Everyone thinks their pet pooch is the best, but some dogs really go the extra mile to earn the title of ‘Man’s Best Friend’.
Today, the Kennel Club, which runs Crufts, has revealed the finalists of its annual Kennel Club Hero Dog Award.
From a Golden Retriever who has helped her owner overcome chronic illness to a Belgian Malinois who saved lives in the aftermath of Turkey’s earthquake, these dogs have all earned the title of hero.
But, only one can be crowned as the UK’s number one hero hound.
So, as the public vote for the winner opens, MailOnline met with the finalists and their owners to learn more about these intrepid pups.
The Kennel Club, which organises Crufts, has announced the finalists for this year’s Hero Dog Award
Phoebe and Jazz – Hero support dog
Jazz Turner is a 25-year-old team GB para-sailor from Seaford whose faithful companion, Phoebe, has been nominated as one of the hero dogs of the year.
When Jazz turned 18, she was diagnosed with a rare life-limiting progressive condition, hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
While this condition causes her joints to dislocate and affects all of her internal organs, with Phoebe’s help, Jazz lives her life to the absolute fullest.
By recognising Jazz’s scent, Phoebe can keep an eye out for the early warning signs of a faint or seizure and let Jazz know that she needs to get somewhere safe.
And if Jazz does faint, Phoebe is trained to keep her safe by stopping her head hitting the floor and lying on her chest to regulate Jazz’s blood pressure and body temperature.
With Phoebe watching over her Jazz has been able to sail and even paddleboard without assistance.
Jazz, 25, and her Golden Retriever Phoebe make an amazing team. Phoebe can detect when Jazz it at risk of feinting or having a seizure so that she can get to safety
‘We’re partners,’ Jazz told MailOnline. ‘She’s a sassy madam with her own personality but we’re better together.
‘She’s had a hard life and she needs the one-to-one interaction that I can give her, but then she supports me so it’s a win for both of us.’
Phoebe was rescued from a puppy farm because her previous owners considered her aggressive and untrainable.
Jazz added: ‘She’d been through six homes by the time we got her and she was under a year old.
‘You couldn’t get her in the car because the only time she’d ever been in one was to be taken away.
Jazz rescued Phoebe from a puppy farm after she had already been through six homes and was deemed untrainable, but Jazz has helped her become a fantastic companion and support dog
Jazz and Phoebe volunteer in care homes, universities and with children with learning disabilities where Phoebe works as a therapy dog
But, with the help of a charity called Dog Aid, Jazz trained Phoebe to provide all the assistance she needs.
From opening doors to fetching laundry from the washing machine, Phoebe helps Jazz go about her daily life.
And, thanks to Phoebe, Jazz is not only able to compete as a team GB sailor while completing a degree in mechanical engineering, but also to help others.
Jazz and Phoebe volunteer in care homes, universities and with children with learning disabilities where Phoebe works as a therapy dog.
Jazz said: ‘I can’t get my head around the fact that she’s been nominated.
‘She looks after me day in day out without a break and she does it for nothing but affection, so for her to get some recognition for what she does is pretty amazing.
Gordon and Elyana – Child’s champion
12-year-old Elyana Kuhlemeier was only two and a half years old when her parents realised that something was wrong with her hearing.
Elyana is profoundly deaf and, even with her cochlear implants, can’t hear vital cues like fire alarms, alarm clocks, or road crossings.
But now, thanks to her ‘best friend’ and hearing dog, Gordon the Labrador, all of that has changed.
‘When there’s danger he’ll let me know,’ Elyana told the MailOnline.
If a fire alarm does go off Gordon is trained to run to Elyana and let her know so she can get to safety.
Gordon also helps out with all the other things we people without impaired hearing might take for granted.
12-year-old Elyana Kuhlemeier is profoundly deaf, but her hearing dog Gordon has helped her stay safe and overcome her anxiety
Elyana said: ‘When I’m upstairs in my room listening to music I can’t hear my parents so they’ll get Gordon to let me know dinner is ready.
At the moment, Elyana and her family are even training Gordon to carry notes in a pouch so her parents can always stay in communication.
And, in the mornings, Elyana can’t hear her alarm clock so Gordon makes sure to do the wake-up call, pulling off the covers and even licking her face to make sure she’s up.
In addition to struggling with hearing loss, Elyana also faced challenges with bullying at school and anxiety.
Gordon lets Elyana know when there are fire alarms, alarm clocks, or when her parents are calling for her. She is even training Gordon to carry notes from her parents around the house
Elyana’s anxiety was so bad that she struggled to go to school, but with Gordon’s help she has regained her confidence
At its worst, her anxiety was so bad that Elyana was pulling out her hair and spending the whole day throwing up.
But with Gordon’s help, Elyana is not only kept safe but has been able to regain her confidence.
‘He also helps me as a friend, I used to have really bad anxiety issues and then he helps me calm down,’ said Elyana.
She says that she is ‘really proud’ of Gordon for being nominated as hero dog of the year, adding: ‘Even if he doesn’t win he’s still the best to me.’
Vesper and Niamh – Extraordinary life of a working dog
Vesper, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois, had an unusual start to her career as a service dog.
Originally bred and trained by Westminster Police she was deemed too friendly for the police force.
And while chasing people down for a cuddle isn’t ideal for a police dog, it wasn’t long before Vesper found a career that put her skills to good use.
When Vesper was 18 months old she met Niamh Darcy, a dog handler from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, who reeducated her as a search and rescue dog.
Vesper is a life detection dog, meaning she is trained to search for the signs of life amongst the wreckage of fallen buildings.
Detection dogs are often at the very forefront of rescue efforts, leading their handlers through terrain that might be too dangerous for humans to enter.
Vesper and his handler Niamh Darcy from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, work as a search and rescue team at disasters around the world
Vesper was bred to be a police dog but didn’t like biting so he was re-educated as a search and rescue dog
Soon, Vesper proved herself to be an excellent search and rescue dog and she and Niamh were recruited to join the United Kingdom International Search and Rescue Team (UK-ISAR).
Niamh said: ‘She likes people, and that helps if you are looking for them.’
After proving their skills and teamwork across the UK, Vesper and Niamh were chosen to aid in the rescue missions following the earthquakes in both Turkey and Morocco in 2023.
There, Vesper was part of a team working 14-18 hours a day to locate survivors amidst the rubble.
With Vesper following the scent of life, teams were able to narrow down their search and get help to where it was needed most.
Niamh said: ‘I think all the dogs here are heroes, but Vesper is already my hero. She is my work partner and she’s flawless in what she does.
‘I am immensely proud, not just of what she brings to UK-ISAR and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, but of the fact that she is my search partner and she continues to do me proud every day.’
Niamh says that Vesper is an diligent hard worker that is ‘flawless’ in her work as a life detection dog
Niamh and Vesper were chosen to be part of the UK’s response team in Turkey and Morocco following the devastating earthquakes of 2023
Echo and Freya – Best friends through cancer
Growing up watching Crufts on television, it had always been Freya Harris’ dream to one day compete as a dog handler.
But, when Freya was tragically diagnosed with a rare form of stage four kidney cancer at the age of eight, that dream seemed to be slipping away.
Even during the ordeal of chemotherapy and surgery her love of dogs never faded, and so her parents made the decision to get Freya a dog to inspire her.
Since then, Echo the Australian Shepard has been Freya’s best friend and constant companion.
With Echo to provide motivation, Freya was able to get up out of hospital and walk with her new best friend.
Freya was even able to train Echo while undergoing chemo, working on the skills they would need to compete in dog competitions.
Freya and her best friend Echo have been inseparable ever since they met while Freya was undergoing chemotherapy for a rare form of stage-four cancer
Freya achieved her dream of competing at Crufts with Echo’s help in 2023, the pair trained together throughout her treatment
Freya says the Echo is her soulmate and she couldn’t have imagined that they would be nominated for this award
And, incredibly, Freya’s dream came true when she and Echo competed together at Crufts last year.
Freya said: ‘Echo is nearly two and she makes me smile every time.
‘She’s really funny and she does lots of tricks, she’s definitely, I can tell by the way she looks at me, my soul-mate and she’s my best friend. I think she’s the best dog.’
Echo and Freya still spend lots of time training together and will be competing again at Crufts this year.
Freya’s mum, Gemma, said: ‘That was always what Freya dreamed of doing so Echo was the dog that gave her the opportunity to go and follow her dreams.
‘It’s nice to think that people will recognise how much Echo has done for [Freya] and for so many other people.
Freya says that she never imagined Echo would be nominated for such a prestigious award.
She added: ‘I never thought she would get there, I knew she was my favourite dog and the best dog I could think of, but I never ever thought she would be nominated.’
The winner of the Kennel Club Hero Dog award will be chosen by public vote which opens from today until 4pm Sunday March 10.
You can head to the Kennel Club website to vote for your favourite.
