KEVIN FRAZIER: Dogs always provide us
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with unconditional love and companionship.
But each year,
there are some dogs who take it to the next level
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and achieve truly amazing things.
These are your Dogs of the Year.
BOY: He teaches perseverance, acceptance,
and he just makes me feel like I'm wanted
and just makes me feel better.
MAN #1: Lagatha and other animals that give blood
are really the true heroes in veterinary medicine.
WOMAN #1: Daiquiri has changed my life.
He has opened up my eyes to what I can do as a trainer.
MAN #2: I was crawling and he helped pull me up the stairs.
I would have been dead in my basement.
MAN #3: I'm glad I can be that conduit
to try to rescue whatever dog or animal that needs to be rescued.
MAN #4: He was up on that board and was just a natural.
He was obsessed with it.
I could not get that board away from him.
WOMAN #2: He looked back at us, wagged his tail,
and showed the children and people
the resilience of what dogs can be like.
Happy holidays, everyone. I'm Kevin Frazier.
And I'm Keltie Knight, and welcome to Dogs of the Year.
The holiday season, of course, is all about giving,
so, tonight, we're giving you seven remarkable dog stories
and we're honoring them
for their incredible acts of bravery, selflessness,
and devotion to us.
KEVIN: Yeah, and they are all different breeds
from across North America.
And they are all superheroes in my book.
And you know, Keltie, I love superheroes.
And I see that you're hiding your cape tonight.
- It's tucked in. - You are a superhero, yeah.
Well, listen, I love them because a lot of them,
like Daredevil, Deadpool, and Professor X,
have turned what some might see as a disability
into a superpower.
It is so inspiring and awesome.
Yeah. And our first Dog of the Year did that.
He's an adorable Pitbull mix who was born deaf.
But his superpower is reading minds,
making people feel better,
and teaching everyone that it's okay to be different.
It certainly is.
Yeah. He is definitely my new favorite superhero,
and soon to be yours.
Meet Cole.
MAN: I teach kindergarten through fifth-grade music.
In music, we always have that thing called rhythm, right?
So, I'm the guy that sits on the floor
with the ukulele or the guitar and we sing songs
and we learn how to make music and how to make kids love music.
I was kind of at a period of my life
that I wanted some joy and I wanted to rescue my first dog.
So, I went on my local shelter's website
and there was this little puppy with these huge ears
and this amazing face
and had the word 'special needs' next to it.
I've had a lot of special needs members of my family
and special needs students,
so when I saw that there was a dog
that had those two words next to it as well,
I had to meet this puppy.
Cole was found roaming around a street
here in Vineland with his mom
and they were brought into a shelter,
and he would sleep through all the chaos of the shelter.
So, they started to realize
that there was something different
about this puppy.
And it turns out that he was deaf.
And one man was there with his family
and asked me on the way out if I was going to adopt him,
and I said yes.
And he said, "Why would you want to adopt a broken dog?"
And it really, really set off a fire within me
because people think that way.
The very next day, I came here in my classroom,
and I showed my students the picture of the puppy.
And they started asking these questions
about what the two words 'special needs' even means.
I think about the people that wouldn't like Cole
just because of the type of dog that he is
and because he can't hear.
I saw the impact that he was having
on the way that they were thinking,
the way that they were accepting,
and I knew right then and there
that it was going to be the best decision
to train him to be a working therapy dog.
Cole was just naturally in tune to that
and he has been just an amazing fit.
CHRIS: Good morning, everyone.
My first experience with Cole was with a little kindergartner
on their first day of school.
All right, guys, give him a pet and go to class.
MELANIE LOVISONE: No one could comfort the student.
The social worker tried, the assistant principal tried.
When Cole arrived
and put his paw on top of the young man's hand,
that provided support and relief for him.
Cole's presence is instantly comforting to students.
Oh! [gasps]
Is Janelle the winner of the class today?
We always kind of laugh that he has like this extra sense
to make up for his hearing.
So, if I was going to use my Cole bongo to play a ta,
I would play ta.
He knows when someone needs that little bit of extra attention.
Ta, ta, ti, ti, ta.
MELANIE: Cole provides tremendous support
for kids who struggle with anxiety,
struggle with being different.
CHRIS: For their eighth birthday,
I have a set of twins that asked if they could team up with Cole,
in their words,
to talk to a group of kindergarten students
about their alopecia and why they have no hair.
He said, "Mr. Hannah,
I'm a little afraid to talk to these kids,
but they are picking on me on the bus,
and I want them to understand what it even is."
So, I said, "Absolutely, buddy."
He goes, "But I need to have Cole by my side."
For a student to answer questions like that
to their peers is frightening.
Even as adults, it's hard for us to do.
BOY: Cole teaches a lot of things.
He teaches perseverance, acceptance,
and he just makes me feel like I'm wanted
and just makes me feel better.
WOMAN: Ever since that first presentation,
it really changed their whole dynamic
of elementary school.
They both became more outgoing.
And with Cole by their side,
I feel like they grew even stronger.
They didn't let the alopecia knock them down.
Are you guys ready to meet one very, very special dog?
In the last year, we started our own nonprofit organization
called Cole the Deaf Dog and Friends Foundation.
- Come on out, Cole! - [cheering]
And we do community outreach programs
to tell our message and our mission
as far and wide as we can.
And I started to realize
that even though his ears didn't work,
he is just like any other dog.
I'm doing a project for my students right now about heroes.
I have a nephew and he was also born deaf,
and I always tell them that my nephew is my hero.
My dog is my hero.
Cole has literally changed the path
of where my life is going,
and that's because of this little shelter dog
that somebody called broken in a waiting room.
It's working. It's making a difference
And it's genuine.
For all his hard work, Cole has received
the Presidential Silver Service Award
and was named Therapy Hero Dog of the Year
by the American Humane Society.
And now he's also one of our Dogs of the Year.
Welcome to the pack, buddy.
All right, Keltie, our next story is amazing.
It comes to us from Hawaii,
where sometimes our furry friends
find themselves lost there in kind of dangerous situations.
And when that happens,
one man risks his life to bring them back home.
And get this, he records the rescues.
- Unbelievable. - It's incredible.
So, now, everyone in Hawaii knows
that if an animal is missing or trapped,
there's only one man you call.
Meet Kawika.
[dog whimpering]
MAN: During the July 4 weekend,
I have two American Pitbulls
who alerted me towards the ocean.
I was able to hear this dog
that evidently had gone over the cliff.
WOMAN: 911.
MAN: The dog has went over the cliffs and we hear him crying...
County of Hawaii Animal Control
received a call through a police dispatch
for a dog crying in distress.
KEVIN: Fortunately, everything would turn out okay
because that's when Regina remembered
hearing about this amazing animal rescuer in the islands
named Kawika.
KAWIKA: Here on the island in Hawaii, I'm very content.
I can feel the love and the energy of the land
that I have on a personal basis.
I go and visit my happy place as often as I can,
which is the forests, the beaches,
the trails, the mountains.
All these little things
that you take along the path of life,
I incorporate into my life today
and a lot of it is being outdoors
and being very physical.
I'm glad I can be that conduit, basically,
to try to rescue whatever dog or animal
that needs to be rescued.
I got this call last night about this dog.
Apparently, it fell over the cliff.
They can hear this dog barking or howling
for the past two days.
Kawika is an extraordinary resource
for the County of Hawaii as a rescuer.
He essentially has the experience and equipment
that an agency like ours may not always have.
So, I talked to the owner of this property
and he can definitely hear a dog.
It's about 150 feet of cliff,
but he doesn't think the dog is at the bottom,
which is a good thing.
My rope is only 150 feet long.
KEVIN: After Kawika carefully worked his way down
more than 80 feet, the crying pup was in sight.
The dog is right below me
but I don't want to scare the dog
because it's perched right over a sheer drop
about 60 feet.
If the dog goes over that drop, it's lights out.
KEVIN: So, Kawika had no choice
but to wait perched on the side of a cliff
for the dog to finally gain his trust.
I put the dog in a duffle bag with only his head sticking out.
Time to abandon my rope, it's too steep.
With the dog in a backpack, I'm going to see
if I can find my way all the way up.
Well, at that point, I decided I'm going to free-climb it up.
And it's very thick bushes and saturated with fire ants.
So, during the whole ordeal,
I was getting bit hundreds of times
by these fire ants.
But at that point, I just keep on going.
I made the decision to carry the dog up in my arms,
up the cliff.
Extremely hot, extremely difficult,
but there's no way that I was going to come out
without the dog in my hands.
And we eventually made it back up to the top of the cliff
and we ended up with a happy day.
We're back on top of the cliff.
Good buddy.
REGINA SERRANO: That dog had a microchip to find the owner,
who was ecstatic to have that dog back.
KEVIN: Volunteering his time over the years,
Kawika daringly rescued
more than 30 of our animal friends
from dangerous situations,
including rappelling into a lava field crack
to save a dog named Malcolm,
or down a steep cliff edge
to find an old pup named Shirley.
I hear the beep on the radio, and he says, "I found her."
- Are you freaking kidding me? - Yes, I got her.
I think everyone needs a Kawika in their life.
MAN: If Kawika didn't come,
Shirley probably wouldn't be alive.
Having people like Kawika out in our world
is going to help give us all a sense of comfort.
Watch your dog. Tie him up, leash him.
All right, have a good day, everybody.
Aloha.
KEVIN: You know the aloha spirit
is about bringing happiness to those around you.
Our guy, Kawika, is definitely taking that to another level
by reuniting so many people with their pets.
And by the way, since he has
already more than 2 million likes
on Tik Tok alone,
that aloha spirit is definitely going viral.
Yes, it is. All right,
Dogs of the Year 2022 is just getting started.
We're honoring the best
feel-good furry friend stories of the year.
And coming up,
an amazing lifesaving dog who just gives, gives, gives.
Lagatha has directly saved at least 22 dogs
in a span of two years.
KEVIN: And a super-talented pup
who's entertaining the world and breaking world records too.
KELTIE: So, sit, and stay where you are,
Dogs of the Year will be right back.
[dog barks]
KEVIN: Welcome back, everyone, to Dogs of the Year.
We're in the holiday spirit here at the Americana at Brand
in Glendale, California,
and tonight, we are gifting you seven amazing tales
of incredible dogs who stood out from the pack.
- I see what you did there. - You feel that?
Alright, our next Dog of the Year
is a Jersey girl who gives new meaning
to the concept of giving back.
Yes, she does.
She is a beautiful four-year-old Newfoundland
whose owner happens to work as a vet tech
at an animal hospital.
And now, this amazing pup has joined the team
and saves dogs in her own amazing way.
This is Lagatha.
WOMAN: I adopted Lagatha.
She was about four months old, and she was just so sweet.
She loves to be with humans.
She thinks she's a lap dog.
She does not realize that she's 95 pounds,
she thinks she's five.
There is a nationwide need for blood donations,
but it's not just affecting humans.
DEBORAH CONSIGLIO: We have seen an increase
of the need for canine blood products
at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital,
as well as numerous other hospitals in this area
and across the country.
MAN: Most people don't think of that,
dogs needing blood
and the need for a national blood pool for pets.
But there absolutely is.
The same diseases that people go through and require blood,
dogs have those same diseases and they require blood.
We absolutely need blood ready on a moment's notice.
If there's a dog that was hit by a car,
he may need five units of blood to survive overnight.
And if you don't have that, that patient could die.
DEBORAH: When we start to get down to one to two units each,
then we start to get a little worried
because one large dog can use all of our supply in one day.
So, we've really started to push looking for donors.
Typically, our donor dogs, we want them to be one to two,
55 pounds, and then up to the age of six.
Good temperaments.
We want it to be as pleasant as possible for the dog.
We want them to enjoy coming here.
ROB MANKOWSKI: So, in Lagatha's case,
she's certainly checked all those boxes.
And she's a wonderful patient for blood donation.
DEBORAH: So, I actually did bring Lagatha in
because I was like, "Well, we'll see how it goes."
She was still young, I mean, she had just turned two.
I wasn't sure if she was going to want any parts of this.
You really don't know until you try,
and Lagatha was so good from such a young age.
ROB: Lagatha has become the hospital resident blood donor
because her mom runs the blood bank here.
She can come to work with her mom and be available.
And if there's a major surgery going on
and they need fresh whole blood,
we can get it from her at that day,
but she also donates and we have a lot on hand
in the middle of the night if we need it.
Lagatha, are you a good girl...
ROB: So, Lagatha is pretty much famous here
at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital.
So, when she's walking through the halls,
everybody knows her name.
Hi!
Whenever she's here, she's happy-go-lucky,
she's running to everyone trying to say hi,
get butt scratches.
Always a smile on her face
and always willing to help out other dogs.
She likes to walk around and see all her friends,
but once she goes into the room,
she pretty much knows she's got a job to do.
Are you ready?
So, canine blood donation,
it doesn't hurt the donor at all.
All right, lady, you want to get up on the table?
We shave a little bit of hair on her neck,
we do a surgical scrub.
The jugular vein is the quickest way
that we're actually going to be able to fill the units
and she will lay completely still
without any type of commands.
You're done. You did it. [chuckles]
You're done [inaudible].
But as soon as she's done...
All of our guys get a little superhero bandana.
...she knows she's getting that snack.
Don't think you're not going to give it to her.
She was waiting.
So, since we don't need any fresh whole blood
in the hospital right now,
what we'll do is we'll take it upstairs
and we'll separate it into packed red blood cells
and fresh frozen plasma.
Lagatha has directly saved at least 22 dogs
in a span of two years.
In Honey Mustard's case, she was acutely lethargic,
just not acting right.
One day, Honey Mustard did not eat dinner,
and her gums were cold and purple,
and her belly was painful.
On our way to the emergency hospital,
she was pretty non-responsive, and I was worried
that we wouldn't make it here with her alive.
Honey had what's known as a hemoabdomen
where she bled into her abdomen from a ruptured tumor.
She had surgery, and in that process,
she got two units of Lagatha's red blood cells
and two units of plasma.
I was very thankful.
Honey could have died
if we did not have blood available for transfusion.
Lagatha is saving lives daily.
Without Lagatha's blood,
a lot of these dogs would not have actually been able
to go home with their owners.
That's a good girl.
Lagatha and other animals that give blood
in our blood donor program
are really the true heroes in veterinary medicine.
Time to go home.
Lagatha is one of my best friends.
She has so much love to give and such a big heart,
and I hope that she's able
to continue helping other dogs in need.
KEVIN: Lagatha is so inspirational,
out there busy saving our furry friends.
Meanwhile, I pass out if I even look at a needle.
I mean, other than both of you being super adorable,
which you are, you have nothing in common.
- Good point. Good point. - You're a wimp, Kevin.
But you know, I actually have a lot in common
with the next Dog of the Year.
- Explain. - Okay, so,
I'm from Canada, just like he is.
- Okay, that's one. - Okay.
I've been wowing audiences for years
with my incredible talents, just like him.
- I'm going to give you that. - Okay, thank you.
And I have 12 world records just like he does.
That's not true.
I mean... okay, it's not true.
KEVIN: It is not true.
But it is true that you're going to fall in love
with the super-talented
seven-year-old Australian Shepherd
as soon as you see him.
This is Daiquiri.
They've traveled all over the world together.
Which one of you guys up here is feeling brave?
KELTIE: They've wowed audiences
at international dog shows and on AGT.
SIMON COWELL: Oh, my God! Jennifer!
KELTIE: And they do have 12 world records together.
But before all the stardom,
it all started with a young girl
growing up an hour outside Calgary.
WOMAN: My grandmother owned a dog boarding facility
and ever since I was three years old,
I was helping her run the facility.
She said I was a natural from the get-go.
I knew how to handle the big dogs,
I knew how to be gentle with the shy dogs.
I just loved working with dogs, and she really nurtured that.
KELTIE: And nurture it, she did, because over the past 35 years,
Jennifer has trained and competed with her dogs,
winning hundreds of competitions.
JENNIFER FRASER: Well, my breeder at the time contacted me and said,
"Look, I've got this dog that just didn't go home
with the family they were supposed to."
And then there was this one picture that she sent me
and it just gave me chills when I saw it.
And I looked into that puppy's eyes
and he just looked right into my soul,
and I'm like, "Okay, send him to me."
When we first got him, he came out of the kennel
and he was gushing love, just out of that kennel
all over me, all of my kids, and he bonded almost instantly.
KELTIE: Right away, Jennifer knew there was something special here
because as soon as she started training him,
somehow, he just knew what to do.
And that continued as he grew up.
JENNIFER: Yes... do you love me?
He's an amazing partner.
Anything I want to teach him, he would learn it so fast.
KELTIE: Daiquiri quickly learned more and more tricks.
And their bond grew stronger and stronger.
Good boy!
KELTIE: This opened up a whole new opportunity
that she never dreamed of -- street performing,
both in Canada and around the world.
JENNIFER: Sometimes I'd have my kids in the audience as plants.
So, they would come and they would put a coin in a hat,
and I taught my dogs to go to the hat,
collect the coin,
and put it into basically a piggy bank.
So, as soon as the crowd saw that,
then it was just constant money.
And I'm just sending my dog just to come and fetch it
and every time he got it, he got a treat,
and he's just like, "I could play this game all day"
and I'm like, "I can too." [chuckles]
KELTIE: This duo was a street-performing success.
And then Jennifer's daughter, Juliette,
had an idea for their next challenge.
JULIETTE FRASER: We were relaxing in the living room,
watching America's Got Talent --
it's one of my mom's favorite shows --
and this dog act came on
and they did a couple of basic tricks
that we'd see mom doing all the time.
And I was like, "Pfft, you're way better than that."
JENNIFER: She actually said, "Wow, Mom, you're so good,
you should be on America's Got Talent."
I was like, "No! Hmm... maybe."
So, I started running with that and I went,
"Okay, yeah, this is something I'm going to do."
MAN: I never put anything past Jennifer.
So, she gets an idea in her head,
she's going to do it.
I just started working really, really hard on that goal,
and it came true that year.
America's Got Talent was very stressful.
I felt it was over my head.
But as soon as I got out onto that stage,
everything disappeared.
It was just me and my dog.
So, he calms me when I do get to that level
of "oh crap, what have I done?"
So, as long as I'm with my dog, I'm good.
KELTIE: While all four judges voted yes in their audition,
Jen and Daiquiri were eliminated
in the next round's deliberations.
But that didn't stop them
from getting international attention
and getting invited
to the biggest dog show in the world,
Crufts in the United Kingdom,
which was a lifelong dream of Jennifer's.
JENNIFER: Ever since I was a little girl, Crufts has been my dream.
And now that I had been performing on stage,
and doing America's Got Talent,
I realized that that dream was within my grasp.
And I went for it.
MALE COMMENTATOR: This is actually their very first freestyle competition.
I went to Crufts wanting to not place last.
I was honored to be there, obviously,
but I wanted to prove to the world
that I qualified to be there.
KELTIE: Their performance earned them
an amazing second-place finish,
and with the whole planet now watching,
Jennifer and Daiquiri have been touring everywhere,
and even earning a few world records along the way.
JENNIFER: Daiquiri has changed my life.
He has opened up my eyes to what I can do as a trainer.
Get back, hop, hop, hop... hop.
He's shown me that we can basically do anything.
So, I'm living the dream.
Good boy!
KELTIE: That is just such an incredible story.
KEVIN: Daiquiri's amazing.
And his world records also include
walking backwards the fastest.
That's something we could actually do.
Weaving through her legs the fastest.
And putting coins in a piggy bank the fastest,
something Kevin Frazier knows nothing about.
Thank God for my wife. That's all I'm going to say.
And who knows how many more records
he will break in the future.
We're going to have to wait and see.
All right, coming up,
we'll meet an adorable service dog
who not only changed the life of his owner, but saved it.
If he didn't get my phone,
I would have been dead in my basement.
KELTIE: And a loving Hound who received a whole new lease on life
and is now always on the move.
KEVIN: And don't you move
because Dogs of the Year will be right back.
KELTIE: This is such a good one.
[dog barks]
KEVIN: Welcome back. 'Tis the season here at the Americana
as we are honoring our Dogs of the Year.
And so far, we've met a huggable hero,
a remarkable rescuer, a delightful donor,
and a super-smart Shepherd.
And we still have three more incredible tales to go.
Yes, we do. Our next story
is about an incredible service dog
who changed the life and then saved the life
of an inspirational man named Brandon Holiday.
Yeah, Keltie. You see, early in life,
Brandon was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease lupus,
and he was told
that he would never be able to play sports again.
Now, in spite of that,
he pushed through the extreme pain
and became a great athlete and a police officer.
But when his health took a turn for the worse,
he needed some help.
And he definitely got it from our next Dog of the Year.
This is Dyson.
MAN: I had my first heart attack in 1993.
Even when I was a police officer,
I started having issues with circulation.
And when I was injured fighting two suspects,
that's when I first started getting blood clots in my legs.
I spent four months in the hospital.
They weren't sure if I kept my leg,
if I was going to be a higher amputee.
So, I decided to have the amputation done.
KEVIN: During his four months in the hospital,
his mother visited him every day
and then took care of him in her house
during the long recovery.
The moment that I knew that I needed
and wanted a service dog
was when I had my tenth heart attack.
I had to have surgery.
I didn't know how my life would be,
what would I be able to do.
I'm not a person that sits down.
My vision for a service dog
was to basically provide me the freedoms to be on my own
so that my family can have some reassurances
that I'm going to be okay.
I did my research and applied to Susquehanna Service Dogs,
and within a short period of time,
it was time meet the dogs.
And Dyson was one of the dogs I met.
It was just a great day.
When I met Dyson and I told Dyson to come,
he basically ran over to me and almost knocked me over.
We don't pick them, they pick us.
It was just an immediate bond.
Brandon told us what he needed a dog
to be able to do for him,
and then our trainers trained these specific tasks
to help him.
Find my phone.
When he got Dyson, you just saw a different look.
Good boy, yes.
And when you have a child that's been sick most of their life,
you can't help but thinking about their longevity.
BRANDON: The amount of time it took
from the point of me getting Dyson
to living alone was immediately.
And he enabled me to meet Liz,
who now I've been together for nine years.
And she's the love of my life.
Dyson gave Brandon a reason
to get out of bed in the morning.
KEVIN: In only a couple of months,
Dyson completely changed Brandon's outlook on life
and ended up actually saving his life as well.
BRANDON: Dyson's training paid off.
I thought that I had food poisoning.
Liz was sleeping upstairs,
and I was sleeping in the basement
because I didn't want to keep her awake.
I ended up going from no fever to a 105.5-degree fever.
I knew something was wrong.
And what I had to do was tell Dyson to go get my phone
and I called 911 myself.
And I have a cue
which tells Dyson to go press the canine phone.
So, Dyson did that, came back downstairs.
I couldn't walk.
I was crawling.
And he helped pull me up the stairs.
My organs were already starting to shut down from the fever.
If he didn't get my phone,
I would have been dead in my basement.
I want to hug Dyson whenever I see him.
He has saved my son's life
and I will forever be grateful to him for that.
BRANDON: Dyson has helped me
and I feel like I'm indebted to help others.
I started a nonprofit
called Athletes with Disabilities Network...
So, then, you just have to hit the trigger.
It's going to release.
...to help provide athletic and educational opportunities
for people with physical and cognitive disabilities.
Good boy!
Dyson is kind of the intro.
Everybody comes and he's the greeter of the day.
So, some of the kids that may be a little nervous
just kind of relax when they meet Dyson.
Okay, the more you pet him, the more he gets treats,
so he loves to be pet.
Then all of a sudden, they are ready to participate.
Dyson and Brandon are the coolest, awesome, and fun!
KEVIN: In addition to their nonprofit work,
over the past decade,
this power duo has been very busy
turning adversity into opportunity.
Brandon won nine national titles
as a para-athlete in sprint kayaking,
and Dyson has not only been inspiring others
and training their service dogs
but, of course,
has been an amazing companion to Brandon.
LIZ: Dyson is part of our family in every way.
Dyson is just a sweet dog
whose devotion to Brandon is so obvious.
Dyson is more than just a service dog for Brandon.
I really think that, together,
they are changing the lives of other people in their community,
just like paying it forward.
Dyson has continually made me want to do more.
On a bad day, he makes it better.
On a good day, he doesn't just impact me,
he impacts everybody.
It's not just my legacy, it's his,
because I wouldn't be here to do this without him.
What an amazing pup!
And now, he is the ambassador and inspiration
for Brandon's latest company, Red, White & Blue K9,
which is helping America's heroes serve again
by teaching injured military and first responders
how to use canines
for detecting narcotics and explosives.
It is just incredible.
I'm a little teary-eyed over here.
Dyson, you're a star.
All right, when we come back,
the heartbreaking story of an abused pup
turns to an inspirational reminder to never give up.
KEVIN: And what has eight legs, eight wheels,
and does not hang out at a dog park?
You're about to find out when Dogs of the Year return.
[dog barks]
KEVIN: Welcome back, dog lovers.
The snow has begun to fall here.
- Yes, it is! - Well, it's kinda like snow.
But tonight, we're featuring the top Dogs of the Year
and honoring all of their accomplishments.
And you know, Kevin,
this is the most joyous, magical time of the year.
It's all about taking care of each other,
giving gifts to each other, but unfortunately,
animal abuse is still a real issue
and many of those animals are dogs.
Yeah. And sadly, that's what happened
to our next Dog of the Year.
He lost the use of his legs, but luckily,
this five-year-old loving hound
found some very special and new humans.
They took care of him, they loved him,
and they gave him the gift that he really needed,
which, like I said, is what this holiday is all about.
So, prepare to fall in love with Boone.
WOMAN: Joey's PAW is a nonprofit
and we provide wheelchairs and prosthetics for dogs.
We started back in 2017 with my dog, Joey,
because he lost his rear legs to abuse
and we knew we had to do something to make it right.
MAN: We want to be able to help as many dogs in need as we can,
give them the best mobility
and the best chance of having the best fulfilling life
that they can have.
TANYA: With Joey's PAW,
I actively search on social media
for any dog that needs help, and I ended up finding Boone.
He had his rear legs injured by his previous owner
and he needed reconstructive surgery.
The abuse that he had suffered really took a toll on him.
He was completely 100% broken.
There was... I can't even go there.
I can't even do that. I can't go there.
We picked him up at the rescue.
And he was an amazingly quiet, calm dog.
He is just so loving
and I knew we were going to keep him.
When we got Boone, we knew the first thing he needed
was to do some healing
because he was in pretty bad shape.
He literally laid on my chest for three months.
And when the doctor gave us the okay
in which to be able to put Boone in the wheelchair,
we put him in and he looked back at us,
wagged his tail, and took off.
And it was amazing.
You could see his personality just come out.
CHARLIE: Literally, the first time he ever wagged his tail,
and he's never looked back.
He's been on a mission ever since.
I knew Boone was going to be the face of Joey's PAW.
When we took him out, kids just loved him,
people loved him.
He showed what dogs can be like
when you have a device that can give them life.
We got him certified to be a therapy dog
so he could go into the schools, and the airport,
and everywhere else that he needed to go to.
Boone loves to go to the airport.
We go through TSA,
and he loves getting pat down at TSA.
And then we go to the gates.
Boone gives aid and comfort to passengers that are nervous
and he calms them down.
It's really nice when we go
and we see someone that you can visibly see
has had a bad day,
and they see him, and they pet him,
and the nervousness and the bad day
and everything else just comes right off their face.
We love to go to special needs schools.
There's a local school
that has kind of adopted him into a classroom.
He teaches the kids
that no matter what has happened to you prior,
that you can bounce back from that.
And it was an incredible lesson to be learned.
TANYA: Good boy!
We've come across many pet owners
that have had dogs
that they thought were going to have to be put down.
And it's amazing when they put their dog in a wheelchair
and they start taking off,
and they see them run for the first time.
WOMAN: Say hi to everybody.
After rescuing Destiny and meeting Boone,
I knew that there was hope for her
because he is such a role model.
He could care less that he was in a chair.
He was happy because he could get around easily.
And that gave me hope for her.
Tanya saw that Gus had lost use of his rear leg,
she immediately reached out to me and said,
"Hey, can we get you guys some wheels?"
Rubin's able to run and we take him to the park,
and he just smiles when he's in it the whole time.
Rubin, come on, let's go!
And to see that spark in their eyes come out again,
it's just magical
To see the joy in not only the pet's face,
but in the owner's face, that is the most exciting thing.
Boone is amazing
because he is actually giving dogs mobility
for people that really truly can't afford prosthetics.
They are not cheap.
These dogs are not damaged,
which, I think, is a very common misconception.
They want to live the same life that every other dog wants to.
And that's what we want.
We want people to see
that just because a dog is immobile right now,
that with a little help from us,
that we can get them mobile again
and have a really good long life after that.
KELTIE: You know, Tanya and Charlie's organization, Joey's P.A.W,
has helped more than a thousand dogs
get the prosthetics and wheelchairs they need
to get them movin' and groovin' towards a whole new life.
So needed and so cool.
So awesome.
Okay, when we come back, forget the dog park.
It's the skate park for these two thrashers.
You'll meet our final Dogs of the Year.
[dog barks]
KEVIN: Welcome back to Dogs of the Year.
You know, tonight we've seen firsthand
how dogs can really make your life better.
And sometimes, it's just the little things they do
that make you smile.
Yeah. Giving you kisses right on the mouth.
You got it. Now, this leads to my next question, Keltie.
Do you know why --
because you're a former professional dancer --
do you know why dogs aren't good dancers?
This feels like a dad joke.
KEVIN: Nothing wrong with that.
Why?
It's because they have two left feet.
Ba dum tss! I knew it, dad joke.
All right. But our final honorees
are a couple of English bulldogs
that use that to their advantage
and are sure to bring a smile to your face.
Meet George and Walter.
George is a ball of energy ever since he was a puppy.
I thought, what do I do
to get all this energy out of him?
So, I got him a cheap little skateboard one time
to see if he liked it.
MARCUS: He did something that we called the Georgie two-step,
where he'd put his front paws on the board
and his back paws were on the ground,
and he would walk sideways with the board.
And we just thought, "Oh, that was so great."
NADINE: And then one day, he saw a kid ride the board.
MARCUS: He just hopped on that board and was just a natural.
He was obsessed with it.
I could not get that board away from him.
He'd get up on the board and just move around,
then he started turnings.
NADINE: That was amazing.
When he started turning, he would see an obstacle coming,
and you could see him shift his weight and turn.
I started looking around at the other people,
their mouths are dropped,
they are pulling out their phones,
they are taking pictures.
MARCUS: Several times that we've been out there,
a local police officer has stopped.
There's a 'No Skateboarding' sign over there,
and they stop and they are just like,
"This is the coolest thing ever."
Somebody said,
"Well, you really should make little videos
and post them on the internet."
And I posted a little video on Instagram.
And then I was getting all these people,
and all these comments, and all these followers.
It just ballooned up from there.
KELTIE: And much to the delight of George's fans,
he soon got a partner in crime
when a pup named Walter joined the family.
MARCUS: Walter, he would watch George the whole time,
but it took a little bit longer to get used to the board.
Good boy!
Then the same thing happened.
One day, he hopped on,
and I said, "Marcus, look, he's doing it!"
And he just started riding,
and it was like something clicked in his head.
People always ask us,
"How did you train them to do this?"
And I wish I could take some credit
that I have the magic instructions for doing it,
but I think they are kind of training each other.
KELTIE: But even though Nadine and Marcus
aren't needed for training...
MARCUS: Come on, it's your favorite store.
- Hi! - George and Walter!
NADINE: How are you?
KELTIE: ...they are needed to drive George and Walter
to the local skate shop.
MAN: They are super friendly.
First time George and Walter came in,
we instantly became friends.
We got a new toy for you guys to ride on.
NADINE: Look at that!
Anything that they needed,
we want to make sure that we help out George and Walter
and get them out there skating and having a good time.
Four-legged guys have got to have fun, too.
- That's right. - Absolutely.
KELTIE: Now, over the past couple of years,
George and Walter's love of riding
has expanded beyond just skateboarding,
with George competing in surf competitions,
and both of them hitting the slopes
on their custom snowboards.
All I did was take the wheels off,
put the skis on,
and with the wider board and this grippy tape on here,
it was the perfect ride for George.
I put the board down and he was flipping it around
and I thought to myself,
"He's really not that interested."
And I just started walking away, thinking, "Okay, that's fine,
we'll just stick to skateboarding."
Then I turned around and George hopped on,
and all of a sudden, he's riding the whole way down the hill
over these little bumps that look like moguls.
I couldn't believe he was doing that.
NADINE: The whole way down the hill.
And I was shocked!
MARCUS: And then Walter, Walter hopped right on
and just went down the hill
like he had been doing it for years.
I couldn't believe it!
Okay, babies...
George and Walter are our children,
and I think they have given us more of a life
than we've given them.
Everything that we do revolves around these dogs.
It's George and Walter's world, we just live in it.
KELTIE: They are both amazing pups,
but we do have some sad news to share.
Since we visited them and did this story,
George, unfortunately, has passed away.
Nadine and Marcus were obviously heartbroken,
and as pet owners,
we all know how hard that can be.
There's nothing like it.
No. So hard.
Now, they were happy
they were able to give George a great life,
and even though they weren't thinking
about getting a puppy so soon,
they stumbled upon this little guy.
This is Milo, and he is their new family addition.
And Nadine's told us
that Walter has already been teaching him how to skate.
George would definitely be proud of his legacy.
Looking down from that rainbow bridge.
All right, it's been said
that dogs may not be our whole life,
but they do make our lives whole.
Nothing is truer.
We'll be right back.
KEVIN: Welcome back to Dogs of the Year.
and our class of 2022.
You know, tonight, we've seen fun dogs,
caring dogs, smart dogs, and inspiring dogs.
So, let's take one more look back
at what makes these honorees so special.
They save lives.
ERIN KRAUSS: Always a smile on her face
and always willing to help out other dogs.
KEVIN: Rescue loved ones.
We eventually made it back up to the top of the cliff
and we ended up with a happy day.
KEVIN: And just make the world a better place.
TANYA: They pet him and the nervousness,
and the bad day, and everything else
just comes right off their face.
KEVIN: They amaze us.
JENNIFER: He's an amazing partner.
Anything I want to teach him, he would learn it so fast.
KEVIN: Help get our lives back on track.
BRANDON: Dyson has helped me
and I feel like I'm indebted to help others.
KEVIN: Remind us to be proud of who we are.
MELANIE: Cole provides tremendous support
for kids who struggle with being different.
KEVIN: And show us that nothing is impossible.
They've given us more of a life than we've given them.
Kevin: Tonight, you are all Dogs of the Year.
Welcome to our pack.
What an amazing night it's been!
Such incredible stories about our four-legged friends.
Definitely. And thanks to all of our Dogs of the Year
and all the dogs out there
who make a difference in our lives.
So, right now, go find your precious pup
and tell them that you love them.
Every single one of them deserves a hug,
a belly rub, and a good snack,
but most importantly,
they deserve to be treated, every day,
like a Dog of the Year.
- Good night, everybody. - Good night, everybody.
[♪♪♪]