EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. — Mayzie, a 7-year-old rescue dog based in El Dorado Hills, has been nominated for FHE Health’s nationwide First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award, with public voting open Sept. 3–12. The annual contest honors therapy dog teams that support the mental health of police, fire, dispatch, EMS and other public-safety professionals. According to the organizer’s 2025 contest page, finalists are announced Sept. 15 and a winner named Sept. 18.
Mayzie’s story is local at its core. She was adopted from Foothill Dog Rescue in Shingle Springs and overcame abandonment and a serious bout of aspiration pneumonia before becoming a certified first responder therapy dog. She has since earned five American Kennel Club titles and is working toward a sixth.
Certified in June 2023, Mayzie and her handler, Adrienne Steurer, have logged well over 100 visits to dispatch centers, fire stations, law-enforcement agencies, military units, and community events across Northern California and Nevada. Her first training visit came at the Caldor Fire Base Camp in 2021—a formative moment that shaped her mission to serve the region’s first responders.
“She’s an excellent tool for peer support and comfort,” Steurer said. “She’s been through her own trauma and doesn’t let it stop her from helping those who need it the most. They share that bond—it’s truly magical to see her work.”
Dispatchers say the visits matter. “We just love when Mayzie and her sweet mom come to dispatch to let us love on her,” said Peggy Salazar, a California State Parks dispatcher with NORCOM. “When words fail, therapy dogs speak through silent comfort.”
The winner receives a $4,000 check to support their work, a Chewy gift basket, a feature blog and national press release, and a $2,500 donation in their honor to the First Responders Pack Foundation, which trains more therapy dogs for first responders. FHE Health notes the foundation is recognized by the American Kennel Club as a certified therapy dog organization.
FHE Health is promoting the contest nationally and will host the ballot on its website. The organization says voting is limited to one vote per valid email; addresses are used solely to verify ballots. Local outlets have already highlighted Mayzie’s nomination and the voting window, underscoring the strong El Dorado County interest in her work with El Dorado Hills Fire and other regional partners.
Community members can review Mayzie’s profile and cast a vote during the Sept. 3–12 window on the First Responder Paws page. For residents who want to support the rescue that gave Mayzie her second chance, Foothill Dog Rescue is located at 4131 S. Shingle Road, Suite 14, Shingle Springs. FHE HealthGivingEdge
How to vote
Public voting runs Sept. 3–12 on FHE Health’s contest page. One vote per email; finalists Sept. 15, winner Sept. 18. https://fherehab.com/first-responder-paws-award
