“A sign of a good therapy dog is a dog that always wants to touch you,” stated Maverick’s proprietor, Kelly Brownfield, who lives in Saint Robert, Mo., and is the supervisor on the Fort Leonard Wood United Service Organizations Club. “He just has a sense of knowing what people need.”
When service members die, Maverick escorts their kids to their funerals, and he additionally visits with service members after sudden deaths of their models. Each week, he spends time with college students at colleges, and focuses totally on kids combating their courses.
While Maverick can initially be intimidating given his measurement, “he is literally a gentle giant,” Brownfield stated. “His whole aura about him is calming.”
Plus, “he is the perfect size for everything that we do. He is literally their rock; they can lean on him and he is there for them,” she added. “The one thing about this breed is that they have the heart to match.”
On Nov. 6, the 6-year-old light big was chosen from a gaggle of a whole bunch of different dogs and named 2023 American Humane Hero Dog.
People across the nation nominate a whole bunch of dogs annually in 5 classes for American Humane’s Hero Dog Award: regulation enforcement and first responder dogs; service and information or listening to dogs; remedy dogs; army dogs; and rising hero and shelter dogs.
A winner for every class was chosen in September, then the 5 finalists went on to compete for the highest Hero Dog title.
Maverick — who received the remedy dogs class, and beat the 4 different finalists, together with service canine Moxie, Coast Guard Ok-9 Buda, rising hero Raina and police canine Poppy — was chosen by a panel of judges as the general winner.
American Humane, a nonprofit animal welfare organization, is understood for the “No Animals Were Harmed” certification it provides to movie or tv productions when animals are featured. The group has been awarding the Hero Dog designation since 2011 to pups that “make the world a kinder place,” stated Robin Ganzert, the organization’s president and chief govt officer.
“Shining a spotlight on the four-legged heroes that live among us is part of that mission,” Ganzert stated.
Rick Morris — who retired as a command sergeant main in 2006 after serving within the U.S. Army for 23 years — attended his nephew’s funeral in Saint James, Mo., in April, after his nephew, Rusten Smith, 32, was killed in a helicopter crash in March.
Smith had three kids, and Maverick stood by their sides at Smith’s funeral.
“Maverick just knew that they needed to see him,” Morris stated. “The kids clung onto him.”
Morris lives close to the Fort Leonard Wood middle, and sometimes sees Maverick in motion supporting army members.
“The weight and burden of whatever that soldier is dealing with at the time, I see it just disappear in the face of seeing Maverick,” Morris stated. “They smile, they cheer, their face changes, their body changes.”
Maverick has additionally been an emotional help animal to Brownfield herself, as she has been battling B-cell lymphoma for six years. Brownfield is present process chemotherapy.
“I truly believe he knew before anyone else knew,” stated Brownfield, 43, explaining that Maverick appeared particularly clingy, sensitive and protecting within the months main as much as her analysis. “To have him there especially on the hard days has been just an amazing support.”
Maverick additionally confronted a most cancers analysis in 2022 and underwent a profitable surgical process. He is now cancer-free.
Brownfield, whose father was within the U.S. Air Force and mom was a steerage counselor for the army faculty system abroad, grew up within the army neighborhood and have become concerned with the USO in 2009.
“I can combine my love for the military and my love for animals,” stated Brownfield, who has one other remedy canine, Apache, a 3-year-old Great Dane — weighing in at a whopping 240 kilos.
In 2016, Maverick got here into her life, and straight away “he just melted my heart,” she stated. Brownfield has had remedy dogs earlier than, and spent a 12 months coaching Maverick, who handed his remedy canine certification in 2017. Since then, he has labored as a remedy canine with the USO.
The Fort Leonard Wood middle was the primary to begin a pilot model of the USO Canine Program in 2012, and it launched all over the world this 12 months.
“With Maverick, service members and their families know they have a friend to turn to when they need it.” stated J.D. Crouch, the USO’s chief govt officer and president.
One of Maverick’s strengths is sitting with elementary college students who’re having difficulty learning how to read.
“Maverick is not going to be there to judge you,” Brownfield stated. “It lets the barrier down and allows them to thrive.”
While Maverick spends most of his time in Missouri, he often travels across the nation for work. He and Brownfield have accomplished a whole bunch of particular mission requests over the years, a few of which have been within the D.C. space.
On Oct. 4, Brownfield and Maverick have been in D.C. for every week to unfold consciousness about USO’s remedy canine program. Maverick additionally hung out with households on the Fort Meade army base and escorted a couple of individuals to the gravesites of their family members at Arlington National Cemetery.
Having a remedy canine round, “can help change lives,” Brownfield stated. “He senses the needs of every person.”
In celebration of Maverick’s 2023 American Humane Hero Dog title, Maverick and the opposite 4 finalists will head to Palm Beach, Fla., for an awards present, which can air on Thanksgiving Day and Nov. 26 on A&E.
“This is just an amazing way to showcase the good that animals can do,” stated Brownfield.
