For 15 years, the American Humane Society has had a nationwide competition to find and acknowledge dogs from various categories that will be named Hero Dog.  

LAPD Therapy Dog Rudy was Selected as the 

AKC ACE Therapy Dog for 2025

Dogs make incredible impacts in the lives of their owners. Every day, they remind us of their incredible abilities and how lucky we are to have them in our lives. To honors dogs like these, the American Kennel Club hosts the AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE).

In their 26th year, these awards honor and celebrate loyal, hard-working dogs that have significantly improved the lives of their owners and/or their communities. Out of over 700 nominations, up 100 from last year, six dogs and one team were honored in their respective categories. This distinguished national honor recognizes dogs and handlers who go above and beyond in service to their communities. 

Rudy embodies everything this award represents—steadfast composure, exceptional training, unwavering gentleness, and an extraordinary ability to bring comfort and calm in moments of stress, grief, and emotional exhaustion. Alongside his devoted handler, Rudy has served members of the Los Angeles Police Department and first responders with quiet compassion, helping to ease invisible burdens and restore a sense of hope and stability when it is needed most. 

The “First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award.” is a nationwide contest that showcases therapy dogs everywhere in the many roles they fill, while also spotlighting therapy dogs that assist first responders—and the critical need for more such dogs, both in South Florida and in communities across the U.S.

The award is sponsored by FHE Health located in Florida.  

A two-time Top 10 Finalist before finally claiming the 2025 title, Willowbrook’s story begins not in a training facility or academy, but in a fight for her life.  

Willowbrook, the smallest therapy dog serving with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). Alongside her handler, LASD Law Enforcement Technician Jennifer Stott, Willowbrook has spent the past two and a half years proving that even the tiniest among us can make the biggest difference.

At just six pounds, Willowbrook’s size makes her uniquely approachable. “You see these big, tough guys go from ‘I don’t need a therapy dog’ to ‘Where’s Willow? Why isn’t she here today?’” Jennifer said with a smile.

Willowbrook’s presence has helped open conversations about mental health in the first responder community. “There’s still stigma,” Jennifer noted. “But when she walks in, barriers drop. People talk, they connect. It’s incredible.”

 Each week, KNX News 97.1 FM (Los Angeles) honors a person or group of people in Southern California who are inspirational, motivational, life-changing, or life-saving! 

Blue Line Dogs was recognized as the Helpful Honda Hero of the Week.  

Blue Line Dogs represents the very highest standard of service: compassion in action. 

They walk into grief without fear.

They bring comfort without words. They give strength without recognition.

They remind first responders and civilian employees alike — in moments of pain, exhaustion, and heartbreak — That they matter.  That they are seen.

 That they are not alone.

They ask for nothing.
They give everything.

This acknowledgment is more than a celebration of training excellence. It is a recognition of hearts dedicated to healing. It honors a bond that embodies empathy, selflessness, and unwavering service to others — a bond that has transformed countless difficult moments into moments of comfort, connection, and light.