ASPCA Dog of the YearA true four-legged hero, Archie is an eight-year-old black Labrador retriever, who serves as an assistance dog and social lifeline for Sergeant Clay Rankin. Sgt. Rankin suffered spinal injuries while serving in Iraq, and Archie is his primary caregiver and social safety net. Archie's loyalty and perseverance in helping Sgt. Rankin accomplish his daily tasks has allowed the veteran to regain his confidence and independence, move forward with his life and continue serving the country he loves.
On October 29, during the ASPCA annual Humane Awards Luncheon at the Pierre Hotel in New York City, we honored a heroic guide dog, a piano-playing Tabby and eight extraordinary people who’ve made a big impact on the lives of animals. In the hotel’s newly restored ballroom, winners and guests gathered to celebrate the contributions of those who devote their lives to animal welfare and, according to ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres, to honor “those who have demonstrated extraordinary compassion, bravery and commitment to furthering the human-animal bond.”
Indeed, the recipient of the 2009 Dog of the Year award could be the “poster pooch” for the human-animal bond. A true four-legged hero, Archie is an eight-year-old black Labrador Retriever who serves as an assistance dog and social lifeline for another kind of hero, Sergeant Clay Rankin. Sgt. Rankin suffered spinal injuries—as well as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—from serving in Iraq, and Archie is his primary caregiver and social safety net. Archie's loyalty and perseverance in helping Sgt. Rankin accomplish his daily tasks has allowed the veteran to regain his confidence and independence, move forward with his life and continue serving the country he loves.
Before and after the awards ceremony, Archie comforted and guided Sgt. Rankin, who graciously accepted the award with Archie by his side. Archie deftly navigated the ballroom’s maze of tables, enjoying the excitement surrounding his human companion. This get-along pooch even posed for photographs with the other award winners. These included four brave men from Missouri who worked on the frontlines of the largest dog fighting raid in U.S. history; Alayne Marker, who along with her husband, Steve Smith, runs the Rolling Dog Ranch for disabled animals in Ovando, MT; the animal-friendly Hingham (MA) Fire Department; and a truly remarkable young girl, Monica Plumb of Powhatan County, VA, who raised funds to purchase pet oxygen masks for fire departments across the country.
Courtesy of ASPCA
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