Emmy-winning television star Carson Kressley, who hosted the inaugural broadcast of the American Humane Hero Dog Awards, every animal-lover’s favorite event of the year, is returning to host the two-hour 10th anniversary celebration of the awards on Hallmark Channel on Monday, October 19 at 8 pm/7 Central.
This star-studded annual celebration of heroes on both ends of the leash honors outstanding working dogs from around the country, and the list of celebrity presenters and VIP appearances includes (in alphabetical order): All-for-One, Mayim Bialik, A.J. Buckley, Kristin Chenoweth, Erik Estrada, Danielle Fishel, Vivica A. Fox, Lizzy Greene, Jack Hanna, Faithe Herman, Naomi Judd, Keltie Knight, General Spider Marks (Ret.), Richard Marx, Debbie Matenopoulos, Cameron Mathison, Barbara Niven, Ross Mathews, John Ondrasik, Melissa Rivers, Marcus Scribner, Alison Sweeney and Ariel Winter. Grammy-winning singer Lisa Loeb will perform. Larissa Wohl and Nick and Joanna Swisher will present a special award to Lance Bass for his humane efforts.
The evening will honor seven courageous canines whose work has improved and saved lives, and will reveal which dog will be honored with the country’s top “American Hero Dog” title for 2020. The winner, one of 408 original entrants, was determined on the basis of more than one million votes by the American public and the deliberations of a panel of celebrity judges, including Jamie Chung, Erik Estrada, Danielle Fishel, Daniel Henney, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Marcus Scribner, Alexa and Carlos PenaVega and Ariel Winter.
This year’s seven canine category winners are:
HERO LAW ENFORCEMENT DOG OF THE YEAR: “K-9 Cody” from Newport News, VA
HERO SHELTER DOG OF THE YEAR: “MacKenzie” from Hilton, NY
HERO HEARING DOG OF THE YEAR: “Aura” from Brunswick, ME
HERO MILITARY DOG OF THE YEAR: “Blue” from Lawrenceville, GA
HERO SEARCH AND RESCUE DOG OF THE YEAR: “Remington” from Montgomery, TX
HERO SERVICE DOG OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Lulu’s Fund): “Dolly Pawton” from Naples, ME
HERO THERAPY DOG OF THE YEAR (sponsored by World Pet Association): “Olive” from Jefferson City, MO
To read all the Hero Dogs’ stories or for more information about the 2020 American Humane Hero Dog Awards: 10th Anniversary Celebration, please visit www.herodogawards.org.
