Meet Maverick: Winner of the 2023 American Humane Hero Dog Award
Maverick is a Great Dane therapy dog with a “superpower” to help military vets deal with trauma.
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On Monday, November 6, American Humaneopens in a new tab, the U.S.’s first national humane organization, announced that Maverick, a six-year-old, 150-pound European Blue Great Dane, is the winner of the 13th annual American Humane Hero Dog Awardsopens in a new tab. Maverick, who was chosen by a panel of judges and voted on by the public, was originally listed in the Therapy Dog category, which is sponsored by The Brady Hunter Foundationopens in a new tab. The awards took place on November 10.
“We are so excited to name Maverick as American Humane’s 2023 Hero Dog, a distinction that is well-deserved for him and his handler, Kelly,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane. “The duo has worked tirelessly to bring comfort and solace to our nation’s military heroes through the United Service Organizations (USO), all while they both were facing their own internal battles against cancer. It’s these types of incredible stories about sacrifice, perseverance, and compassion that this award aims to spotlight.”
Leave No Paws Behind Ensures Military Pets Can Stay With Their Peopleopens in a new tab
The organization provides transportation funds so military families and their pets can be what they like best: together.
All about Maverick
Per PR Newswireopens in a new tab, Maverick and his handler, Kelly Brownfield, first met in 2016, when Maverick was only three months old. For the next year, Brownfield trained Maverick as a therapy dog, and he passed his certification test (with flying colors!) in 2017. Since then, the two have donated their time to the USO, particularly helping military families stationed at the Fort Leonard Wood base in St. Robert, Missouri.
In addition to helping families in need with trauma and other health concerns, Maverick was able to sense when Brownfield got sick herself. PR Newswire reports that, before Brownfield was diagnosed with cancer, Maverick was “especially clingy” and was constantly laying his head near his mom’s. Her doctor later said that Maverick could smell that something was wrong. She will complete treatment next spring with Maverick continuing to be an important member of her support team.
“Maverick’s superpower is his ability to calm people with a touch of his paw, giving them the strength to move forward,” Brownfield told Fox News Digitalopens in a new tab.
Cannes Awards Are Going to the Dogsopens in a new tab
Who won this year’s Palm Dog (er, Palme d’Og) Award?
The other finalists
The other dogs on the finalist list includeopens in a new tab: Buda, a four-year-old German Shepherd Shorthaired Pointer (Oceanside, California); Poppy, a five-year-old black Labrador (Columbia, South Carolina); Raina, a 13-year-old Australian Shepherd (Perkasie, Pennsylvania); and Moxie, a five-year-old Mini Goldendoodle (Ballwin, Missouri). All of the dogs on that list are service dogsopens in a new tab in their own right; you can read more about their remarkable work and lives hereopens in a new tab.
In its 13 years, the competition has included more than 1,000 dogs. Past hosts, judges, award presenters, and entertainers at the awards have included Betty Whiteopens in a new tab, Whoopi Goldberg, Lisa Vanderpump (whose reality TV work has involved rescue advocacyopens in a new tab), Kristen Chenoweth, and more. American Philanthropist Lois Pope and the Lois Pope LIFE Foundationopens in a new tab presents the event, which you can catch on A&E on November 26 and on FYI Network on November 23, Thanksgiving Day.
Hilary Weaver
Hilary Weaver is the senior editor at Kinship. She has previously been an editor at The Spruce Pets, ELLE, and The Cut. She was a staff writer at Vanity Fair from 2016 to 2019, and her work has been featured in Esquire, Refinery 29, BuzzFeed, Parade, and more. She lives with her herding pups, Georgie and Charlie.
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