Rescue Dog Pulled from Neglect Becomes Award-Winning Disaster Search Canine Who Saves Others

Harper the black Lab mix won the Dog of the Year honor from the ASPCA Humane Awards for her life-saving work

Harper is a totally different dog than the pup rescued from a hoarding case several years ago.

According to the ASPCA, Harper, a black Lab mix, was one of 22 dogs rescued from a hoarding and neglect case in 2019. After the rescue, Harper moved into the Humane Society of the Black Hills in South Dakota.

The shelter thought there might be a few working dogs among the 22 rescue pups, so it contacted the Search Dog Foundation (SDF), an organization that strengthens disaster response by recruiting rescue dogs and training them, with help from first responders, to become certified disaster search dogs.

Related: Hero Husky Dog 'Saved Our Block' After Detecting Gas Leak that Could've Led to an 'Explosion'

After four days of carefully evaluating Harper and the 21 dogs rescued with her, SDF determined that Harper showed the most potential to be an excellent disaster search dog, so SDF adopted her into its training program in Jan. 2020.

Once at SDF, Harper was placed in the organization's pilot program to train to become a Human Remains Detection (HRD) canine for the California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2). According to ASPCA, CA-TF2 is an internationally deployable task force comprised of physicians, HAZMAT specialists, rescue specialists, and canine search specialists. Harper proved to be the adept pup SDF suspected she was; she graduated from the program in May 2021.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Following graduation, Harper met her partner, firefighter Edward Ruiz of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The pair worked with their CA-TF2 teammates and achieved FEMA certification in July 2022. This certification gave Harper and Ruiz the ability to help people worldwide in times of crisis.

Since 2022, the duo has deployed from California multiple times to assist with natural disaster response nationwide, including to Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian and Lahaina, Hawaii, following the area's deadly wildfires. When she is on the ground at a natural disaster site, Harper uses her training and keen sense of smell to find individuals stuck in the destruction.

Related: Hero Dog Runs 4 Miles to Get Help for Owner After Oregon Car Crash

Harper's dedication to her work and ability to show the amazing things rescue pets are capable of have earned her major recognition from the ASPCA this year.

The organization named the canine the Dog of the Year for its 2024 ASPCA Humane Awards. The annual awards celebrate people and pets who have used their talents and kindness to positively change the lives of others and champion animal welfare causes.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.