FROM STRAY TO HERO: Brevard Sheriff’s Office Paws & Stripes College Grad Wins National Hero Dog Award

Hero Dog K9 Sgt. Bo was a homeless stray wandering the streets of Brevard

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — Before he comforted students in the wake of tragedy, before he earned nationwide applause and the title of American Humane’s 2025 Hero Dog, Sgt. Bo was simply a stray wandering the streets of Brevard County.

Today, he stands as a symbol of resilience, service, and the transformative power of second chances.

The gentle, amber-eyed dog who recently won the 15th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Award began his remarkable journey in a place where hope often takes unexpected forms: Brevard County’s Paws & Stripes College, an Inmate Guided Program run by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.

There, inmates worked daily to teach Bo the skills he would one day use to comfort children, de-escalate emotional crises, and heal hurting communities.

But no one could have predicted just how far the former stray would go.

A New Start in Tennessee

After completing his training, Bo was paired with K9 Handler Faye Okert of the Metro Nashville Police Department. Okert, who was building a therapy dog program to serve Nashville-area schools, brought Bo to Tennessee — and it didn’t take long for students and staff to fall in love with him.

A soft nudge of his nose, a quiet sit beside a trembling student, or a warm lean against a tearful teen became Bo’s signature style of comfort.

“He just knew what people needed,” Okert has often said. “Sometimes he offered affection; sometimes he simply sat and listened.”

A Hero When It Mattered Most

Just months into their assignment, Bo and Okert faced a moment that would define their partnership.

After a school shooting shook the Nashville community, students were terrified, grieving, and struggling to process the unthinkable.

Amid the chaos and heartbreak, Sgt. Bo stepped forward — not with authority or force, but with empathy. He padded through hallways filled with tears and fear, offering what only a therapy dog can: calm. Presence. Quiet understanding.

“He brought peace to every person he touched,” Sheriff Wayne Ivey said. “He did exactly what he was trained to do.”

Bo’s actions didn’t go unnoticed. His comfort, compassion, and unwavering devotion to the students he served became central reasons he was nominated — and ultimately selected — as the 2025 Hero Dog winner.

Healing Lives on Both Sides of the Leash

For Sheriff Wayne Ivey, Bo’s achievement is more than a heartwarming story. It is a testament to the Paws & Stripes College program and its capacity to change lives.

“This program helps so many people,” Ivey said. “From the inmates who train these dogs, to the children and people they go on to comfort, to the communities they ultimately protect.”

The Sheriff added that Sgt. Bo’s success reinforces what he believes wholeheartedly: that Brevard County is the best place in the world to call home, and that the Sheriff’s Office is one of the best in the nation.

A Legacy Built on Love, Service, and Second Chances

Now retired, along with Handler Faye Okert, Sgt. Bo spends his days in well-earned comfort — but his story continues to inspire. The stray who once had nothing now has a national title, a loving family, and a legacy that will echo through school hallways and humane programs for years to come.

His journey proves that heroes aren’t defined by where they start, but by the lives they touch along the way.

And in Sgt. Bo’s case, those lives are countless.

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