Shortlist unveiled for Dogs Trust Honours

SHORTLIST UNVEILED FOR DOGS TRUST HONOURS
Two and four legged nominees shortlisted for a national award
Dogs Trust has announced the finalists for the fifth annual Dogs Trust Honours Awards and now a total of 14 dogs and five humans are vying to take home a coveted Dogs Trust Honour.
The annual awards ceremony recognises dogs that have performed outstanding acts of bravery, dedication or devotion and the humans that have gone out of their way to improve the lives of dogs.
Since the beginning of March the public have been nominating their hairy heroes and courageous canines and now the countdown is underway until the winners are unveiled at the award ceremony at the Honourable Artillery Company on Monday 21st May. The event itself will be hosted by Deborah Meaden who will be closely involved with choosing the winners alongside fellow judges Paul Ross, Dawn Porter, Ben De Lisi, Eamonn Holmes, Ruth Langsford, Richard Caring and head judge Clarissa Baldwin OBE. 
The four categories are:  

• Hero Dog The award for dogs that perform amazing acts of bravery or courageous feats. There will be two winners in this category a Hero Pet Dog and a Hero Service Dog and the winners chosen by Daily Mirror readers.
• Dogged Devotion This category recognizes pet dogs that provide emotional or medical support to their owners by acting as canine lifelines.
• Media Mutt For dogs that have appeared in the media, on TV or within a film. Nominate those dogs that have made the headlines or appeared on the small or silver screen in the last 12 months  

• Dog’s Best Friend Recognizing adults and children who make a big difference to the lives of dogs. Young or old, these people are dedicated to dogs and go the extra mile to help the nation’s canine companions.

 
This year we have been inundated with nominations and the shortlist includes:

• A Fire Investigation Dog from Wales called Sammy who has investigated over 500 fires and visits local schools to educate young children about the dangers of playing with fire. Hero Service
• Tojo a Chihuahua from Yorkshire who alerted his family to a house fire, saving them all. Hero Pet
• Herbie, a Labradoodle from Worthing who provides constant support for his owner with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, helping to dress her, answer the phone, pay for goods in the shops etc. Dogged Devotion
• A human, Lee Montgomery, who provides support for owners of Collies who are born with the horrid condition Lethal Whites which leaves them blind and deaf. Dog’s Best Friend
• Scotland’s only underwater sniffer dog called Barra who has helped locate numerous bodies in Lochs and water of Scotland, bringing closure to many families. Hero Service

Clarissa Baldwin, Dogs Trust Chief Executive and Dogs Trust Honours Head Judge, explains: 
“The calibre of nominations across the country has once again been of the highest standard. The tales of heroism and dedication from our four-legged friends have been truly remarkable – judging the entries will be a very hard task for me and my fellow judges!”
The winning hairy heroes will be presented with their awards at the red carpet Dogs Trust Honours event - hosted by Deborah Meaden - at The Honourable Artillery Company in London on 21st May 2012.