EL DORADO HILLS—She has comforted firefighters at wildfire base camps, brought smiles to dispatchers working long shifts, and offered quiet reassurance to law enforcement officers and military personnel during some of their hardest days. Now, Mayzie, a 7-year-old rescue dog from El Dorado Hills, is being recognized on a national stage for her extraordinary service.
Mayzie has been nominated for the First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award, part of an annual contest hosted by the national behavioral health provider FHE Health. Public voting opens September 3 and will continue through September 12, with the winner receiving national recognition and a package of awards to support their work.
The top therapy dog and handler will receive a $4,000 grant to further their efforts, a gift basket from Chewy, a national press release and blog feature, and a $2,500 donation in their honor to the First Responders Pack Foundation, which helps train more therapy dogs for emergency personnel.
Mayzie’s journey to this point has been nothing short of remarkable. In 2019, she was left at the Bradshaw Animal Shelter after suffering a difficult start in life. She bore the mark of an attack from a kennel mate that left a permanent scar on her face, and she struggled to recover both physically and emotionally. Her future changed when Foothill Dog Rescue in Shingle Springs pulled her from the shelter and gave her a chance at survival.
Recovery wasn’t easy. Following her spay surgery, she developed aspiration pneumonia that nearly claimed her life. With attentive care and treatment, Mayzie gradually regained her health and was adopted into the home where she still lives today.
Her resilience soon became clear. Naturally calm and drawn to people, she showed an instinctive ability to comfort those around her. Her owner and handler, Adrienne Steurer, recognized that gift and guided Mayzie through advanced training. With Fidelis K9, Mayzie completed the full suite of American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen titles, achievements that laid the foundation for her work as a certified therapy dog. Today, she holds five AKC titles and is working toward a sixth.
Her first training visit came in 2021 at the Caldor Fire Base Camp, where she helped exhausted firefighters during one of California’s largest wildfires. By June 2023, she and Steurer were officially certified as a First Responder Therapy Dog team, volunteering with the nonprofit First Responder Therapy Dogs, which provides support to emergency workers across the country.
What began with a handful of visits quickly expanded into a wide-reaching mission. From dispatch centers and law enforcement offices to military units and wildfire crews, Mayzie has now logged more than 140 visits across Northern California and Nevada. She was among the therapy dogs deployed to the Crozier Fire Base Camp, continuing her commitment to first responders on the front lines.
Beyond her work in the field, Mayzie also stays connected to the shelter that gave her a second chance. As a well-known alumnus of Foothill Dog Rescue, she participates in fundraisers to help other animals find permanent homes.
Voting for the First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award begins September 3, and supporters can cast their vote by visiting fherehab.com/first-responder-paws-award. A valid email address is required to vote, but will not be used for any other purpose.
Mayzie’s nomination not only recognizes her service but also highlights the powerful role therapy animals play in supporting the well-being of those who dedicate their lives to protecting the community.
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