A Sacramento service dog is receiving high praise not only from his owner but from members of the American Humane Association, naming him a semi-finalist for the annual Hero Dog Award.
His name is Hook, and he is a 12-pound, 10-year-old hearing dog who has been credited with helping save his owner in two separate cases.
About three years ago Hook and his owner were in downtown Sacramento crossing a street. A train was coming that his owner did not hear because of her hearing impairment.
Hook and his owner walked across the train crossing when Hook started jumping on her, but she couldn’t figure out why. When she stopped, she saw people motioning to her from across the street.
“It distracted me as I was crossing the track. Hook seeing the danger ahead that I was not aware of suddenly pulled me off the track,” Hook’s owner wrote on the humane association website. “I turned around not knowing why and then saw the train. It missed me by a foot.”
Another time a prowler broke his owner’s office.
“I was in the back room and there was a loud sound. I was so scared. I felt a presence in my waiting room,” the owner wrote. “Before I could think about calling 911, Hook bolted out to the waiting room. I looked down the hallway and saw a man. Hook was growling and chased the man out of my office.”
Hook is one of three semi-finalist pooches in his guide/hearing dogs category eligible for the grand prize. He is one of 24 semi-finalists across eight categories.
The eight category winners will win $2,500 for their charity partners. Hook’s charity partner is the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. If he wins, Hook will get to fly to Hollywood for the awards gala in September.
