Golden Retriever

Every year, the American Kennel Club
presents its Award for Canine Excellence to dogs who
"enrich, inspire or contribute to the lives of individuals and communities".

Awards are given out in 5 categories: Exemplary Companion Dog (ECD),
Law Enforcement (LAW), Search and Rescue (SAR),
Service (S), and Therapy (T)

Five Golden Retrievers have received these awards. Here are their stories:

Brock
2003

S

Brock, who was acquired through East Coast Assistance Dogs, now accompanies and assists Marc in all of his endeavors. His many duties include carrying Marc’s gear in a knapsack while steadying his owner by having him lean on his back while on stairs or when crossing icy or slippery pavements. Marc confesses that Brock has taught him the meaning of trust and friendship while providing him with the independence necessary to pursue his career.

The actor loves to have people see and experience the special relationship that he has with his service dog and is thrilled when Brock is called upon to “act” along side him. In their free time they meet with high school and college students to demonstrate the critical role the service dog plays in helping to ensure that their partner's hopes and dreams are achieved.

Bullet
2002

ECD

Bellport, New York   The morning of May 1 began typically for the Sica family. Troy was in the bathroom, showering before work. Pam was in the kitchen warming a baby bottle. And the 15-year-old Bullet kept his usual vigil in the master bedroom at the side of the couple's sleeping infant son, Troy Joseph. At the stove, Pam could hear Bullet barking urgently before he bounded into the kitchen. As Bullet entered he was still barking and animated, unusual behavior for a grizzled old boy who, according to Pam, "acts more like a rug than a dog these days." Realizing something was wrong, Pam's first instinct was to check with her husband in the bathroom. Bullet then began barking more insistently and ran wildly between the kitchen and bedroom until Pam finally got the message.

Upon entering the bedroom, she found that her only child - the baby the Sicas had tried for 10 years to conceive - was turning blue. His head was thrown back, and gurgling sounds were coming from his throat. She called out for Troy, who began to administer CPR to the baby as Pam dialed 911. A paramedic called to the scene told the couple that Bullet saved Troy Joseph's life.

If they had found Troy Joseph 10 seconds later, the baby might have died. This was verified by a doctor at Brookhaven Hospital, where the baby was revived, treated for double pneumonia and a ventricular septal defect, and released two weeks later.

The family's devotion to Bullet is as boundless as the dog's devotion to Troy Joseph. In the years leading up to Bullet's heroics, the Sicas had seen him through two bouts with cancer and the effects of an enlarged heart, at one point taking out a $5,000 loan to cover veterinary bills. It's as though some higher power has kept Bullet alive long enough to repay that kindness, with a lifetime of interest.

Jake
2001

T

New Castle, Pennsylvania   Once in a lifetime, if you're lucky, a dog like Tobys Sunny Jacob Don Wilson CD, NA, NAJ, TDIA (Jake) comes along: smart, versatile, and instantly beloved by all he meets. For Danielle Wilson, Jake is that dog.

When not working toward obedience and agility titles, Jake is a therapy dog at the Duke University Children's Hospital Critical Care Unit. He is a Delta Society Pet Partner and is also certified by Therapy Dog International, which has bestowed upon Jake its "Active" title (TDIA) for his more than 50 hospital visits since March 2000. In addition, the Golden Retriever Club of America recently honored Jake with its first-ever Gold Standard Award for "enriching and inspiring us for a lifetime."

Wilson, an elementary school teacher, Uses Jake as a classroom demonstrator when presenting her Prevent-a-Bite program to students. His involvement in Wilson's Golden School Read-Ins at the library has led a local newspaper to dub Jake "the Reading Dog."

But Jake's true calling is therapy work. Countless suffering children have been comforted by Jake's irresistible charms. The parents of one 8-year-old boy told Wilson that their son's sole motivation for going to his chemotherapy treatments was to visit with Jake. During his treatments, the boy sat calmly with Jake by his side. And when the inevitable happened, Jake was in the bed cuddled beside the dying child.

Young cancer patients have a special affinity with Jake, who waged his own successful fight against the disease in 1998 and continued to visit the hospital during his treatment. Wilson says, "He became a source of inspiration and a connection for those kids who had cancer.

Copper
2000

ECD

Raleigh, North Carolina   On the morning of Feb. 26, 1999, a twelve year old Golden Retriever named Copper woke her sleeping human family to save them from an electrical fire in their home. In spite of the fact that Copper has only three legs, her actions saved the lives of not just her four humans, but also two cats and a parrot!

Austin
2000

SAR

Austin, Texas   Adopted from the Houston Golden Retriever Rescue program by Officer Jim Minton, Austin's story is a classic Cinderella story: from a bedraggled stray to a decorated and honored search and rescue dog. Austin's inspiring story includes his work at the site of the Texas A&M bonfire collapse that killed 12 people and injured 27others.

Back to Golden Retriever