John D is making his way around the internet! As he and ASDA president, Donna Waugh, prepare for their trip to Hollywood in October, news reporters are picking up the Hero Dog momentum. He was recently featured on the New Dog World website. John D won the search and rescue category of the American Humane Association's 2013 Hero Dog contest. He's been deployed to several national disasters, including the Joplin tornadoes and the Nashville floods. He's also a participant in canine cancer detection studies at UAMS. He'll be competing with six other finalists for the Hero Dog Award, so remember to cast your vote (every day!) to support our hero. |
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We're so excited to tell you John D has been recognized for his boundless commitment to search and rescue! As you might recall, John D wrote a moving letter asking for your support as he entered the 2013 Hero Dog Award contest. We absolutely could not have done it without you and your votes, so thank you so much for helping JohnD, our team, and the Sage Foundation for Dogs Who Serve gain national visibility through the American Humane Society.
Voting for the overall Hero Dog of the Year begins on August 6th. We'll post the voting link soon! John D will have Hollywood producers visit in August to showcase his talents. Stay tuned for upcoming news, images and video.
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.
We are so excited to share with you the new things we are working on!
From the UAMS website: "In the first study of its kind, Alexander “Sandy” Burnett, M.D., at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), is testing whether local search and rescue dogs can detect ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is often called the silent killer because the disease frequently progresses to advanced stages before symptoms appear, and there is no early detection screening. Ovarian cancer is the ninth most common cancer among women and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women – the deadliest of gynecologic cancers..." READ MORE HERE |
About usASDA is a 501c(3) that uses canine scent capabilities to serve human needs. We specialize in search and rescue and cancer research. Past news
June 2014
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