ASDA's dogs are known for finding missing people, but it's a special dog that helps people find new friends...online!

Take, for example, the story of ASDA’s photographer, Verna Higgins. Verna has been an integral part of documenting the story of ASDA’s SAR and cancer detection dog, John D, who won the 2013 Search and Rescue Hero Dog Award. She helps promote ASDA on Facebook by spreading awareness about using dogs for cancer research. That’s how she came to know Dingsma Missouri, or Rose Gabel for short.  

Rose had been following several dog, community and organization pages when she found John D on the American Humane Association’s Hero Dog Awards website. At the time, he was a nominee whose story caught her eye and heart right away. 

During the Hero Dog Awards campaign, she and her friends would meet online for chatting, swapping stories, poems and jokes. After seeing Verna’s photograph’s on John D’s page, Rose invited Verna to join her group of friends for the evening online sessions.

The two quickly became friends, telling jokes, venting to one another, checking on one another when not feeling well, and sharing a close fellowship together.  When Rose mentioned she would be traveling to Arkansas, she and Verna decided to meet face to face!  

Rose drove an extra couple hundred miles last month to meet Verna, John D and ASDA president Donna Waugh for dinner.  Though Rose had not met any of them before, she and Verna hugged like they had been long-time friends.

“Without John D, Rose and I would not have met at all. So thank you John D and Donna Waugh for contributing to Rose and I becoming friends and inspiring us to never give up hope,” said Verna.

Rose shared, “To think that the furry pup (John D) was responsible for me making relationships that will make a difference in the rest of my life amazes me.  John D not only rescues people that are lost, have been in horrible tragedies, and have lost their way; he rescues those online, that he can’t smell or see.”

I am a nominee for The American Humane Association 2013 Hero Dog of the Year.  I started life in a shelter, then got adopted and started my career as a Search and Rescue dog 4 1/2 years ago.  I find missing and deceased people during tragedies. I also get called in for water recoveries after someone has drowned. I am the one who finds the victim so their family can have closure.  It is always terribly sad, but I feel it's my calling to help people. One of those searches made a very deep impression on my heart.  A mother whispered to me that I was her only hope to find her child. She put her faith in dogs. Then she hugged me and we looked straight into each other's eyes. There was a bond I can't describe, but it was there. At that moment, I made a silent promise that I would not let her down.

I  went out on the river and we searched for hours. Each time we got to a certain place on the water, I dipped my head and touched it with my nose. Everyone on the boat knew what that meant. But the tough part for a search team is that you can't confirm anything to the family until the victim is brought up out of the water and identified. Sometimes we find a person, but it isn't the person we thought we were looking for. Sometimes, it is too dangerous to recover the victim and there is nothing you can do. But I'd made a promise and I knew who I had found.  I had to figure out a way to gently tell that mom that her son was no longer missing, but he would never come home again.

Reporters for CBS Chicago are spreading the word about the amazing work our dogs are doing in cancer research. Watch the video and check out the article here.