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As the cut-off date for nominations for the 2003 Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE) approaches (June 30th), I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight this wonderful AKC program, now in its 4th year.

Since AKC first celebrated the extraordinary canine-human bond with this award in 1999,  we have been delighted, humbled, saddened and awed by the stories that have surfaced via the hundreds of nominations received. Anyone who saw last year’s winners celebrated at the AKC/Eukanuba National Invitational Championship knows how touching it was to see these courageous canines and their proud owners recognized before the thousands in attendance, and then before the millions who watched the broadcast. Their moving stories brought tears to many an eye.

While we only select one winner in each of five categories each year (law enforcement, search and rescue, therapy, service, and companion dog), our intention is for the program to inspire and educate many more. By featuring the ACE awards during the Invitational, as we began doing in 2002, we are able to widen the understanding of the amazing capabilities of dogs, and hopefully encourage people to put their pets’ powers to good use.

Each of the five honorees is recognized at a local dog show in their area, receives a cash award of $1,000, and an engraved sterling silver collar medallion. And, now, an all-expenses-paid trip for dog and owner to Long Beach, CA, to attend and be honored at the Invitational this coming December. In addition, the engraved names of the five recipients will be added to the ACE Awards plaque that is on permanent display in the AKC Library in New York City.

If you haven’t already, please give some thought to what dogs in your life deserve to be recognized, and consider nominating them for an AKC ACE award. 

Sincerely,

Ron Menaker