The TODAY Show | 2024 American Humane Hero Dog is the epitome of a good boy: EXCLUSIVE

A bloodhound named Bo is being honored for solving cases and saving lives.

 / Source: TODAY

The winner of the 2024 American Humane Hero Dog Awards was exclusively revealed on TODAY Nov. 8, crowning bloodhound Bo as top hero pup.

“I didn’t think we were going to win, I was just blessed to be up here with Bo, the American Humane, to just, you know, to tell our story and what Bo has accomplished in our community and the amazing nose of a bloodhound,” Rowland shared.

America's Top Dog 2024 Winner
Bo was chosen as the 2024 American Humane Hero Dog out of a group of five finalists. Gastonia Police Department 

American Humane recognizes as dogs accomplishing “extraordinary things,” like saving lives in combat or assisting human companions with tasks and goals.

The police pup was chosen as the winner among four other finalists, including military dog Niki, service dog Sampson, therapy dog Dayo and shelter dog Penny. Each finalist was the winner of their own respective category: Law enforcement and first responder dogs, service and guide or hearing dogs, emerging hero and shelter dogs, therapy dogs and military dogs.

“They’re all winners to us, actually, all winners,” CEO of American Humane Robin Ganzert said of all the finalists while on TODAY.

Meet the winner, Bo

The K-9 has been helping solve crimes and saving lives since he was just 8 months old after he was picked from his litter in 2023 by the police department.

America's Top Dog 2024 Winner

Sergeant David Rowland bonded with Bo when he took him home and his kids played games with the pup. Gastonia Police Department 

America's Top Dog 2024 Winner
Bo was selected by the Gastonia Police Department when he was a young pup. Gastonia Police Department 

the dog’s official bio.

Other heroic achievements include tracking down an elderly patient during a cold winter night, and finding a 7-year-old child taken at knifepoint, per his bio.

America's Top Dog 2024 Winner
At just 18 months old, Bo already has an impressive resume of times when he protected humans and saved lives. Gastonia Police Department