Abused Puppy Mill Pup Named American Hero Dog of 2015

A previously abused and neglected dog who spent 10 years living in a small cage in a puppy mill was named this weekend as the American Hero Dog of 2015 at the fifth annual American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards at The Beverly Hilton.

Harley, who lives in Berthoud, Colorado, became the inspiration for a campaign which has raised the funds to save and provide medical care for more than 500 dogs from puppy mills over the past two years.

The winner from the field of eight finalists was determined by a combination of votes cast by the public and a panel of judges which included country singer Miranda Lambert, television personalities Brooke Hogan, Adrienne Maloof and Lisa Vanderpump and actress Bailee Madison.

All eight finalists received $2,500 for their charity chosen among the awards’ 32 charity partners. Harley earned an additional $5,000 for his charity partner, New Leash on Life, a Washington state-based organization that trains service dogs for veterans and others with disabilities.

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

-- Glory, a bloodhound from Sun Valley who has been trained to track lost pets. Glory has been able to find a cat who crossed a freeway, a Yorkshire terrier mix who had been lost for three days and a Pomeranian found under crates in an outdoor factory nine days after disappearing.

-- Axel, a German shepherd retired Marine Corps Capt. Jason Haag calls his lifesaver. Haag was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury following two combat tours.

“When I finally made it home, I was in a constant state of severe depression and mental agony,” Haag said. “I struggled with alcohol abuse and took more than 30 medications to deal with my debilitating symptoms.

“I was sleeping in my basement with a gun under my pillow.”

Haag said his wife urged him to contact K9s for Warriors, which provides service canines to veterans.

City News Service