Every dog has its day, and one four-legged local is hoping that day will come for them on September 29th at the eighth annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards in Beverly Hills.
Lex, a 2-year-old, rescued Labradoodle from Wendell will be competing against 265 other courageous canines for the nation’s highest honor recognizing Mankind’s best friend.
Lex is a service dog assigned to Chris Ellis a former member of the US Army 3rd Infantry Division who was deployed to Iraq in 2003. Chris suffers from flashbacks and PTSD. Lex wax placed with Chris last summer and since then they have been inseperable.
Here is part of Chris’ application as to why Lex should be the nation’s top dog hero:
It has been 14 years since I returned from war and I had tried a lot of different therapies for sleep and ptsd. I needed something else, so I applied for a service dog. 2 weeks later I received a call that would change my life. I felt a sense of purpose again. I had a reason to keep going. I found out my dog was named Lex. He went through training and I met him in July 2017. Then we began our training and life together and I realized it was a perfect match. Since working with Lex, I have become more confident in public. I get out more in fact I went to a crowded, loud hockey game with my family and Lex was by my side the entire time. Instead of shopping later at night I can shop during normal times. I look over my shoulder less because I know Lex has my back. When I’m feeling upset Lex has a way of making me laugh because he’s always a happy, goofy dog. Lex has learned to alert to my migraines and he wakes me during my flashbacks. He has done more for me and my family then any medication or therapy could ever do. I never have to explain things to Lex. Over the past few months I’ve had multiple friends commit suicide and I think had they had a dog like Lex then maybe they would still be here. Lex is my Hero because he never asks for anything, he’s always there for me and he saved my family.
Lex is competing in the Service dog category which is sponsored by Modern Dog Magazine.
Local dog lovers and those across the country are invited to vote once per day for Lex or their favorite dogs in each of seven categories.
Following the first round of voting, which ends April 25 with the selection of 21 semifinalists (the top three in each category), a second round, featuring a combination of public and celebrity voting, will narrow the field to the seven category finalists. The winning dog in each category will be flown to Los Angeles and celebrated at a red carpet, star-studded awards gala on September 29, when this year’s American Hero Dog will be revealed.
Winners in each category will earn $2,500 for their designated charity partner and the overall winner’s charity partner will win an additional $5,000 prize. Each charity partner is dedicated to celebrating the role of working dogs in our lives, and like American Humane, celebrates the importance of the human-animal bond.
For more information about the 2018 American Humane Hero Dog Awards®, and to vote daily in the contest, please visit www.herodogawards.org.
