When 鈥淲allace,鈥� a 100-pound Old English Sheepdog, peeks at you from behind his shaggy dog haircut, prepare for a super-duper snuggle. The 4-year-old therapy dog from San Antonio, Texas, possesses a unique sixth sense about who could use help, usually before they even realize it. His owner, Allison Redgrave LaField, rescued Wallace (Wallace Le Roi De L鈥橝mour Sauve鈥� THDN, THD, THDA, THDX, THDD, CGCA, CGCU) from the Homeward Bound/San Antonio Great Dane Rescue after fostering the 8-week-old puppy. His name translates to 鈥淜ing of Love Rescued.鈥�
LaField could never have predicted that Wallace鈥檚 intuition would save her from nearly drowning in her pool just four months after adoption or that he would alert her to her oncoming seizures without any training. Recognizing that her dog had an innate ability to help others, they joined the therapy dog program, visiting disabled veterans at the Brooke Army Medical Center. But their journey took a significant turn when their team was the first one called to comfort the family members of the 19 students, two teachers, and 17 injured in the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Here, Wallace鈥檚 therapy dog work took on a new dimension.
Wallace and LaField followed up their therapy visits by working in multiple programs, including supporting active and retired military veterans and visitors, enlistees and hospital staff, disabled children and adults, and hospice patients. His versatility and caring spirit earned him the 2024 Award for Canine Excellence in the Therapy Dog category. Each year, the AKC Humane Fund awards five dogs who do extraordinary things in the service of humankind in different categories: Service Dog, Search and Rescue Dog, Uniformed Service K-9s, Exemplary Companions, and Therapy Dogs, like Wallace. Dogs in this category are certified therapy dogs working in hospitals, schools, disaster sites, war zones, and wherever else the affection of a loyal dog can provide comfort.
From Second to Best Choice Dog
When a group of puppies, including three OES, a Great Pyrenees, and a Great Dane, were brought to the Homeward Bound Rescue, where LaField volunteered, she offered to foster Wallace鈥檚 brother because he was the smallest puppy. Sadly, the brother died, so she took Wallace on May 1, 2020. This second-choice dog turned out to be a lifesaver.
Wallace loved swimming in her pool and spent hours jumping in. His passion for water and ability to sense danger came together three months later when LaField decided to remove the pool sweep from the water. As she leaned over the pool, she suffered a seizure, hitting her head and hip on the edge, and tumbled into the water.
鈥淚 sank to the bottom and felt too confused to get air,鈥� says LaField, a former competitive swimmer. When she looked up, she saw Wallace鈥檚 giant, thick paws and bubbles and knew it was a sign to swim toward the bubbles and Wallace at the surface. 鈥淚 grabbed onto his coat as he paddled to the shallow end,鈥� LaField says. 鈥淚 had a near-death experience, and if it weren鈥檛 for Wallace, I wouldn鈥檛 have survived.鈥�
LaField knew this was the reason for keeping him forever. 鈥淗e was there for me, and I was determined to always be there for him,鈥� LaField says. She researched Old English Sheepdogs, also known as the 鈥淏obtail,鈥� since Wallace was the first OES she had ever known. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure if the heat and all his hair in the Texas arid and humid weather range would go together, but I was committed to making it work,鈥� LaField says. 鈥淪ince this breed is rare here, people would have paid a lot for him, and part of me felt bad for taking that money away from rescue, but after what he had done for me, I couldn鈥檛 part with him.鈥�
Surprise Service Dog
LaField never intended to get a service dog, but after the pool incident, Wallace alerted her that she was about to suffer a seizure and qualified for the job. 鈥淗e gets in my face and huffs, then raises and lowers his big paw like he鈥檚 saluting me,鈥� LaField says. 鈥淲hen I fall, he stands like a statue and lets me lean on him, so I can pull myself off the floor.鈥�
She knew Wallace would benefit from training classes and quickly realized he was a fast learner. LaField enrolled Wallace in pet manners, pet shaping, scent work, search work, and therapy dog. As a herding breed, this gentle giant鈥檚 instinct was to control the movement of other animals, or in this case, his owner, so he stayed close to LaField and always within sight.
The classes helped Wallace to accept other people to pet him and to feel comfortable with people coming at him from different directions, going places, and resisting the urge to jump at people. 鈥淚n scent classes, he鈥檚 like the big full-bodied Muppet, 鈥楳r. Snuffleupagus鈥� on Sesame Street, because he鈥檚 never in a hurry and takes his time lumbering from place to place, but he never missed a find,鈥� LaField says.
It wasn鈥檛 a stretch when Wallace tested for his therapy certification through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs in Cheyenne, Wyoming, an international registry of certified therapy dog teams. He passed with flying colors, prompting a referral to their first therapy dog assignment at the Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Working four-to-six-hour shifts interspersed with 30-minute breaks, Wallace and LaField comforted patients on the mental health floor. With many military enlisted patients who had come a long way from home to wait for pre-anesthesia, an emergency room exam, or surgery, the team provided reassurance that everything would be okay. 鈥淲allace especially loved seeing men in uniform but offered everyone solace. A few girls even offered to braid his hair,鈥� LaField says. 鈥淚f someone once had an OES and heard that an OES therapy dog was here, they would run from the other side of the building to see him.鈥�
Wallace achieved rock star status in no time. 鈥淓veryone at Brooke knew his name, and when he characteristically ambled down the hall, you couldn鈥檛 help feel good,鈥� LaField says.
Canine Swim Clinic Counselor
As a former competitive swimmer, LaField coaches a one-hour clinic for amputees and brain-injured veteran athletes training for Paralympic swimming and the Invictus Games at the Alamo Heights Natatorium in San Antonio. While his owner coaches, Wallace hangs out on the pool deck.
While the dog may seem as if he鈥檚 off duty, his senses always activate when someone鈥檚 in trouble. When a man was experiencing breathing difficulties in the pool, Wallace immediately knew something was wrong and went to the pool鈥檚 edge. The swimmer went to the side and reached up to pet Wallace. Another time, a woman in the water felt dizzy. When Wallace went to the side, LaField knew to call for the lifeguard. 鈥淲allace wouldn鈥檛 return to rest on the deck until the woman was taken care of,鈥� LaField recalls. 鈥淗e naturally checks on people.鈥�
On Wednesday afternoons, the team visits the Harbour Hospice in San Antonio, Texas. 鈥淲hen a young woman who was a victim of a shooting saw Wallace for the first time, she cried and stroked his ears,鈥� LaField recalls. 鈥淲hen he gave her all the time she needed, I couldn鈥檛 have been prouder of this perfect dog.鈥�
Offering Comfort to Uvalde Families
The day following the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, BAMC called LaField鈥檚 therapy dog team first to report to the scene. 鈥淒riving there, I realized that Wallace and I had never received any crisis training, but when we arrived, an officer in uniform said how glad he was to see Wallace.鈥�
The team was assigned to visit with law enforcement, who sorely needed comfort. 鈥淚 had never realized how stressful law enforcement personnel would be in a situation like this, but Wallace seemed to understand the assignment,鈥� LaField says.
While everyone thinks their dog is the best on the planet, it鈥檚 hard not to acknowledge the many gifts this Old English Sheepdog has offered so many people in such a short time.
鈥淚 feel blessed to have this sensitive, intelligent big floof of an animal in my life,鈥� LaField says. 鈥淗e makes me feel safe and brings smiles to everyone. If Wallace could speak, I suspect he would roll his eyes under all that hair, shake his head, and mutter, 鈥楬ey, it鈥檚 no big deal. It鈥檚 just what I do, so let鈥檚 go do it and make every day count.'鈥�
You won’t want to miss seeing these hero dogs in action.聽Catch the 2024 AKC Heroes: Awards for Canine Excellence Show on ESPN2 on December 15 at 6pm ET.