Congratulations are in order for one special hound!
The winner of the 2024 American Humane Hero Dog Awards was exclusively revealed on TODAY Nov. 8, crowning bloodhound Bo as top hero pup.
Bo is a police dog who works alongside Gastonia Police Department sergeant David Rowland in North Carolina. They were both on TODAY when Bo was announced as this year’s American Humane Hero Dog, and Rowland expressed his surprise around the news.
"I didn't think we were going to win, I was just blessed to be up here with Bo, the American Humane, to just, you know, to tell our story and what Bo has accomplished in our community and the amazing nose of a bloodhound," Rowland shared.
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Bo was initially up against 25 fellow canines for the 2024 American Humane Hero Dog title, who the American Humane recognizes as dogs accomplishing “extraordinary things,” like saving lives in combat or assisting human companions with tasks and goals.
The police pup was chosen as the winner among four other finalists, including military dog Niki, service dog Sampson, therapy dog Dayo and shelter dog Penny. Each finalist was the winner of their own respective category: Law enforcement and first responder dogs, service and guide or hearing dogs, emerging hero and shelter dogs, therapy dogs and military dogs.
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CEO of American Humane Robin Ganzert said while on TODAY that all the dogs are winners, at the end of the day.
"They're all winners to us, actually, all winners," CEO of American Humane Robin Ganzert said of all the finalists while on TODAY.
Here's everything to know about Bo, the winner of the 2024 American Humane Hero Dog Awards.
Meet the winner, Bo
Bo is an 18-month-old male bloodhound who works alongside Rowland at Gastonia Police Department in North Carolina, according to American Humane.
The K-9 has been helping solve crimes and saving lines since he was just 8 months old after he was picked from his litter in 2023 by the police department.
Rowland initially bonded with Bo by bringing the pup home as part of his training, and his kids played educational games with him in their backyard, per American Humane.
Bo is notably the first bloodhound at the North Carolina police department, where classic law enforcement breeds like German shepherds have historically worked at, according to the organization.
Shortly after starting at the police station, Bo tracked down a missing 11-year-old child with autism and located an elderly patient with dementia, per the dog's official bio.
Other heroic achievements include tracking down an elderly patient during a cold winter night, and finding a 7-year-old child taken at knifepoint, per his bio.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from Today:
