Meet The Winners Of The 2025 AKC® Humane Fund Awards For Canine Excellence (ACE)

The AKC^® Humane Fund is proud to announce the winners of the 26^th annual AKC^® Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). These awards celebrate six loyal, hard-working dogs and one incredible team that have significantly improved the lives of their owners and communities. The winners were carefully chosen from a pool of close to 700 impressive nominations and will be featured on Good Dog TV on AKC.tv!

An award is presented in each of the following six categories: Exemplary Companion, Search and Rescue – Human Detection, Search and Rescue – Disaster Response, Service Dog, Therapy Dog, Uniformed Service K-9 and the inaugural Teams category. This year’s winners range from a dog that provided comfort to those affected by the Southern California wildfires earlier this year to a retired K-9 who detects bacteria that threatens the honeybee population.

“Each year, the AKC Humane Fund ACE Awards remind us of the extraordinary ways dogs enrich, protect, and uplift our lives and the 2025 winners are nothing short of remarkable,” said Brandi Hunter Munden, President of the AKC Humane Fund. “These incredible dogs represent the very best of what our bond with animals can be — courage, dedication, resilience, and pure heart. Their stories inspire us, challenge us to be better, and demonstrate just how powerful the human-canine partnership truly is. We are honored to celebrate their contributions and the unwavering commitment of the people who stand beside them.”

The 2025 AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence are proudly sponsored by Eukanuba™. Each ACE recipient is awarded a donation in their name to a pet-related charity of their choice.

“The ACE Awards celebrate the extraordinary achievements of dogs who make a lasting impact on their owners and communities,” said Jason Taylor, Vice President of Eukanuba. “At Eukanuba, we exist to fuel the healthy, active lives dogs deserve through uncompromising nutrition. We’re proud to support these remarkable nominees who embody what it means to ‘Fuel Extraordinary’ and represent canine excellence.”

This year’s ACE winners are:

Exemplary Companion: “Syd,” a Golden Retriever owned by Roberta Hockenberry of Newell, WV

Syd is a remarkable dog who has changed the life of her owner, Roberta Hockenberry. A recent amputee, Roberta has come to rely on her for assistance. While not a professionally trained service dog, she has taken on the responsibilities of one. She carries packages as well as Roberta’s crutches and watches her every step. Syd has embraced her continued role with ease and confidence, not flustered by an electric wheelchair. An empath, she knows when Roberta needs her emotional strength as well. She cannot only read people, but other dogs as well. Roberta, a master class dog trainer, has used Syd’s reactions in evaluating dogs and uses her to help train other dogs by example while also serving as a calming presence. When she is not watching over Roberta, Syd is having fun as an Obedience and Hunt Champion.

Search & Rescue Dog – Human Detection: “Maple,” an English Springer Spaniel owned by Sue Stejskal from Vicksburg, MI.  

Maple is a nine-year-old English Springer Spaniel owned and handled by Special Deputy Sue Stejskal from the St. Joseph County Michigan Sheriff’s Office. She first started her career as a Cimex (bed bug) detection dog. When COVID hit, Maple changed careers to become a human remains detection dog, certified by the United States Police Canine Association. One of Maple’s notable cases involved a river drowning of a kayaker who got too close to a dam; however, most of Maple’s cases have focused on an ongoing cold case investigation working with the unit’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID). Over a two-year period, she searched over twenty areas, some ranging up to 60 acres in size, eliminating potential sites that came from tips to the CID, a common practice in cold cases. Maple had to retire from an injury sustained on the job and is now working on a project for the Michigan State University Pollinator Performance Center where she is training to locate bacteria that kills honeybees around the world. She will be involved in research and educational studies as well as the development of a training guide so other dogs around the world can learn to protect our honeybees.

Search & Rescue – Disaster Response: “Flint” a German Shepherd Dog owned by Jennifer Michelson of Hopewell, NJ.

Flint is a certified Search & Rescue dog through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and a member of the New Jersey Task Force-1 Urban Search and Rescue team. He has been deployed to several disaster scenes with his first being a small building collapse in West Orange, NJ in 2020. His deployments have ranged from the Surfside condo collapse in Florida to natural disasters such as Hurricane Ida in the Gulf Coast and most recently during Hurricane Helene in Asheville, NC.

Service Dog: “Bea,” a Labrador Retriever owned by Buddy Niner from Shippensburg, PA.

Bea is the service dog for U.S. Marine Corps and Air National Guard Veteran Buddy Niner through Warrior Canine Connection. Since being paired with Bea, his life has taken on a new direction, purpose and hope—not just for himself, but for those around him. Bea’s presence has dramatically reduced Buddy’s anxiety. She senses when he’s in distress, interrupting night terrors by nudging him awake, then remaining close by to calm him back down. Since being placed together, Buddy has taken on new responsibilities and roles he once believed were out of reach—including earning a new position as a firefighter at the Letterkenny Army Depot, where Bea accompanies him daily. The bond between Buddy and Bea is evident in everything they do. Whether she’s riding along in the fire truck, lying beside a colleague having a rough day, or fearlessly joining Buddy in rope rescue training wearing her own custom harness. Between responding to devastating scenes like structural collapses, car accidents and fires where not every life can be saved, with Bea by his side, Buddy has found strength to keep showing up, for others and for himself.

Therapy Dog: “Rudy,” a Standard Poodle owned by Steven Zonis of Chatsworth, CA.

Rudy works alongside his owner and handler, Steven Zonis, in various settings, including at schools, hospitals, and police patrols. Along with those weekly visits, the duo often assist during emergencies and natural disasters. During the recent Southern California fires, Rudy spent many hours and days at the City of Los Angeles Emergency Command Centers (EOC, DOC, CalFire, etc.) and victim evacuation centers. Rudy’s visits helped the leadership, staff, and firefighting crews from all over the US, Canada, and Mexico, as well as individuals and families seriously affected by these fires. By offering the appropriate emotional and physical support, Rudy portrayed the highest levels of the healing and winning spirit of the City of Los Angeles.

Uniformed Services K-9: “Keva,” a Bloodhound, handled Deputy Gabriel Jasso of Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Earning the nickname “The Fastest Nose in The West,” Keva and her handler Deputy Gabriel Jasso serve in the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit by saving the lives of children and vulnerable adults who have wandered or gone missing in the San Bernardino community and their surrounding agency partnerships as well as helping to locate criminal suspects. She has recovered dozens of missing persons and criminal suspect’s locations. She was only eight months old on her very first search deployment when she found an 83-year-old missing person with dementia who had wandered away and had been missing for 18 hours. Keva has located 23 missing adults and children, including many with dementia, autism, and cognitive disabilities who are at high risk of wandering. Keva has located arson suspects, evidence in armed robbery cases, and burglary suspects. She once was deployed to search for a Wells Fargo bank robbery suspect who had passed a note to the teller asking for small bills and no dye packs. Keva used the note as a scent article and quickly trailed and located the suspect on the street.

Teams: “Crisis Response Canines” of Blackwood, NJ.

With over 130 active teams across the country, Crisis Response Canines (CRC) is pioneering the field of animal-assisted interventions, establishing national standards that redefine excellence in crisis response. At the heart of CRC’s mission are their exceptional canine teams, each holding a recognized therapy dog designation and undergoing rigorous training in animal-assisted crisis response. These canines are meticulously selected for their ability to thrive in emotionally charged environments coupled with skilled handlers certified in Critical Incident Stress Management, psychological first aid, and trauma-informed care. In the aftermath of tragedies including mass shootings, natural disasters, and large-scale community trauma, CRC teams have been on the front lines, providing vital support. Their recent deployments during events such as the California wildfires and the New Year’s Eve truck attack in New Orleans underscore their unwavering commitment to communities in need. The presence of CRC teams significantly reduces psychological strain for first responders and healthcare professionals. Their unwavering dedication is a reminder that heroism often comes in the form of quiet strength and compassion, manifesting in four steady paws that walk alongside those in need. By fostering resilience and healing, CRC exemplifies the transformative power of love and support during life’s toughest trials.

Click here to learn more about the AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE).

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Posted by Liz on Dec 1 2025. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.