Bo Hero Dog Wins 2025 American Humane Award

The life of every hero is a fight. In the case of Bo, a homeless dog who once lived on the streets of Florida, that fight shaped his destiny. Boo’s journey led him to become the 2025 American Humane Society Hero Dog of the Year. His story, from surviving alone as a stray to becoming a symbol of healing and hope, is truly extraordinary.

From the Streets to a Second Chance

In early 2022, Faye Okert, a retired officer from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, discovered a life-changing program. It offered homeless dogs, including future heroes like Bo hero dog, a second chance by training them to become therapy dogs.

As a school resource officer (SRO), Okert believed that a therapy dog could make a real difference in her students’ emotional well-being. When the department approved her proposal, therefore, she eagerly awaited her new partner, a decision that soon changed countless lives.

However, when she had initially been given the photo of Boo, she hesitated. Boo was scruffy, thin, and had skin allergies that were not at all what she had pictured a therapy dog would look like. Okert feared that he could be mocked by students.

But destiny had other plans.

A Bond Beyond Words

Their initial encounter was a magical one between Okert and Boo. His human eyes, which were soulful, immediately cleared out any suspicions. The cool kind of character and the quietness of Bo exuded confidence, and in a short period, a strong bond with him was created.

As training began, Okert noticed Bo’s special qualities:

• Deep empathy: He was able to tell when a person was sad or scared.
• Soft calmness: Boo never barked or even panicked, even in noisy areas.
• Faithful devotion: He never left those in need.

In this alliance, Boo managed to give Okert and her class a life-altering lesson, i.e, never judge the book by its cover.

The Day That Changed Everything

Nashville, a school shooting at the Covenant School of the schools took the lives of six innocent individuals, and this was just three months after their training.

Okert and Boo were immediately called to the scene. Amid heartbreak and chaos:

• Boo got on buses to console frightened children.
• He allowed them to cry, sleep, and embrace him without retiring.
• He waited until they drove the last child home.

On that day, Boo was not only a therapy dog, but he turned out to be a light of serenity in unexplainable sorrow.

A Legacy of Love and Healing

Following the tragedy, Boo would go back to schools and communities in Nashville and assist children in overcoming the trauma and anxiety. The mere presence itself is what he was able to utilize as his superpower.

Unfortunately, as of January 2025, Boo tore his ACL and was forced to retire. Soon afterwards, Faye Okert retired because she did not want to work without her loved one. Yet Bo’s mission lives on.

Even in retirement, he continues to visit:

• Covenant School weekly – an honorary guest and friend.
• Other neighborhood schools every month, which provide companionship and emotional support.
• Being together as a community, reminding one that healing is a long process, and love.

According to Okert, Bo hero dog is an old soul in a dog’s body. His greatest gift is making people feel safe and loved once more.