"When Oprah says to do something, people trust her," said Harris, a pet parent to a few more dogs. "And if Hero and Oprah tell people to adopt shelter animals, we could do a lot to increase the adoption rate and decrease euthanasia."