Vote Frances For Hero Dog Awards
Who doesn’t love a hero? And who can deny there’s something extra special about the heroics of a furry companion?
A courageous cancer battle, then later sight loss from her treatments, threatened to turn Holly Bonner’s life upside down. As a mom with two small children regaining her independence came in the form of a canine hero.
From the moment Frances, or “Franny” as she’s affectionately known, met Holly life hasn’t been the same. So when I found out Franny was a semi-finalist in the National Hero Dog Award Contest I wanted to share her story.
As a dog-lover myself I can appreciate the effect a dog has on the life of its owner. In Franny and Holly’s situation though I noticed a remarkable difference Franny made in Holly. Franny gave Holly a priceless gift—independence.
To be clear, Holly was independent before Franny. The noticeable difference was in Holly’s confidence. Never one to skip an advocacy opportunity Franny has become Holly’s four-legged partner.
Who Is Frances?
Franny and Holly came together in September 2016. A female, yellow Labrador retriever, Franny is a certified “guide dog,” trained by Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Her training specifically included intense socialization around children and she now works with Holly in a variety of educational settings. She possesses exemplary self-control and obedience skills.
Franny’s primary role is to keep Holly safe when out in the world. She does this and so much more which is why she is also being recognized for:
- her huge impact on Holly’s life and,
- her partnership within a special program developed by Holly
Franny’s partnership with The Visually Impaired Education Program (V.I.E.P.) is an original program Holly created to help educate the Staten Island Community. The V.I.E.P. provides an opportunity for kids (Pre-K to 8) to learn how to positively and respectfully interact with the blind and visually impaired community. Here is a link to learn more about V.I.E.P.
Receiving this HERO DOG AWARD would shed a national light on how guide dogs help blind parents raise families. Additionally, Guiding Eyes for the Blind would receive a monetary prize, allowing other blind individuals to benefit from a guide dog.
Please vote for Frances EVERY DAY at herodogawards.org/dog/frances from now until July 11th, 2018.
Vote Frances Featured Image Description:
Franny is sitting looking directly at the camera with her deep soulful eyes. She has the sweetest face and her eyes seem all-knowing. A pink decorative necklace with colorful pompoms is around her neck.
Other Image Descriptions:
- Image 1: Holly sits with Frances at her feet, surrounded by Cub Scouts from Troop 6 in Staten Island.
- Image 2: Teal circular logo, with the letters “V.I.E.P.” at the top. A caricature of Holly and Franny (sitting to the left of Holly). Franny is wearing a leather harness with “guiding eyes” on it. Holly smiles with a short bob haircut and dark glasses. She’s wearing a Cabernet colored shirt with a blue and gold-toned scarf. In her right hand, she is holding her white cane.
Please VOTE & SHARE: herodogawards.org/dog/frances