Heroic Hound

After saving multiple lives, a bloodhound called Bo won an award for his heroism.

American Humane, americanhumane.org

Bo, a bloodhound who works with the Gastonia Police Department in North Carolina, greets his handler, Sergeant David Rowland.

At just 18 months old, a bloodhound named Bo is still in the early part of his career with the Gastonia Police Department in North Carolina, but his ability to help humanity is already being recognized. Bo is the winner of the 2024 American Humane Hero Dog Award.

The award is meant to recognize “often ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things, whether it’s saving lives on the battlefield, lending sight or hearing to a human companion, or helping people achieve their goals,” according to American Humane, an organization founded to promote the welfare of animals. Bo emerged out of a pool of hundreds of nominees for his exceptional service.

Working with his handler, Sergeant David Rowland, Bo has saved multiple lives since he started his work with the Gastonia Police Department in October 2023. Using his keen sense of smell, the bloodhound located several missing people over the past year, including a child who had been kidnapped. He even tracked down suspects who were wanted for robbery, even though the materials he was given to pick up their scent had been contaminated with other scents.

American Humane, americanhumane.org

Bo has been working with the Gastonia Police Department since he was a puppy, as seen in the photo on the left.

“We are so excited to name Bo as American Humane’s latest Hero Dog, a distinction that is well-deserved for him and his handler David,” American Humane president and CEO Robin Ganzert said in a press release. “The duo has worked tirelessly and saved many lives, thanks to Bo’s courage and top-notch scent tracking skills.”

Now in its 14th year, the American Humane Hero Dog Awards selects five semi-finalists in each of five categories: Law and Enforcement and First Responder Dogs, Service and Guide/Hearing Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Military Dogs, and Emerging Hero and Shelter Dogs. The public selects a finalist in each category, and out of these five, a winner is chosen.

Bo and the other four finalists will be honored at the American Humane Hero Dog Awards Gala in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 8.

Fun Fact

All dogs have a remarkably keen sense of smell, but bloodhounds are exceptionally sensitive to odor. Researchers believe that the bloodhound has about 230 million scent receptors, about 40 times as many as the average human.

Giving Thanks Around the World

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers—The Midland Journal, 17 Nov. 1933/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (sn89060136/1933-11-17)

In 1933, a newspaper called the Midland Journal published an article about the origins of Thanksgiving.

On November 28, the United States will celebrate Thanksgiving, a national holiday on which Americans gather for a feast to express gratitude for the positive things in their lives, including family, friends, and good health. Many countries have holidays or festivals that are meant for giving thanks, including Canada, Japan, Brazil, and Germany.

You may know that the concept of Thanksgiving dates back to a feast that the English colonists (or Pilgrims) shared with the Wampanoag people in 1621. But that celebration did not spark an annual celebration of thanks. In fact, the U.S. did not celebrate an annual Thanksgiving holiday until more than 200 years later.

In 1863, during the U.S. Civil War between the Northern and Southern states, Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of a magazine called Godey’s Lady’s Book, suggested a Thanksgiving holiday to promote unity. President Abraham Lincoln liked the idea and proclaimed that November 26 of that year would be a national day of thanksgiving.

Every president after Lincoln proclaimed the holiday each year, most choosing the last Thursday in November. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a proclamation designating the fourth Thursday in November as a new national holiday: Thanksgiving Day.

These photos show Thanksgiving celebrations in the U.S. (top left), Germany (top right), Japan (bottom left), and Canada (bottom right).

Heroes on Four Legs

Not all dogs win national awards, but every dog is a hero in its own right. Just ask the millions of families who cherish their four-legged pals for their loyalty and unconditional love.

You can read more about dogs at Britannica!

WORD OF THE DAY

olfactory

PART OF SPEECH:

adjective

Definition:

: of, relating to, or connected with the sense of smell

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