Golden Hero Awards

Friends of Animal Care & Control (FACCs) has created the Hero Awards to recognize and honor the impact local animals have had on human lives through truly heroic efforts of service or personal survival. Each year we recognize animals for their heroic impact on Maricopa County residents. The winners are selected from hundreds of dogs, cats, horses, and birds nominated by pet owners or people in the community for their heroic efforts of service or stories of personal survival. Each was judged for their heroic efforts in acting to save or protect the life of a person, for performing services within the community, or having to overcome their own devastating circumstances to survive.

FACCS has dedicated this event to pets who have shown great and unusual courage, instinct, forethought and loyalty in their actions to help or save another animal or human being or themselves. There are amazing stories in our community of animal courage and we want to hear them all. No act of bravery is too small or insignificant. We encourage everyone who has a story to share to bring it to our attention.

Here are some of their first Golden heroes…

Goofy and owner Barry Eisen
Goofy, a 2 ½ year old Golden Retriever has dealt with tragedy and more responsibility than a usual dog. His owner, 54-year old Barry Eisen, suffered a severe brain injury from the result of a car accident 7 years ago. When the accident happened, Barry had another Golden Retriever named Buddy. As Buddy became ill with cancer, Barry’s wife contacted Rescue a Golden of Arizona to add another dog to the household because she worried that losing the dog would be too traumatic for her husband. Rescue found Goofy abandoned in the Kingman area. Soon he came to live with the Eisen household. Goofy took well to his new environment and even sensed Buddy’s failing health. He would cuddle next to him to comfort him in his last days. After Buddy’s death, Mrs. Eisen contacted Happy Tails Service Dog Training to see if Barry and Goofy could participate in the classes. They were accepted into the 2-hour a week program that lasts from 1 to 2 years. Prior to Barry and Goofy coming to class, their days consisted of staying home everyday with little socialization, when they both were extremely social. His owners say Goofy shows his excitement weekly when his owner prepares his backpack the night before they go to the class. When the Dial-a-Ride van pulls up to their house, Goofy is ready to go to class. Often Barry will forget the steps to a specific command. Goofy waits very forgivingly and patiently for his owner to redo the command. Goofy has increased Barry’s socialization and self-esteem. They now take outings together to hospitals to teach people suffering from head injuries how having a dog as a companion can dramatically improve their lives. Barry saved Goofy’s life by taking him in his home while Goofy returned the favor everyday by caring for his owner.

Rio Jake and owner Kim Lindenmeyer
Rio Jake, a 2 year-old Golden Retriever, no longer suffers from pain. He was rescued at the age of 6 months from Rescue A Golden of Arizona (RAGofAZ) after his owners in New Mexico could not afford to treat his severe hip dysplasia surgery. Although normally dogs are not rescued from other states, Kim Lindenmeyer was working the rescue calls that day and by coincidence or destiny received the call. It just happened that the timing was perfect. It just happened that RAGofAZ was involved with another national rescue group that was in the process of rescuing some Golden Retrievers from a puppy mill that was shutting down in Oklahoma. On their way to Arizona, they stopped in Albuquerque to pick up Jake. He was from Rio Rancho, NM so he was then named Rio Jake and put in a foster home. The foster parent had a very busy home and couldn’t accommodate Rio Jake after he underwent Triple Pelvic Osteotomy in both hips. When he first arrived he was non-social and scared all the time. He cried most of the time because of the pain. Within the first year of his life he had endured many obstacles. At the age of one, he was enrolled in a program to help others deal with the pain in their lives. He is now a therapy dog for the Puppy Love Pet Therapy at Arrowhead Community Hospital. Twice a week he visits patients on two floors of the hospital as well as the ER waiting room. He wears a special bandana and even has his own ID Badge for the visit. Rio Jake has traded in his crying days for brighter smiling days. He now can teach others how to cope with their pain. He has already received a national Golden Rescue & Community Excellence award (G.R.A.C.E) for his animal therapy.