Loki, the newest search and rescue K-9 from the Wayzata Police Department, has been chosen as a semifinalist in the American Humane Hero Dog Awards for this year 2022.
Loki is one of the 21 semifinalists chosen from a selection of almost 400 applicants after more than 400,000 votes were cast by animal lovers around the country.
The American Humane Hero Dog Awards is a yearly, cross-country rivalry that looks for and
perceives America’s Hero Dogs – frequently normal canines who do unprecedented things, whether it’s saving lives in the war zone, loaning sight or hearing to a human buddy, or assisting individuals with accomplishing their objectives while adding to their prosperity.
“The Hero Dog Awards shines a bright light on man’s best friend and celebrates the strength, hope, and beauty that dogs bring to our lives,” Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane stated.
As indicated by Wayzata Police Sgt. Jason Gehrman, Loki is a right-around two-year-old Belgian Malinois guaranteed in following and obeying the Law Enforcement Training Specialists (L.E.T.S.) and is likewise Canine Good Citizen affirmed through the American Kennel Club.
Loki and Gehrman are members of MinnSarda, a search and rescue organization (Minnesota
Search and Rescue Dog Association). Law enforcement calls on the group on a volunteer basis to aid in the search for missing people or human remains.
Gehrman has been working on a plan for the city of Wayzata to launch a K-9 unit for the past year. The plan was approved and divided into two halves. The first phase is integrating Loki into active-duty patrol to aid in the search for missing people.
Loki is the state of Minnesota’s first active-duty patrol search and rescue dog in any department. Phase two, scheduled for later this year, will see a dual-purpose K-9 deployed as well in the city of Wayzata.
The second round of deciding in favor of the 2022 American Humane Hero Dog Awards is
presently open to general society to lay out the seven finalists who will be taking part in the
current year’s competition.
The public is urged to cast a vote online between these days up to July 22 in each of the categories such as Law Enforcement and Detection Dogs; Service Dogs; Therapy Dogs; Military Dogs; Search and Rescue Dogs; Guide/Hearing Dogs; and Shelter Dogs.
Following the vote, the top finishers in each category will be honored at the American Humane Hero Dog Award ceremony in Florida in November and one unique canine will be named the “American Hero Dog” in this year’s special event.
