Out of nearly 8,000,000 dogs living in the British Isles some 3,500 of these works within the service dog world.

Organizations such as the Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence, County Police Forces, Customs and Excise, Prison/Fire Service and Search & Rescue have for many, many years worked with dogs making an invaluable contribution to society.

Many are deployed to work not just in the United Kingdom, but very often, in war zones for months on end where temperatures often reach 40c such as Afghanistan or many other far off countries, where disasters such as earthquakes and flooding sometimes occur.

These dog sections receive great respect and admiration not just from the canine world, but also many millions of people from within the public domain.

 Most would say they all deserve an award, however choosing just 20 of these outstanding dogs and their handlers to receive a National Service Dog Bravery and Achievement Award is a huge task for the awards selection committee of canine experts and instructors.