DVIDS – News – Fort Leonard Wood USO remedy canine wins Hero Dog Award

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — He shouldn’t be your common therapist, however he’s the most effective four-legged furry therapist in America, in accordance with American Humane Hero Dog Awards voters — six-year-old Great Dane Maverick is the 2023 remedy canine of the yr for his assist comforting service members and their households by means of Fort Leonard Wood’s USO.

The annual, nationwide competitors “searches out and recognizes America’s Hero Dogs — often ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things,” in accordance with their web site.

Kelly Brownfield, Maverick’s proprietor and the middle supervisor at Fort Leonard Wood’s USO, stated Maverick got here into this world with a transparent function, “to uplift the spirits of our American troops and their loved ones through his incredible work with the USO. Maverick possesses a remarkable ability to bring comfort to others with the simple touch of his paw.”

If Maverick had been to face, he could be over 6-feet tall — weighing in at 150-pounds, she stated the Great Dane, “carries the weight of our nation’s heroes’ traumas, emotions and injuries, offering solace and comfort.”

According to the Hero Dog Awards web site, to be eligible for this honor, the canine have to be a credentialed animal-assisted remedy canine.

“Maverick is certified and tested through Alliance of Therapy Dogs, which doesn’t allow you to test until the dog is a year old. He passed with flying colors and hasn’t looked back since,” Brownfield stated.

Maverick has accomplished 61 “sensitive requests” to date this yr, with a complete of 246 in his lifetime, in accordance with Brownfield.

“Sensitive requests are requests outside of our normal scheduled USO canine activities. They are the requests we can’t always talk about, but it’s those requests that are sometimes the most important and impactful. Sensitive requests can range from escorting children to the burial of their loved one, to sitting with a service member on suicide watch, to being by the side of a victim as they give their statement, to sitting with our youngest of heroes, our military children, while they testify (in court),” Brownfield stated.

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Rick Morris stated he met Maverick a number of years in the past whereas volunteering on the USO. Morris stated Maverick, “knows when you need that big ol’ dog around you … he knows the right time to come to you.”

Morris stated after his nephew, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rusten Smith, was killed in a coaching accident close to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in March, Brownfield and Maverick escorted their household on the day of the Soldier’s memorial service.

“Maverick was there for the kiddos. When they walked in, their sadness immediately was transformed to calm as they hugged on Maverick,” Morris stated. “Maverick came right up to them. He knew they were hurting and that they just lost their daddy.”

Last week, when the winners had been to be named, Brownfield and Maverick flew to New York City to be stay on a significant tv community morning present for the announcement.

“Maverick did amazing. I was nervous leading up to the flight because Maverick has never flown,” Brownfield stated. “I was very surprised to find out that he loved to watch out the airplane window during most of the flight, to include during take-off. He was fascinated and truly enjoyed his travels.”

A movie crew from the American Humane Hero Dog Awards was on put up Tuesday and Wednesday to doc Maverick interacting with the Fort Leonard Wood group.

“I don’t think he realizes just how big of a deal he is, but maybe that’s because serving others comes so naturally to him and he loves every minute of it,” Brownfield stated.

It’s not simply Maverick who’s deserving of the award, Brownfield added, it’s those that make up Maverick’s story.

“They are the true heroes,” she stated. “We are just humbled to be able to accept this award in their honor. Many look at Maverick’s vest; he has military patches and pins from all over the country. Each of those patches or pins has a story. Each item placed on his vest has been done so by someone who felt that Maverick made a difference in their life.”

Brownfield has two Great Danes that may typically be seen on the USO and at occasions on put up. She stated maintaining with their particular missions is plenty of work, however it’s price it.

“I have personally seen the impact just one moment can have on an individual, that one moment can change someone’s life forever and at time’s has saved lives. If the USO Canine Program has impacted just one person, if we have saved just one person, it has all been worth it,” Brownfield stated. “I hope by sharing what we do, it inspires others to believe in the extraordinary abilities that animals possess and just maybe they, too, have a hero dog at home, waiting to share their talents with others.”