AKC Humane Fund ACE Award – Service Dog: Bea – Handler: Buddy Niner
Buddy Niner and Bea’s story highlights the life-changing impact of Service Dogs, from PTSD support to renewed purpose and connection.
March 17, 2026
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, the National Dog Show and the AKC National Championship.
Buddy Niner and Bea’s story highlights the life-changing impact of Service Dogs, from PTSD support to renewed purpose and connection.
Maple the English Springer Spaniel earns the AKC Humane Fund ACE Award for Search & Rescue Human Detection with handler Sue Stejskal.
Meet Flint, a German Shepherd Dog honored with the AKC Humane Fund ACE Award for Search & Rescue disaster response with Jennifer Michelson.
AKC Delegates elect Dominic Palleschi Carota, Jason Hoke, and Sue Goldberg to the Board of Directors as members of the Class of 2030.
AKC Humane Fund opens nominations for the 2026 ACE Awards, honoring heroic dogs in service, therapy, search and rescue, and community impact.
Roberta Hockenberry shares how Syd, her extraordinary Golden Retriever, became an intuitive service partner and life-changing companion.
The AKC Humane Fund opens applications for the 2026 Sir John D. Spurling Scholarship, awarding five $2,000 grants to students.
Andrea Hering of Crisis Response Canines shares how trained canine teams provide trauma-informed support during community crises.