A Labrador retriever once taken in as a frail stray at a Mississippi animal shelter has been named the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Dog of the Year, following years of work locating victims of some of the nation’s deadliest recent disasters.
The dog, named Canyon, was adopted as a puppy by Christy Bormann, a search-and-rescue dog handler based in Texas. Bormann first spotted him in photos online after he had been brought into the shelter as a stray and said she felt an immediate connection.
“I just knew that he was going to be the next partner for me,” Bormann said, according to The Washington Post. She named him Canyon because of his love of digging holes.
At the shelter, Bormann noticed the puppy’s obsession with fetch, grabbing any object he could find and dropping it in front of her and shelter staff. Over roughly two years, she worked to help him gain weight and channeled his play drive into the discipline needed for formal search-and-rescue training.
From Texas to Maui
Bormann, 48, believed Canyon’s energy and nose made him a natural fit for disaster response work. In the years since, he has taken part in dozens of search-and-rescue missions, including the 2025 Texas floods that killed more than 100 people, among them children at Camp Mystic. He also assisted during Hurricane Helene in 2024 and the 2023 wildfires in Maui, Hawaii.
“He could run through an entire room full of his favorite peanut butter cups, would not even look at them, and is only looking for that target scent,” Bormann said.
Canyon’s specialty is grim but necessary work: locating the remains of people who have died in natural disasters, giving grieving families answers after catastrophic events.
Bormann carries a squeaky bunny toy that Canyon gets to play with as a reward once a mission is complete.
On Thursday, the ASPCA recognized the 7-year-old dog as its Dog of the Year, citing in part his role in the Texas flood response.
Looking toward retirement
Bormann said she typically retires her working dogs around age 9, once their energy starts to decline. While active, her dogs follow strict routines, including sleeping apart from her, but she said retirement comes with new privileges.
“When he’s retired, he will get to sleep in bed full-time,” Bormann said.
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