Last chance to vote for Des Plaines hero dog

Nearly a million votes have been cast in a contest to determine who will be the nation’s top hero dog.

Des Plaines service dog Zurich, a yellow Labrador retriever, is among eight finalists for the first American Humane Association 2011 Hero Dog Awards.

The public voting period ends Friday. To vote for Zurich, visit herodogawards.org.

The 9-year-old Zurich was trained as a helper dog by Canine Companions for Independence.

For seven years, he has been the constant companion of Des Plaines resident Patti Kennedy, who suffers from a rare degenerative brain stem disorder known as multiple system atrophy or Shy-Drager syndrome. Kennedy cannot move on her own or speak. The 65-year-old is confined to her power chair or bed most of the time with Zurich by her side.

Zurich received more than 10,000 votes to become a finalist, but it’s unclear how he’s doing now.

“We’re not releasing any information about who is ahead or who is behind,” said American Humane Association spokeswoman Jone Bouman. Organizers don’t want a mad rush of voting for some dogs in the final days, she said. “We don’t want to have anybody crying foul.”

The contest is weighted so that 51 percent of the final vote is determined by a panel of celebrity judges, and 49 percent is determined by public voting.

The Hero Dog Awards ceremony will be held Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Zurich will be accompanied by Kennedy and her husband Dion Luper on the red carpet.

To view photos of contestants walking the red carpet, visit americanhumane.org.

A 90-minute special that will be broadcast on the Hallmark Channel at 7 p.m. Nov. 11.