Harley trades life of abuse for applause

Of the eight finalists in the American Humane Association’s 2015 American Hero Dog contest, Harley is the oldest, smallest and most unlikely of winners.

After 10 years of abuse in a Midwestern puppy mill, Harley has a diseased heart, rotted mouth, fused spine, broken tail, gnarled toes, deformed legs and a missing eye. But the 6-pound Chihuahua was named top dog at a sold-out Los Angeles awards ceremony. More than a million public votes were cast, and an expert panel weighed in on Harley’s honor. Here’s a look at all eight dogs:.

• HARLEY, AMERICAN HERO DOG: Harley is 14, owned by Rudi Taylor of Bethoud, Colo. Together they’ve raised a half-million dollars through “Harley to the Rescue” to care for more than 500 puppy mill dogs. Harley and Taylor have spread their message against commercial breeders to thousands of people.

• DAX, LAW ENFORCEMENT HERO DOG: Dax, an 8-year-old German shepherd, works with his owner, Chris Alberini, on the K-9 team for the Ashland Police Department. In 2013, Alberini believes Dax saved his life and the lives of fellow officers as they chased a gunman.

• GLORY, ARSON HERO DOG: Glory, a 3-year-old yellow Labrador, is a K-9 dog owned by Keith Lynn. Both work for the Beloit Fire Department in Wisconsin. Glory is trained to detect ignitable liquid but also identifies firefighters who are having a bad day and spends time with them.

• AXEL, SERVICE HERO DOG: Axel, a 4-year-old German shepherd, lives in Fredericksburg, Va., with retired Marine Capt. Jason Haag. Haag was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury after returning from two tours in the Middle East. “He saved my life, he saved my family. My wife said I had one more shot and if it didn’t work, she was going to take the kids and leave. He helped with panic attacks, flashbacks and nightmares,” Haag said.

• HUDSON, THERAPY HERO DOG: Hudson, a 3-year-old blue nose pit bull, was found when he was 3 weeks old nailed by his paws to railroad tracks in Albany, N.Y. One paw had been cut off. He was adopted by Richard Nash and his family, in Castleton, N.Y., and trained as a therapy dog to visit schools, hospitals, adult day care and hospice centers. “Hudson is a hero for the joy he brings to others. He has taught us to overcome and persevere,” Nash said.

• MILITARY HERO DOG: Sgt. Rambo is 7, a German shepherd medically retired from the Marine Corps after serving as an explosives detection dog at the Marine base in Cherry Point, N.C. He was never deployed but had a front leg amputated. Lisa Phillips adopted him in 2012 and he became Alamo Honor Flight’s mascot, accompanying World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., and serving as ambassador for K-9 Members of the Armed Forces.

• GUIDE/HEARING HERO DOG: Chara is an 8-year-old Norwegian alfhound who lives with handler Kristina Church-DiCiccio in Waynesboro, Va. In 2008, Church-DiCiccio developed a neurological condition. She and Chara worked out a way for her to recognize attacks. Two weeks after Church-DiCiccio’s son was born, Chara used her alerting skill to let her know her boy had stopped breathing. “I literally put my life in my dog’s hands. She’s gone beyond her training as a service signal dog. She’s come up with a miraculous sixth sense to help me out and she saved my son’s life. She is my heart and soul,” Church-DiCiccio said.

• SEARCH AND RESCUE HERO DOG: Glory is an 8-year-old bloodhound gumshoe specializing in lost pets, living with handler Landa Coldiron in Sun Valley, Calif. Trained to track lost pets, she has helped close hundreds of cases. “Glory helps bring closure for so many people with a lost pet,” Coldiron said.