Des Plaines service dog contender for hero award

Patti Kennedy fell in love the first time she saw a yellow Labrador retriever at a disability convention in Rosemont, her husband Dion Luper said.

The dogs are trained to be helpers and companions for people suffering from debilitating disabilities and disabled veterans, and they are often used in nursing homes and rehabilitative care centers for their therapeutic value.

Kennedy, who suffers from a rare degenerative brain stem disorder known as multiple system atrophy or Shy-Drager syndrome, applied for her own service dog from Canine Companions for Independence in 2001. The Des Plaines resident waited three years to be matched with a Labrador retriever named Zurich.

Zurich, who is 9 years old, and seven other service dogs like him are finalists for the first American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards.

To become a finalist, Zurich received more than 10,000 votes in the service dog category out of more than 300,000 votes cast for roughly 450 dogs nationwide.

The family will travel to Hollywood, Calif., in October to claim Zurich’s award and a chance for him to win recognition as the top dog of 2011, Luper said.

The competition is tough.

Among the eight finalists is a guide dog who helped his handler get down the 1,463 stairs of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Luper said.

“They are all top contenders to beat,” Luper said.

But Luper believes Zurich has a good chance of winning because of the crucial role he plays in Kennedy’s life.

When they first got Zurich, Kennedy was in much better health. “She was walking and talking,” Luper said.

Seven years later, however, Kennedy is fully disabled and cannot move on her own or speak. The 65-year-old is confined to her power chair or bed most of the time.

Zurich is always by her side, and Kennedy relies on him to be her voice and get help if she’s uncomfortable or in pain, Luper said.

As Luper narrated how Kennedy’s health has deteriorated, she began to gently sob, prompting Zurich to lick her face until she calmed down.

“It brings back a lot of emotions, painful memories,” Luper said.

Today, Zurich’s primary purpose is to provide companionship and love.

“His role was greater when she was a lot healthier,” Luper said. “Now he just keeps her happy by giving her kisses on the face. He has a connection, bond with her. They are really tied to each other emotionally in a way that I think has really kept her going.”

Zurich has another year before he retires from service. The thought makes Kennedy cry, and Luper reassures her that they will adopt Zurich from Canine Companions for Independence, which owns the dog.

“Patti will force me to keep him,” Luper said.

For now, the family is excited by the prospect of Zurich being named the top Hero Dog of 2011.

Zurich already has won $5,000 and could win another $10,000 if selected as the overall winner by a panel of celebrity judges. The winnings go toward the charities that provided the dogs.

The judging period runs through Sept. 30. To vote for Zurich, visit herodogawards.org. The Hero Dog Awards will be Oct. 1 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.Earlier recorded video clips of each of the eight dogs with their handlers will be shown during the awards ceremony. The recordings will be part of a 90-minute special that will be broadcast on the Hallmark Channel Nov. 11.