See These Award-Winning Hero Dogs

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The American Hero Dog of 2017 at the seventh annual American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards was announced Saturday. The winner was Abigail, a pit mix from Leigh Acres, Florida, who teaches forgiveness and raises awareness in the campaign to end dog fighting. Abigail was the finalist in the emerging hero dogs category and was found as a stray in Miami — anemic, infested with ticks, with half of her face missing. Scars covered her bloody head, neck and back legs, and her skin had been ripped off to the ear drum.

Veterinary staff determined she was a victim of dog fighting. She underwent several major surgeries with extensive skin grafts. The way her veterinarian and veterinary technician held the gauze for her bandages looked like a bow, leading her bandages to be called her bonnets. People started sending bonnets from throughout the world.

A Facebook page "Bonnets for Abigail" has more than 21,000 followers.

Abigail was chosen as the winner from the field of seven finalists. The winner was determined by a combination of votes cast by the public and a panel of judges, which included television personalities Lisa Vanderpump and Adrienne Maloof and actress Bailee Madison.

All seven finalists received $2,500 for their charity chosen among the awards' 27 charity partners. Abigail earned an additional $5,000 for her charity partner.

The other finalists, who were also each selected as the leading Hero Dog in their categories, were:

Ice, the finalist in the law enforcement/arson dogs category, was severely injured when he was stabbed twice in the chest as well as in the face and muzzle by a fleeing suspect during a raid of an illegal marijuana garden in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in Northern California.

Ice's handler and other team members took turns carrying him the approximately three-quarters of a mile over rough terrain and through dense vegetation to a suitable landing location for the California Highway Patrol helicopter called to take him to an animal hospital in Redding.

Despite his serious wounds, Ice continued his efforts to apprehend the suspect until the he was taken into custody. Authorities credit Ice's bravery with likely saving the human officers from being stabbed or injured.

Ice has made a full recovery and returned to duty.

Pierce, the finalist in the guide/hearing dogs category, is the guide dog for an Army veteran who lost his sight from injuries during the Gulf War. Pierce has allowed his handler, who lives in Palm Beach, Florida, to experience life with refreshed independence and permitted his son the freedom to be a kid and not a sighted guide.

Adak is a German shepherd who was an explosives detection dog until he was 13 year old. The finalist in the military dogs category from St. Cloud, Minnesota, performed assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan for the State Department. He identified a mortar shell during a sweep of Afghanistan's Ministry of Agriculture.

Adak also completed assignments for the U.S. Army and detection work throughout the United States for Dogs for Defense Inc.

Luca was the finalist in the search and rescue dogs category for helping enable the rescue of a missing senior citizen with Alzheimer's disease who was stuck in waist-high mud on a river bank in the Fort Worth, Texas area. The German shepherd was 10 years old and retired from her duties at the time of the life-saving rescue.

Atlas the Wonder Dog is the service dog for a Marine Iraq War veteran who considers him his lifesaver. The service dog finalist nudges the veteran's hand when he is becoming anxious and wakes him in the midst of nightmares.

The veteran, who lives in Dayton, Ohio, credits Atlas with completely changing his life and allowing him to take an active, positive role in his children's lives. Atlas is also the inspiration behind the creation of The Battle Buddy Foundation, which provides psychiatric and mobility service dogs to disabled veterans. The foundation has offices in Valencia and Ohio.

Aladdin was found severely emaciated in 2013, with both of his back legs and tail broken. He was missing 12 teeth and had open wounds. Within a year he was a certified therapy dog.

Aladdin also assists in fundraising for the Philadelphia Police Department's Fallen Officers Fund, works with veterans and a nationwide campaign against animal abuse, Show Your Soft Side.

The finalist in the therapy dogs category from Haddonfield, New Jersey, is a Ronald McDonald House Ambassador dog, visits schools in an anti-bullying program and a trained crisis-response dog who spent a week in Orlando, Florida, making therapy visits following the nightclub shooting that left 49 dead.

Actor James Denton and television personality Beth Stern hosted the ceremony at The Beverly Hilton, which will be shown Oct. 26 on Hallmark Channel.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post. Main photo: Abigail wearing one her of bonnets. All photos courtesy of the American Humane Association.