K9 from Alabama is up against two other semi-finalists for American Humane’s “Hero Dog” award
Search-and-rescue dogs work tirelessly to find the missing and lost. And while they do get rewarded for their efforts, usually by being given a favorite toy, this is usually fleeting as they move on to the next search-and-rescue mission.
Fortunately, American Humane rewards the actions of these heroic dogs with its yearly American Humane Hero Dog Awards. One dog in particular, from Alabama, is in the running for the 2020 American Humane Hero Dog Award in the Search and Rescue category.
A natural at search and rescue
The German shepherd, named Küsse, German for kisses, is known for her uncanny ability to find lost people. Even though she is relatively young, she is a natural at what she does.
Living in Sheffield, Alabama, the search-and-rescue dog travels all over the country to help in search and reconnaissance efforts.
Dedicated to her job
In training since she was a puppy, Küsse has already proven herself time and again. In one instance, she traveled to Cookeville, Tennessee, along with her owner, Corey Speegle, to search for the missing after an EF4 tornado devastated the town.
And while the team was not able to find any survivors, they were able to help families in the town find closure.
“It was like a bomb went off there,” Speegle told Alabama NewsCenter. “We stayed until the last person was accounted for — it wasn’t pretty, as you can imagine.”
Küsse’s methods for finding lost individuals
Speegle used the recall/refind method when training Küsse. When they are working to find someone, Küsse will search for the missing person and then return to Speegle to lead him to them. She is also fitted with a GPS tracking device that allows Speegle to track her up to nine miles away.
“I say, ‘Show me,’ and she will return to me and lead me to the person,” Speegle said. “When she finds somebody, she gets her purple Kong wubba, her favorite toy in the whole world.”
Finding lost children
The GPS device comes in handy when the team searches for small children. Instead of barking, which might potentially cause the child to run away, Küsse is trained to find them and stay with them. This allows Speegle to go to her instead.
Küsse is receiving recognition for her work
It is examples such as this that Küsse is up for the prestigious award from American Humane. She is in the running with three other dogs and is the only one from the state of Alabama.
Anyone interested can visit the American Humane Website, where they can vote for their favorite dogs in a variety of categories.
American Humane Hero Dog Awards
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American Humane has been an advocate for the welfare and safety of animals for over 100 years. As a part of its commitment to strengthening the bonds between humans and animals, the organization awards the American Humane Hero Dog Awards as a way to recognize dogs and all that they do for the world.
For more on American Humane, visit the organization’s Website.