Many of us think of dogs as members of our families and loyal best friends, but some dogs end up becoming much more than that and are considered heroes. From service dogs to courageous pups who will put themselves at risk to help (or even save) another animal or human, there are many canines out there who are incredibly brave and selfless, and now, one is being recognized for the good he’s done in the world while working as a police dog.
As 2024 is coming to a close, the American Humane Hero Dog Awards has crowned this year’s winner, and boy, does this Bloodhound ever deserve the honor!
@abcnewsCongratulations, Bo! The American Humane “Hero Dog” of the year award was bestowed upon North Carolina police dog Bo of the Gastonia Police Department alongside his handler Sgt. David Rowland. #news #herodog #policedog #k9 #northcarolina #abcnews
The official ABC News TikTok account shared the news on Wednesday, December 4, introducing a Bloodhound named Bo to the world. Hailing from North Carolina, he works with the Gastonia Police Department, and even though he’s just 18 months old, he’s already made a difference in the lives of so many people.
“I’m proud and grateful that he was selected,” his handler, Sgt. David Rowland, said.
In his time working with the police force, Bo has used his superior sense of smell to track down a missing 11-year-old child, and has also found multiple seniors with dementia that have ended up lost — even in areas where other dogs simply can’t do it.
In the video, we get to see footage of Bo’s celebration for a job well done: When he got to partake in their town’s Christmas parade, right in the middle of people cheering about what a good boy he is.
Add this to the list of reasons why we humans don’t deserve dogs…
Bo is a real hero
According to the American Hero website, Bo began training for his job since April 2023, when he was just eight weeks old, and as we know now, it has taken no time at all for him to make a splash.
In fact, in his very first month on the job, October 2023, he tracked down two different people — a child and an elderly person. He was not wasting any time!
“Bo’s most touching moment came in May 2024 when he found a 7-year-old child who had been taken at knifepoint,” said the website.
WBTV reported that Bo was given an article of the little boy’s clothing to smell and managed to track him down seven miles away, where he found the child unharmed.
It’s great to see Bo being celebrated for all of his hard work. He’s so early in his career that there’s no doubt he’ll continue to change many lives and help many people for years to come. Way to go, Bo!
